Mississippi State Basketball Dominates In Portugal
After coming off the program's first NCAA tournament berth since 2019, expectations are high for men's basketball in Starkville. The most significant recruiting battle was getting the first-team All-SEC big man Tolu Smith to return for his last year of eligibility.
The Bulldogs lacked consistent scoring last season, particularly from their guards. Bulldog head coach Chris Jans added scorers from all levels.
The three standout guards in Portugal have been Josh Hubbard, a true freshman point guard from MRA, Lorenzo Fort, the top junior college prospect in the country according to 247 Sports, and Andrew Taylor, a four-star transfer from Marshall University.
The defense has been as expected when you return your top three defenders in Moore, Matthews, and Jeffries. The Bulldogs have given up no more than 50 points in their first two games.
MSU has excellent length and speed, so the teams rarely got open layups, and most of their jumpers have been contested with Dashawn Davis being out with an injury. It has given a newcomer Josh Hubbard a chance to show his skills.
Hubbard is the all-time leading scorer in Mississippi high school history. At just 5’10, he is often undersized, but he has a quick burst, excellent shot-making ability, and moves very well without the ball.
He has been the leading scorer in both games, with twelve in game one, followed by nineteen in-game two. It will be tough to keep Hubbard off the court this year.
Andrew Taylor has been impressive so far this summer. Taylor is nothing short of a playmaker.
He has a quick stroke from the perimeter and has a soft touch around the rim, shown off by hitting multiple floaters inside the paint. He plays smoothly, scoring or passing to open teammates on a fast break.
His style is similar to former Bulldog Quinndary Weatherspoon. Also, transfer big man Jimmy Bell has looked good. He has good physicality and solid touch around the rim.
The Bulldogs hit 18 threes in their second game which is a vast improvement from last year. The Bulldogs beat the Libson All-stars 76-50 in game one and took down the Portugal All-stars 100-40 in game two.
This Bulldog team looks deep and dangerous. If healthy this team will be a force in the SEC this winter.
