Mississippi State's DJ Jeffries Makes Statement By Hitting New Milestone
Mississippi State forward D.J. Jeffries came into Wednesday’s home game against LSU with a hopeful mindset that he would reach 1,000 career points.
The game against the Tigers started off shaky for the Bulldogs. However, Jeffries knew he was only 13 points away from reaching a major milestone in his basketball career.
Within the first minute of the game, Jeffries became the first to put up points for the Bulldogs with a clean 3-pointer.
“Man, it was a big confidence boost. Like I said when I see one go in, it really just boosted my confidence up and I came out and hit four more,” Jeffries said in the postgame conference. “So, you know that was a big one, but if I would have missed, I probably still would have kept shooting with confidence.”
Jeffries was able to keep up his momentum throughout the game, leading the team with 18 points scored on 5-of-9 shooting with 5-of-6 from the arc.
Up to that point, Jeffries had never had a game with five or more 3-pointers. The match against LSU was able to explicate all the hard work put in by Jeffries.
Head coach Chris Jans emphasized his pride in Jeffries’ great work ethic and accomplishments.
“I’m certainly happy for DJ. I’ve talked about guys working on their craft, and DJ is one of them,” Jans said.” “DJ is one of those guys that stick with it and when I’m walking out of the gym, I see him repping his jumper and working on his rhythm. He’s been making them. If you watch him work out, you’ll be like what’s the deal? It looks good leaving his hand and he’s got good form. He’s obviously experienced, but it gets to be mental at times. I’m really happy for him to reap the dividends for it and take the lid off the basket.”
As the end of the second half was approaching, a big announcement was made that made the fans stand up and get loud throughout the Humphrey Coliseum. Jeffries had just secured 1,000 career points, and everyone was ecstatic for the deserving young man.
During the postgame presser, Jeffries talked about his newfound accomplishment.
“I knew coming into the game that I had to at least get 13. I didn’t know that I’d get 18. Once I got 1,000 points, it was a big relief. That’s a big milestone in my career,” Jeffries said. “I thank God for that.”
Not only was D.J. Jeffries awarded a personal win Wednesday night, but the Bulldogs walked away with a 64-53 win against the LSU Tigers thanks to Jeffries’ efforts and a team that seems to constantly improve.
Look for him to continue to be an impact player for the Bulldogs as college basketball season rolls on.
