Mississippi State Coach Chris Jans Talks Freshmen, G-League Players in College Games

With the season entering a critical stretch, the focus is shifting to player development, consistency, and managing the grind of SEC play. On Monday, coach Chris Jans addressed the emergence of key freshmen, navigating shooting struggles, roster development, and early thoughts on the road ahead. Here’s what he had to say.

On multiple freshmen playing significant roles...

When we signed that class, like everyone else, you sign guys you believe can help your program either right away or down the line, and we felt that way about them. As our roster came together heading into June and then into the fall, it became clear we were going to have freshmen in our rotation.

Jamarion was the first one, and he’s gradually gotten better and continues to emerge. King went through the learning curve all new players face. He was frustrated early because he wanted more, which is true of every competitive player. We encouraged him because the talent was always there — it was about learning the nuances, the speed, the physicality, being assignment-correct, and understanding how much every detail matters.

He’s been in the office watching extra film more than anyone. He works on his fundamentals behind the scenes, and because of that he’s earned more minutes. The game is slowing down for him. He’s understanding the importance of the other end of the floor. He’s always had the toughness and competitiveness.

I remember his first week on campus — we ran a mile, and he won it. That tells you everything you need to know about his competitiveness. I’m excited for what’s ahead for him, not just this season but long-term.

On mentality of Josh Hubbard and Jayden Epps during recent shooting struggles...

I know Josh well. He’s always confident and understands you’ve got to erase the miss and move on. He was frustrated, though — he actually had a back spasm late in the first half that most people didn’t know about. He worked through it at halftime and felt much better in the second half.

Then he did what Josh does — made tough shots and helped get us back in the game. Jayden has great confidence too. He’s been a scorer at high-level programs and knows his role. Neither was incredibly efficient, but they made shots that gave us a chance to win, and that matters.

On Quincy Ballard's big game against LSU and continuing that level of play...

That’s the challenge for every player. Quincy wants to play better more than anyone. He’s an everyday guy — shows up, works, does what’s asked. Some nights he’s not as productive as he’d like, but he’s proven he can bounce back.

Against LSU he was nearly perfect — made plays offensively, defended, rebounded. That set a high bar. I’m confident he’ll have some really good games down the stretch.

On next opponent, Arkansas...

I’m not deep into them yet — it’s our bye week. Coach Cal always has an ultra-talented team. Acuff is one of the best freshmen in the country, but they’ve got depth everywhere. They guard well out front and have a lot of good players. We’ll dive in more as the week goes on.

On redshirted freshmen...

Cam and T have been great. Redshirting is hard because everyone wants to play, but they’re handling it the right way. They’re working on their bodies and skill development differently than guys logging heavy minutes.

Cam is starting to slow the game down mentally. T has lost a significant amount of weight — the transformation is obvious and speaks to his discipline and work ethic. They’re both progressing well.

On freshmen handling long grind of the season...

I haven’t seen signs of a freshman wall. They’re not playing 30-plus minutes every night, and we’re very conscious of keeping legs and minds fresh. Practice time has been reduced as we move down the stretch.

On G-League players returning to college basketball...

It’s a mess right now. Nobody knows what the rules are. There are injunctions everywhere and players playing under temporary rulings. There needs to be a reset so everyone knows the rules and they’re applied evenly.

On John Calipari at Arkansas...

From the outside, he looks rejuvenated. He’s got a different bounce to him. It seems like the change has been good for him. They’ve reloaded and have a really good team. It looks like a strong move for him at this stage of his career.