SEC Tipoff schedule, participants for Mississippi State announced

The start of the 2025-26 college basketball season is fast approaching with Mississippi State’s men’s basketball team opening the season November 3 against Davidson and the women’s team two days later against North Alabama.

Before that, though, members of both teams will be heading to Birmingham, Ala. for SEC Tipoff ’26 next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mississippi State’s contingent will take to the stage on Wednesday. Coverage of the two-day event will be on SEC Network at 11 a.m. each day.

Both Bulldog coaches will be in attendance and each will have three players with them.

For the men, the players will be Shawn Jones Jr., Jayden Epps, Josh Hubbard.

For the women, the players will be Madison Francis, Chandler Prater, Kharyssa Richardson.

Men’s coach Chris Jans will hold his press conference at 9:35 a.m. Wednesday and the players will start at 9:50 a.m.

Women’s coach Sam Purcell will begin his session at 10:35 a.m. with his three players following right afterwards.

The men’s contingent includes two returning players and one new player.

Hubbard was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer last season, averaging 18.9 points per game while shooting .402 from the field.

Jones played in all 34 games for the Bulldogs, averaging 4.8 points per game game and 2.6 rebounds per game.

Epps is entering his first season with Mississippi State after three seasons at Georgetown where he recorded 1,177 points, 231 assists, 189 rebounds and 91 steals.

Prater is the only women’s basketball player that was on last year’s team that’ll be traveling to Birmingham. She averaged 6.4 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game while playing in all 34 games for the Bulldogs.

Richardson transferred to Mississippi State after two seasons at Ole Miss. Last season, she averaged 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

Franics is a true freshman who signed with Mississippi State out of Lancaster Central High School in New York. She averaged 24.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.5 steals, 3.6 assists and 3.0 blocks throughout the duration of her high school career.

Both men and women teams hope to repeat last season’s finish that saw both teams earn invitations for the NCAA Tournament.

However, after a 21-13 campaign, the men’s team lost 75-72 to Baylor in the first round of the tournament.

The women’s team won its first round game against California, 59-46, and then made headlines in a 96-59 loss to No. 4 USC whose star player Juju Watkins suffered a serious injury in the game.

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