The Hump Report: Preseason Pawprints Point to a Different Mississippi State Team

Hubbard supplies foundation, Bulldogs’ season will depend on whether a rebuilt roster can turn that into a more balanced team

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans reacts with guard Josh Hubbard (12) as he checks out of the game during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State knows what Josh Hubbard means to its basketball program. The more important preseason question is what the players around him will allow the Bulldogs to become.

Hubbard enters his senior season with another preseason first-team All-SEC selection and an established place among the program’s most accomplished guards.

Mississippi State’s official preseason notes identify Hubbard and Erick Dampier as the only Bulldogs to earn All-SEC recognition in each of their freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. Hubbard now has an opportunity to extend that distinction.

The team around him is much less familiar. Chris Jans has rebuilt a roster that must do more than provide occasional assistance to its leading scorer. Mississippi State is seeking a return to the NCAA Tournament after missing the field last season. The new group’s task is to establish a dependable identity, not simply generate enough individual talent to make the preseason sound encouraging.

Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) reacts during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hubbard Is the Foundation, Not the Entire Plan

Hubbard averaged 22.1 points last season, starting all 32 games. His production gives Mississippi State a proven offensive starting point, but it also establishes the burden the program is trying to distribute more sensibly.

Jans has been explicit about that intention. Discussing the roster reconstruction in July, he said Hubbard needed more scoring help and had been asked to carry too much of the load. At SEC Tipoff this week, Jans described a more specific objective: use another organizer to move Hubbard away from some lead-guard responsibilities.

“We’re trying to get [Hubbard] off the ball a little more and take away some responsibilities he’s had as a lead guard,” Jans said in Mississippi State’s official account of the event.

That is a meaningful preseason direction because it identifies a functional change. The objective is not necessarily fewer important moments for Hubbard. It is a different distribution of the work required before he receives the ball.

The distinction will become visible in how Mississippi State creates shots. Can another guard initiate a useful possession? Can the offense continue moving when Hubbard is denied an easy catch? Can he spend more possessions attacking an advantage instead of being responsible for creating the entire sequence? Those questions offer a better preview than simply predicting another high scoring average.

Kennesaw State Owls guard RJ Johnson (11) reacts after losing to the Gonzaga Bulldogs during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Johnson and Bassong Represent Different Parts of the Rebuild

RJ Johnson gives the Bulldogs an experienced addition in the backcourt. The Kennesaw State transfer averaged 14.5 points and three assists last season, earning first-team All-Conference USA recognition and conference tournament most valuable player honors.

His role matters because the roster needs someone who can organize as well as score. Mississippi State does not become more balanced merely by adding another player capable of taking shots. It becomes more balanced if Johnson can help create productive situations for teammates while remaining a credible offensive option himself.

Thomas Bassong supplies a different possibility. The Florida State transfer is listed at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds on Mississippi State’s current roster. Jans has emphasized his willingness to play both ends and his defensive potential, while acknowledging that the evaluation still has to be proved in games.

That qualification is important. Preseason praise should establish what to watch, not become an accomplishment credited before competition begins. Bassong’s assignment will be demonstrated through the defensive possessions he finishes, the responsibilities he handles and the contribution he makes within different combinations.

The broader roster includes Tajuan Simpkins, ND Okafor, Kendyl Sanders, Ashton Magee and Trevor Reed, along with returning players and freshmen competing for roles. That collection gives Jans options. It does not yet establish a reliable rotation. The distinction between roster depth and usable depth will emerge through actual performance.

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans speaks during the SEC Basketball Tipoff at Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

First Test Is Establishing Repeatable Habits

Mississippi State opens the regular season against Tennessee Tech at Humphrey Coliseum on Nov. 2, with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. The first games should provide evidence about roles and combinations, but they should not be treated as a complete forecast of the SEC season.

The most useful early observations will involve habits that can travel beyond one opponent. Does State protect the ball while involving multiple players? Do possessions remain organized when Hubbard is not directing them? Can the Bulldogs finish defensive work with a rebound rather than requiring another stop?

The frontcourt also deserves attention beyond its listed size. Okafor, Gai Chol, Tee Bartlett and freshman Tristan Reed provide different personnel options. The preseason roster alone cannot determine which combination will be most effective, and a responsible preview should not assign a starting lineup that Jans has not confirmed.

Jans’ enthusiasm about the group’s character is notable, but chemistry must eventually become visible in execution. Players accepting responsibilities, sustaining effort through substitutions and responding to mistakes will provide more useful evidence than an undefeated stretch of preseason optimism.

The Hump should have a familiar star to follow and a new group to learn. That combination makes this season interesting, but the basketball question remains straightforward: can Mississippi State become difficult to defend without asking Hubbard to manufacture everything?

Preseason pawprints are indications, not a finished map. The encouraging part is that the program has identified the need for a more complete team. The season will determine whether the reconstruction supplied one.

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