Mississippi State basketball’s future was tested. Win vs Tulane showed it's just fine

ATLANTA — Mississippi State basketball’s last trip to Atlanta was ugly. It featured an uninspiring defeat against Georgia Tech on Nov. 28 in a performance that rehashed memories of a troublesome offense last season.

Yet the defeat proved to just be an appetizer for a gut-wrenching loss to follow.

Mississippi State (7-2) collapsed in the final minutes of a resume-staining home defeat against Southern last Sunday. It was a loss that coach Chris Jans didn’t sugarcoat. He knew that not only would it test MSU’s NCAA Tournament aspirations, it would challenge the, “fabric of the program.”

“A wake-up call,” senior guard Shakeel Moore called it.

Saturday’s 106-76 win against Tulane (6-2) back in Atlanta suggests the culture of the program is just fine.

For Jans, it started with acknowledging the criticism that surrounded the team. His message centered around handling noise – not only from social media, but also from inner circles.

“We’ve got to stay the course,” Jans said. “We’ve got to believe in each other. I’ve got to continue to believe in you. You’ve got to continue to believe in us. As much as your inner circles love you to death, and you’re the star in their world, I understand that. But at the same time, keep it in perspective. I get what they’re going to say to you. I understand how that works, but they’re not here every single day. They don’t know what we’re doing every single day – the good, the bad and the ugly – and the rhythm of your individual contributions.”

Mississippi State was tested in a time where its leader is sidelined. The Bulldogs have been without All-SEC forward Tolu Smith this season, and his return isn’t expected until conference play begins.

That’s where others were forced to step up. Moore, who started Saturday for the first time this season, was among those. Graduate forward D.J. Jeffries, who finished with a team-best plus-minus of 41 was another. The same goes for senior forward Cameron Matthews.

Young players needed to make a contribution, too. That’s where freshman guard Josh Hubbard has factored in.

“He’s real vocal on the floor and in practice,” Moore said. “It helps us a lot.”

Hubbard was a spark in Mississippi State’s bounce-back win, scoring all 22 of his points in the first half. For a team that drastically needed a consistent shooting threat, he has provided that.

“Beyond his years,” Moore said of him. “Well beyond his years.”

The remainder of the nonconference schedule will test Mississippi State, particularly with Smith still out. A home game against Murray State awaits on Wednesday before consecutive tough matchups.

MSU plays in Tupelo on Dec. 17 against reigning NIT champion North Texas before facing Rutgers in New Jersey on Dec. 23 – with both teams sitting in the top 100 of KenPom.

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As rough, and to some extent historic, as the Southern defeat was, Mississippi State has chances to not make it matter.

“It’s something you’ve got to work on every single day,” Jans said. “Everyone talks about it in most team sports that are out there, and we’re no different. We’re still defending it, if you will. You choose as a staff, what your tenets are. They know what ours are. They know what the standard is every single day. Usually, over time that flows onto the court and you play that way. This was a big game for us, I’m not going to hide behind it. It was obvious.”

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Win vs Tulane showed Mississippi State basketball's future is just fine