Mississippi State basketball: Unpacking latest transfer movement, 2024-25 roster

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans has three major voids to fill as the offseason continues.

Off the court, he’s still searching for an assistant to add to his staff. James Miller had been Mississippi State’s top assistant since Jans arrived in 2022, but he joined Oklahoma State’s staff on April 9.

On the court, the Bulldogs have two starting spots available with the transfer portal holding potential solutions. Mississippi State, after losing to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, enters this offseason without forwards Tolu Smith and D.J. Jeffries due to exhausted eligibility.

MSU has made promising additions via the portal, but the Bulldogs still lack trustworthy options at the wing and center spots.

Here’s a look at where Mississippi State’s 2024-25 roster currently sits and who the Bulldogs might be targeting in the transfer portal:

Mississippi State going after Trazarien White

UNC Wilmington transfer Trazarien White quickly became a top name in the transfer portal when he entered on April 25. Mississippi State is among those pursuing him, according to multiple reports. Arkansas, Texas Tech, Baylor and West Virginia are among other schools White has heard from, per On3.

As a junior last season, White averaged 19.8 points and collected 6.8 rebounds per game. In a December contest at Kentucky, White posted 27 points and 10 rebounds.

He is a 6-foot-7 product of Mansfield, Texas, who arrived at UNC Wilmington via the junior college route. Jans has succeeded in developing players from junior colleges as his head coaching career started at that level.

White would be an immediate candidate to replace Jeffries.

Mississippi State in race for Clifford Omoruyi

Former Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi entered the portal on March 20. On April 16, he trimmed his list of options. Mississippi State was among those in the mix, according to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.

Omoruyi took a visit to Alabama on Monday. However, while he was in Tuscaloosa, news broke that Grant Nelson would be returning to Alabama for his final season. What that means for coach Nate Oats’ chance at landing Omoruyi remains unclear.

Mississippi State returns Gai Chol and has landed a commitment from Miami transfer Michael Nwoko. Both are entering their sophomore campaigns with one combined start.

MSU could use a veteran to replace Smith. Omoruyi, who averages 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds across 121 games and 104 starts in his career, would be an obvious starter.

Unpacking Mississippi State’s remaining scholarships

Mississippi State’s first portal addition came on March 29 when Penn State guard Kanye Clary committed. After averaging 16.7 points for the Nittany Lions last season, he’s a likely starter alongside All-SEC guard Josh Hubbard.

The Bulldogs also landed Boston College transfer guard Claudell Harris who scored 13.7 points per contest as a junior last season.

Along with Hubbard, Mississippi State’s list of returning scholarship players includes guards Adrian Myers and forwards Chol, Cameron Matthews and KeShawn Murphy. The Bulldogs also have guard Dellquan Warren and forward Eric Paymon coming in as freshmen.

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Add Nwoko, and that leaves Mississippi State with three open scholarship slots. If MSU lands a wing and a center, only one scholarship spot will remain. That could go to another portal signee or to guard Shawn Jones Jr. who has served as a walk-on despite appearing in 59 games across two seasons.

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: Mississippi State basketball 2024-25 roster: Latest on transfer portal