Unpacking Chris Jans' next Mississippi State basketball roster after March Madness defeat

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mississippi State basketball’s Chris Jans says recruiting mode never ends for coaches. However, he tried his best to shut off that aspect of the job while preparing for his team’s matchup against No. 9 seed Michigan State on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The No. 8 seed Bulldogs (21-14) dropped that game 69-51 at Spectrum Center, putting Jans back into offseason mode. It’s set to be a pivotal one, with Mississippi State losing a plethora of talent, while decisions loom for some key players.

Here’s our outlook of Jans’ roster for next season, his third at the helm.

Who’s gone for Mississippi State

Forwards Tolu Smith, D.J. Jeffries and Jimmy Bell, along with guard Dashawn Davis, have exhausted their final season of eligibility. They combined to average 33.1 points per game, with Smith accounting for 15 of those.

Smith was an All-SEC first-team selection despite missing all but one nonconference game due to injury. With his departure, finding a post presence will be key for the Bulldogs.

Starters with decisions to make for Mississippi State

Freshman Josh Hubbard led Mississippi State with 17.1 points per game. At 5-foot-10, Hubbard wouldn’t depart for the NBA. However, he would be among the top guards in the portal if he were to enter. That seems unlikely, though, with Hubbard recently posting on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Mississippi State fans shouldn’t worry.

Guard Shakeel Moore and forward Cameron Matthews can return for another season of eligibility due to the extra COVID-19 year granted by the NCAA. Both have been asked in the past week if they’ve made a decision regarding their future. Neither gave a sure answer.

Role players with decisions to make for Mississippi State

KeShawn Murphy has struggled to find consistent minutes during his three seasons at MSU. The return of Matthews — who plays the same position as Murphy — likely wouldn’t change that. However, if he believes his playing time could increase, he could elect to stay put. Jaquan Scott, who also shares a position with Murphy and Matthews, could be in a similar spot.

Freshman Gai Chol was the third center, behind Bell and Smith, and appeared in just 16 games. Chol jumping to a starting role as a sophomore seems unlikely, but a backup role behind a veteran from the portal could be reasonable.

Shawn Jones, who isn’t on scholarship, appeared in 34 games and started nine while Jeffries battled an injury. Guards Trey Fort and Adrian Myers struggled to find playing time, though Fort showed more promise than the latter. Guard Martavious Russell, who appeared in 10 games as a freshman last season, didn’t play this season and used a redshirt.

MOVING FORWARD: Tolu Smith, veterans got Mississippi State to March Madness. Can Chris Jans build off foundation?

Mississippi State’s incoming freshmen

Eric Paymon Jr., who was recently named Gatorade’s Mississippi player of the year, and Dellquan Warren are the lone incoming freshmen.

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: Unpacking Chris Jans' 2024-25 roster