Unpacking Mississippi State basketball in Portugal, including Josh Hubbard as leading scorer in every game
If a foreign tour is representative of what’s to come, Mississippi State basketball’s 2023-24 season should be an exciting one.
The Bulldogs finished their series of games in Portugal on Wednesday with a 95-72 win against the Basketball Association of Porto. The Bulldogs went 3-0, taking down the Lisbon All-Stars and Portugal All-Stars in dominant fashion before the finale.
“Winning and losing, those types of things are important in our program, but it was more about playing the right way and then off the court being able to be a true family,” assistant James Miller told a team spokesperson.
MSU wrapped up its tour without coach Chris Jans, who returned home due to a family matter, but the remainder of the team will be in Portugal until Saturday to complete their itinerary of excursions.
Here’s what we learned from Mississippi State’s three wins.
Final scores from Mississippi State’s trip to Portugal
MSU vs. Lisbon All-Stars: Bulldogs won 76-50.
MSU vs. Portugal All-Stars: Bulldogs won 100-40.
MSU vs. Basketball Association of Porto: Bulldogs won 95-72.
Freshmen Josh Hubbard, Adrian Myers shine
Among MSU’s offseason highlights was flipping guard Josh Hubbard from his Ole Miss commitment. Hubbard, who broke the Mississippi boys basketball scoring record at Madison-Ridgeland Academy, showed in Portugal why the Bulldogs continued to pursue him.
He led the Bulldogs in scoring each game − 12, 19 and 18, respectively − with an average of 16.3 points per contest. Hubbard also added six assists in the second game.
“My role is to facilitate and knock down shots when I’m open,” Hubbard said Wednesday.
Another freshman, Adrian Myers, scored eight points in the opener, but followed it with 17 in the second game.
Mississippi State adjusted its starting lineup and rotations throughout the trip, so there was plenty of playing time to share. However, Myers and Hubbard made it apparent they could play big roles despite being on an experienced team.
"It was kind of cool to see the new guys lead us in scoring," Jans said following the second game. "That's kind of why we signed them.”
Mississippi State’s 3-point shooting improved
The Bulldogs made 10 3-pointers in the second quarter of their second game. After finishing with the worst 3-point percentage in the nation last season, that output alone showed improvement entering Jans’ second season.
Mississippi State made 37 3-pointers across the three games. While the competition wasn’t SEC caliber, even making open looks showed progress.
Between Hubbard, Myers and Marshall transfer Andrew Taylor – whose quick release is tough to defend – MSU should have a strong presence from beyond the arc to go along with a strong defense.
“Like I said prior to coming here, win or lose or the difference in the score isn't going to have that much bearing on when we get into regular games in November and December,” Jans said Sunday. “At the same time, for individual confidences and to feel good coming out of the summer, that will be good for some individuals."
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Transfers Andrew Taylor, Jimmy Bell impress
Besides bringing star forward Tolu Smith back, Mississippi State’s biggest offseason move was the addition of Taylor. In Portugal, he showed why Jans and his staff wanted him.
Taylor scored 31 total points – highlighted by his ability to pull up from 3-point range without hesitation. However, as Jans emphasized following Taylor’s signing, he proved to be more than a scorer. Taylor collected nine total assists, highlighted by an impressive skip pass for an open 3-pointer in the opener.
West Virginia transfer Jimmy Bell Jr. showed why he’ll be a serviceable backup for Smith. He collected eight points in the opener before earning a starting spot in the second game.
"We expect that from them,” Jans said of the transfers. “They have been there and done that. They've got a lot of experience under their belt. Both of them looked comfortable out there.”
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: Josh Hubbard top scorer in Portugal
