With speculation soaring whether or not Mississippi State men’s basketball phenom Josh Hubbard would return to the maroon and white for his senior season, the program’s all-time leading 3-point shooter broke the silence on Friday and issued four words fans of the team have been dying to hear.

“Let’s run it back.”

In a video released on social media by Mississippi State’s men’s basketball team, titled, “I’m back,” Hubbard confirmed he’s staying a Bulldog for one more season.

“Playing at Humphrey Coliseum has meant a lot to me. It’s very important to me in my life to play here in my home state in this arena,” he said in the video. “Growing up seeing all the highlights that’s happened in this arena has definitely just been a blessing. The kind of memories I’ve made in Starkville will last a lifetime with friends and family here in Starkville. The connections I’ve built have just been a full-circle moment for me and my family. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support over the years and spending your money on tickets and just supporting us wins or losses or no matter what happens and being behind our back. With that being said – let’s call 12 one more time. Let’s run it back.” 

The news brings a sigh of relief for State fans who no longer have to worry about losing the team’s top scorer to the transfer portal or the NBA draft, and sets up at least one more season to see Hubbard on the hardwood at The Hump – where there are many program records he is close to reaching, including the all-time scoring mark. Hubbard sits at fourth in career points in program history with 1,947, just 195 points behind Jeff Malone’s 2,142. Last season, the guard tallied 707 points. Hubbard currently ranks 34th on the SEC all-time scoring list, and could move into the top 3 next year.