STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s closed scrimmage against North Texas on Oct. 15 in Louisiana featured plenty of mistakes for the Bulldogs to clean up.
But for new MSU men’s basketball coach Chris Jans, the contest was “exactly what I’d hoped for.”
“We needed to be exposed, if you will, and we had plenty of that,” Jans said Monday.
The more things the Bulldogs can fine-tune before their season opener against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, the better.
It’s why Jans called himself “staunch believer” in closed scrimmages — and why Mississippi State has another one set for Saturday against Little Rock.
The games provide plenty of “teachable moments” as well as chances for the Bulldogs to try a new opponent out for size.
“At that point in the practice schedule, the guys are tired of playing against each other, and they want to come together and compete against someone in a different-colored jersey,” Jans said.
Mississippi State will have that chance for real in less than two weeks.
When the Bulldogs do take the court against the Islanders at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at Humphrey Coliseum, they’ll still have things to fix.
“I would love to be able to say that our identity will be fully formed by then,” Jans said. “It won’t. It’ll be a work in progress, probably for a while.”
The former New Mexico State coach said he plans to carry over the same calling cards of his time in Las Cruces and at prior stops: toughness, defense and rebounding.
Those served Jans well in trips to the NCAA tournament in 2019 and 2022. This spring, he led the Aggies to an upset of UConn in the first round before losing to Arkansas.
Mississippi State might not be ready for a postseason trip just yet, but with a week left in October, it doesn’t need to be.
“We’re certainly not a finished product, but for the most part, we’re where we need to be in terms of the timeline,” Jans said.
That timeline hasn’t been altered despite minor injuries to several Bulldogs during the preseason.
Guard Shakeel Moore missed three to four weeks after a minor surgery but has been back at practice for the past two weeks.
Oregon State transfer guard Dashawn Davis has been banged up, limiting his number of reps in practice and his capacity for contact.
Forward KeShawn Murphy has had “some ailments” that kept him out of practice for a time, but like Moore, he has returned to full strength.
Overall, Jans said, it could be a lot worse. He said the Bulldogs have had more players practicing each day that he can remember in past seasons elsewhere.
“By and large, knock on wood, we’ve been pretty good in the injury department for avoiding any long-term issues,” Jans said.
The health of big man Tolu Smith, who played in just 21 of Mississippi State’s 34 games last season, will be a key factor in Jans’ first season.
Jans said Smith’s work ethic and leadership qualities — rather than his already impressive play on the court — have been notable so far.
“He’s becoming an everyday guy, and around here if you’re an everyday guy, you’re going to play a lot,” Jans said.
As far as who else will play a lot, Jans indicated he plans to play it close to the vest, at least early on.
He said he focuses more on the five players who will finish a game rather than those who will start it, sometimes preferring to pack a punch off the bench with a well-timed substitution.
“Certainly if we had to play a game today I would roll out five starters, but I try not to do that because I think it’s unfair to the guys,” Jans said. “I try not to let my mind wander like that until it’s real close to game day because I don’t want to put them in a box, if you will. I want them to continue to compete with one another.”
That competition will continue throughout this week of practice, Saturday’s scrimmage and the final week of preparation before the 2022-23 season begins.
Jans said he will continue rotating players in practice and even game situations until the Bulldogs can get it right.
“Every day is crucial for our development,” he said. “There’s so many things we still have to put in, but hopefully on Monday, Nov. 7, you’ll be able to see a glimpse at the very minimum of who we are and how we’re going to play.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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