After a tumultuous 2023-24 season that saw him miss eight games during Southeastern Conference play due to a personal matter, KeShawn Murphy tried his luck in the transfer portal this spring. But ultimately, Murphy decided his best option would be to stay put at Mississippi State.
“My decision to go into the portal was (about) me trying to find a better fit for me,” Murphy told reporters Friday. “It was an individual thing I had to battle, and my decision to come back was a home thing. I missed the fans. I just can’t let y’all go. This is my home, this is where I belong, and I don’t want to let that go.”
Murphy, who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, chose the Bulldogs out of high school over both Alabama and Auburn, but injuries cost him the chance to play as a true freshman in 2021-22. He made 19 appearances off the bench as a redshirt freshman, then missed MSU’s first five games this past season with a foot injury.
On Dec. 17, he broke out with a career-high 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting in a win over North Texas in Tupelo. But after playing 23 minutes that day, Murphy played a total of 26 minutes over the next three games, including just five in the SEC opener at South Carolina. After his return in February, though, Murphy saw increased playing time and helped the Bulldogs win five straight games, a stretch that proved vital to MSU reaching the NCAA Tournament.
Murphy provided much-needed outside shooting out of the frontcourt and helped generate second chances with his work on the offensive boards. His defense is still a work in progress, but with a defensive-minded head coach like Chris Jans, improving his game on that end of the floor is a point of emphasis this offseason.
“I’m working everywhere,” Murphy said. “Right now, we have positionless basketball. Sometimes I’ll be pushed in, sometimes I’ll run the floor. Sometimes I’m setting ball screens, sometimes I’m spotting up. I’m just wherever I need to be to help the team.”
Matthews, Hubbard back as Bulldogs’ lone returning starters
Last year, Jans had the luxury of returning his entire starting lineup from the season before, although Cameron Matthews was the only member of that quintet who remained a starter for the whole campaign.
With Tolu Smith, D.J. Jeffries and Dashawn Davis all out of eligibility and Shakeel Moore now at Kansas, Matthews and Josh Hubbard are the only starters back for 2024-25. The rest of the starting five is likely to be a combination of Murphy, incoming freshman guard Dellquan Warren and MSU’s six transfer portal additions.
Matthews was already one of the Bulldogs’ vocal leaders, but his responsibilities will only increase as their elder statesman. He announced his plans to return for his fifth and final year of eligibility on Mar. 29, just eight days after MSU’s season ended with a loss to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“We’ve got a lot of people who like to get in the gym, a lot of workaholics,” Matthews said. “Even though we haven’t been here long, I’ve seen steady progress out of the guys, and that’s just good to see.”
Hubbard grew up fast as a freshman and continued to improve even as opposing defenses adjusted to his game. The 3-point shooters the Bulldogs added via the portal last year, Trey Fort and Andrew Taylor, did not work out the way MSU hoped, but Hubbard provided both volume and efficiency, heating up during the back half of SEC play as the Bulldogs made their postseason push.
Many MSU fans were anxious about the possibility of losing Hubbard to the portal, but the budding superstar assuaged those feelings on Apr. 1 with an announcement on social media that he would be spending at least one more year in Starkville.
“No, there was no entertainment. In today’s society with the portal, you never just know from the fans’ point of view. You just want to make things clear for those fans and the people who care about the basketball program,” Hubbard said. “It was a good feeling to have those fans behind my back and wanting me to come back.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.