Mississippi State men’s basketball team wasn’t happy with its loss to Kentucky on Saturday, but they haven’t been afforded any time to dwell on it. No. 18 Alabama is coming to town today, and the Bulldogs have had to switch gears quickly after a difficult road trip.
“We’re in one of those stretches that everybody goes through, across the country,” Jans said on Monday. “Three games in seven days, and it can be a lot, but it is what it is… We’re at the end of the stretch, we’ve got prep today, play tomorrow, and Wednesday we’ll have a day off. It’s part of the deal, we understood that when we entered it. It’s been a mixed bag of results so far, it ends tomorrow with game three, but our kids have been good all year long in terms of their approach to practice, in terms of energy level, and for the most part, ability to consume a scouting report and trying to get it on the floor.”
The Crimson Tide (11-5, 1-2 SEC) arrive in Starkville off the back of two straight losses, falling on the road to No. 11 Vanderbilt and suffering a home defeat against Texas. The latter game may give the Bulldogs (10-6, 2-1 SEC) a boost, knowing they bested the Longhorns in hostile territory just over a week ago, but they will have their hands full against a prolific group of Alabama scorers.
Labaron Philon Jr. leads the team in scoring at guard with 21.3 points per game, followed closely by his backcourt partner Aden Holloway, with 18.6 points per game.
Holloway shoots an impressive 46.3% on three-pointers, and he’s joined by eight teammates with a hit rate of 30% or better from beyond the arc.
“It’s a great question, and if you have any insight, please come and share it with us at about 2 o’clock this afternoon,” Jans joked when asked by The Dispatch about defending the perimeter against Bama.
“They’re hard to guard, they’ve always been hard to guard. Obviously won a ton of games, championships, they’re doing a nice job. You’ve got to decide, and we’ve played them enough times now to know what they do for the most part… but the core of what they’re trying to do is the same. Our job is to figure out what’s best considering what we have to try and defend them, and have an adjustment or two ready if it doesn’t go our way.”
In addition to the high volume of scoring, Jans noted the pace of play that Bama brings as well. The Tide rank second behind only Purdue in Ken Pom offensive efficiency rankings, and 13th in adjusted tempo, which measures possessions per 40 minutes.
“You better get back on defense,” Jans said of playing against the Tide, noting their efficiency metrics. After two high-scoring games against Bama a year ago, including a heartbreaking loss at home and a blowout loss in Tuscaloosa, he’s well aware of the demands of playing against the Tide.
“Our guys’ minds, they’re trying to figure out who they’re matched up with throughout the game,” Jans said, “but you’re going to have to understand that when you get a chance to score a basket, there better be zero celebration, because they’re going to respond quickly, get out of the net and spray it up the court to score before you even knew what hit you.”
The Bulldogs will tip off against the Tide at 8 p.m. today at Humphrey Coliseum. The game will air on SEC Network.
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