Mississippi State continues to tinker with different lineups as one key starter and a valuable reserve remain sidelined by injuries.
Starting forward and defensive leader D.J. Jeffries has missed the Bulldogs’ last two games with a knee injury that he sustained during a loss at Alabama on Feb. 3, while guard Trey Fort has been out for the last four games with an injured thumb on his shooting hand. Head coach Chris Jans told reporters Monday that neither of them has been participating in practice and both are considered questionable for Saturday’s home game against Arkansas.
“Trey’s out there, but he doesn’t do anything with his injured hand,” Jans said. “He has no physical contact, so he’s in a practice uniform but he’s not really available for practice. Neither one of them have been available yet, so they still have steps in their progression. I would say it’s a maybe on both of them for Saturday. As we get closer, we’ll know if they’re going to be available or not.”
Jeffries’ absence has thrust sophomore Shawn Jones Jr., a guard who plays mostly on the wing, into the starting lineup, giving MSU (16-8, 5-6 Southeastern Conference) some flexibility in the backcourt alongside Josh Hubbard, Shakeel Moore and Dashawn Davis.
Moore has found his shooting stroke recently, going 4-for-4 from 3-point range in Saturday night’s win at Missouri, and if he can remain consistent from outside, the Bulldogs could draw defenses’ attention away from Hubbard. Davis, who struggled for most of January, has elevated his game as a ball-handler, passer and defender dating back to the game at Ole Miss on Jan. 30, and has seen his minutes increase as a result.
Jans has even played Davis, Hubbard and Moore together at times when he feels a smaller lineup is in order.
“(Davis) is best when he’s playing on-ball defense. It starts there with him,” Jans said. “When he’s revved up, he’s out front and he’s getting into that ball and dictating how that possession or how that catch is going to go. … He’s so physical on the ball, and he’s quick and he’s strong and he’s got very good hands. When he’s doing that, his overall game falls into place. He’s more aggressive on offense when he plays like that on defense.”
MSU so thoroughly dominated the Tigers in the second half that Jans was able to bring in some of his players at the bottom of the depth chart, and when freshman center Gai Chol made a layup in the final three minutes, Tolu Smith was seen jumping up and down and dancing on the bench.
Freshman guard Adrian Myers also made a jumper in the last minute of the game, which Jans said was special because of the extra work he has put in with strength and conditioning coach Dominick Walker.
“He’s gotten more run in practice when we go five-on-five because of the injuries, so now he’s on the floor all the time,” Jans said. “We felt like he could ramp it up in the weight room and try to change his body and get a little bit quicker and faster and stronger. He’s an offensive threat. Everyone who’s watched us play or practice knows he can really score the ball. It’s everything else that he’s trying to learn and pick up.”
Scouting Arkansas
After two relatively easy wins against SEC bottom-feeders, the Bulldogs will be in must-win territory again after a midweek bye when the Razorbacks (12-11, 3-7) visit Humphrey Coliseum.
Arkansas defeated powerhouse Purdue in a charity exhibition game and has a signature non-conference home win over Duke, but SEC play has not been kind to Eric Musselman’s team. Six of the Razorbacks’ seven conference losses have come by 10 points or more, and they host No. 8 Tennessee on Wednesday night before coming to Starkville.
Houston transfer Tramon Mark is Arkansas’ primary scoring threat, ranking fifth in the SEC with 17.6 points per game. Sixth man Khalif Battle, a transfer from Temple who started his collegiate career at Butler, is the only other Razorback averaging double-digit scoring.
Arkansas attempts the fewest field goals and 3-pointers per game in the conference, but the Razorbacks do draw the most fouls and get to the line more often than any other SEC team, with their 26.2 free throws per game ranking fifth in the country. They also lead the conference and are second nationally in blocked shots per game with 6.5. Arkansas’ defense, though, is among the SEC’s worst as only Kentucky allows more points per contest.
“I know they’re not having the season that they want in terms of the wins and losses, but I know there’s not going to be any give-up with their staff,” Jans said. “They’re going to be ready to go. They have a lot of talent (and) their roster is back to being closer to full strength.”
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