Following a 29-point outburst to lead Mississippi State to a 66-57 win over Northwestern in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic championship game on Sunday, Bulldogs freshman guard Josh Hubbard was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week.
A former four-star recruit out of Madison-Ridgeland Academy, Hubbard has not started any of his first five games for MSU (5-0) but has scored in double figures in the last four. Against the Wildcats, he shot 9-for-14 from the floor and 4-for-8 from behind the 3-point arc, as well as a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.
He is now far and away the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with 16.4 points per game, and along with other newcomers like Trey Fort and Andrew Taylor, provides the outside shooting ability that MSU sorely missed last year.
“He was a big reason why we won the game,” head coach Chris Jans said postgame. “The kid’s got a ton of confidence. I don’t get tired of talking about him, because he’s all about the right stuff. He’s earned these moments already because of his work ethic, because of the type of kid he is, the quality of his character, the work that he’s put in prior to coming here. He’s ready for this stage, it’s very obvious. He’s mature beyond his years.”
The win vaulted the Bulldogs into the AP Poll as the nation’s No. 25 ranked team heading into Friday’s home game against Nicholls.
The MSU women’s team, which grinded out a 63-62 road win over Belmont — a perennial NCAA Tournament team in recent years — is also ranked No. 25 this week, having re-entered the AP Poll after a one-week absence. Head coach Sam Purcell’s Bulldogs head to Houston this week for the Van Chancellor Classic, where they will face Clemson on Friday, Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday and Tulsa on Sunday.
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