Mississippi State men’s basketball has lost a fourth player to the transfer portal as forward KeShawn Murphy, who was expected to compete for a starting spot next season, has opted to transfer, according to multiple reports Wednesday.
Murphy, a redshirt sophomore, has two years of eligibility remaining. He broke out with a then-career high 11 points in the 2022-23 Southeastern Conference opener against Alabama, but missed the first five games of 2023-24 with a foot injury before making his season debut in late November. He had a career day on Dec. 17 against North Texas in Tupelo, recording a career-best 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
Later in the year, though, Murphy missed a month during SEC play for what the Bulldogs described as a “personal matter.” His offense and ability to stretch the floor as a big was sorely missed as MSU struggled throughout the first half of conference play against a very difficult schedule.
Murphy returned in early February and scored in double figures off the bench in wins over Georgia, Ole Miss and LSU, and was also a force on the offensive boards. He averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for the season after struggling down the stretch and in the postseason.
The Bulldogs have already lost guards Shakeel Moore and Trey Fort and forward Jaquan Scott to the portal, although none of them have announced a new home yet. MSU added guard Kanye Clary from Penn State, who was the Nittany Lions’ leading scorer before being dismissed from the team toward the end of the season.
With Murphy likely out the door and both Tolu Smith and Jimmy Bell Jr. out of eligibility, head coach Chris Jans will need to add more help in the post. Freshman Gai Chol, who played a total of eight minutes after the calendar flipped to 2024, is the Bulldogs’ only returning big man.
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