MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. — It’s only been a year and a half since Josh Hubbard signed his letter of intent to play at Mississippi State, shortly after decommitting from rival Ole Miss. But entering his sophomore season, Hubbard is already arguably the most recognizable active MSU student-athlete.
Hubbard surprised even himself by leading the Southeastern Conference in 3-pointers made per game as a freshman. He heated up down the stretch, with at least 23 points in his last five regular-season games.
This year, he won’t be catching anybody off guard — college basketball analyst and NCAA correspondent Andy Katz tabbed him as the second-best sophomore in the country heading into 2024-25.
“If you told me I would have had that type of season, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Hubbard said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “I’m just glad I have the teammates and the coaching staff that I had to make that year the way it was.”
The all-time leading scorer in Mississippi high school boys basketball history, Hubbard poured in 4,367 points at Madison-Ridgeland Academy, flipping his commitment from Ole Miss to MSU after the Rebels fired head coach Kermit Davis, replacing him with Chris Beard.
The diminutive guard provided an instant jolt to a Bulldogs offense in need of one, coming off a 2022-23 season in which MSU had the worst 3-point percentage in all of Division I. Instead of hitting the proverbial freshman wall, Hubbard kept getting better as the season progressed, leading the Bulldogs to their second NCAA Tournament appearance in as many years under head coach Chris Jans.
He still has room to grow on the defensive end, and worked in the offseason on improving his 3-point accuracy. One thing Jans is not worried about, though, is how Hubbard will handle the increased spotlight.
“I have full confidence in Josh and his ability to handle everything that’s thrown at him,” Jans said. “He’s a better person than he is a basketball player, and that’s saying a lot. I always know he’s going to keep the main thing, which is his game, his career and his work ethic. He’s the perfect candidate to be able to handle all that he’s going through right now.”
MSU is replacing two centerpieces in the post with Tolu Smith and Jimmy Bell out of eligibility, but the Bulldogs’ backcourt will also look different this winter without Shakeel Moore and Dashawn Davis. Jans went to work in the transfer portal, adding Kanye Clary from Penn State and Claudell Harris from Boston College, as well as two former SEC wings in Riley Kugel (Florida) and RJ Melendez (Georgia).
That increased depth allows MSU to use several different lineups — Jans said he is still a long way from finalizing the rotation — but Hubbard is now the clear lead guard, and Jans expects him to take on a bigger leadership role.
“I knew he was good, but I didn’t think he was going to pan out to be what he was,” said fifth-year senior forward Cameron Matthews, the team’s lone returning starter besides Hubbard. “Watching him grow up before my own eyes, (it was) kind of surreal. I’m just proud of him and rooting for him every step of the way. He’s super down to earth, super goofy, super playful. Just a really good guy to be around.”
Hubbard is already active both in the Starkville community and his hometown of Madison. He was the grand marshal of the Starkville Derby wiener dog race in May, and in April he hosted a two-day camp at Madison-Ridgeland Academy for some of the top high school players in Mississippi.
“Being a Mississippi kid, it’s great. The status that I have, I just want to give back,” Hubbard said. “I try to give back to my hometown and the people who helped me get to where I am today. I want to give back to the next generation. Everything I’ve learned, I want to help them so when they grow up, I hope they can do the same for their hometowns too.”
Bulldogs hoping to replicate success in neutral-site games
MSU made the NCAA Tournament last year in part on the strength of its performance in neutral-site games in non-conference play, going 6-0 in such games in cities ranging from Chicago to Atlanta to Tupelo. The Bulldogs have five neutral-site games on this year’s schedule, with three of them in their home state.
Neutral-site wins carry more strength than home wins in the NET rankings, a tool the NCAA uses to select the tournament field. MSU plays Utah in Southaven on Nov. 17, McNeese in Tupelo on Dec. 14 and Central Michigan in Jackson on Dec. 17.
The game in Jackson will be a homecoming of sorts for Hubbard — Mississippi Coliseum is less than 20 minutes from Madison-Ridgeland Academy — and the game in Southaven will be a homecoming for Matthews, who grew up in nearby Olive Branch.
“Super exciting going back home,” Matthews said. “My family and friends, they get to come to the game, even if they don’t get to come all the way to Starkville. Just happy to play in front of them again.”
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