STARKVILLE — Over the last month-plus, Chris Jans has not shied away from talking about that unshakable blemish on Mississippi State’s resume.
The Bulldogs’ second-year head coach knew the loss to Southern on Dec. 3 would not define their season, but he was also fully aware that his team would need to win an extra game or two in Southeastern Conference play where advanced metrics would not favor MSU.
Wednesday night’s 77-72 triumph over No. 5 Tennessee was an enormous step in that direction, representing Jans’ biggest victory since he arrived in Starkville. The Bulldogs took down the Volunteers with defense and physicality, combined with just enough outside shooting and the reliable post play of their now-healthy big man, Tolu Smith.
“That loss is going to be a part of us. I said it immediately after the game, and it’s not going away and we understand that. There’s nothing we can do about that now,” Jans said. “Now we’re searching for bigger wins. … Opportunities are great, but you have to take advantage of them. You have to win. It’s fun talking about it, that you have opportunities, but you have to get it done and you have to win those games so you can have those signature wins.”
The win lifted MSU (12-3, 1-1 SEC) up seven spots in the NET rankings, to No. 27, and the Bulldogs picked up their first Quadrant 1 win of the season — in other words, a high-quality win that will carry immense weight when the time comes to select the NCAA Tournament field.
But for Jans and company, overcoming Tennessee’s second-half run and outlasting the Volunteers (11-4, 1-1) was about more than just making up for the Southern loss or building MSU’s postseason case. The Bulldogs dropped their SEC opener last Saturday at South Carolina, and with a daunting three-game stretch ahead against Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky, MSU was potentially staring down all-too-familiar territory.
The Bulldogs started 11-0 in Jans’ first season last year, then stumbled out of the gates in SEC play, dropping seven of their first eight conference games before rallying in February to sneak in as one of the last four teams in the Big Dance. MSU led in the second half in three of those losses, including a home game against a top-10 Tennessee team, and the memory was still fresh for Jans and the Bulldogs’ veterans.
“With the goals we have, we felt like this was a huge opportunity for us,” Jans said. “We needed to get this win for our team this year, for our program. We didn’t want to have that feeling again like we did last year where we were playing uphill from the jump with the conference season unfolding.”
The manner in which MSU pulled off the upset can continue to serve as a winning formula. D.J. Jeffries led a superb defensive effort in the first half, hounding Volunteers leading scorer Dalton Knecht and helping the Bulldogs force 10 turnovers. Tennessee got hot in the second half, shooting 56.3 percent over the final 20 minutes, but MSU has more offensive weapons than it did a year ago and managed to weather the storm.
Smith was the only Bulldog to average double-digit scoring last season, and the lack of a consistent second option hurt MSU at times during that rough start to SEC play. A year after the Bulldogs finished dead last nationally in 3-point percentage, freshman guard Josh Hubbard has proven himself as an outside scorer who can create his own shot and heat up without warning. He delivered Wednesday night with 25 points on 5-for-10 from 3-point range.
“The guys have learned to trust him and understand that he’s a weapon for us,” Jans said. “When a kid comes in like that and scores in bunches, you have the potential (for) issues amongst your team. Our kids deserve credit for not having those issues and realizing that he can make everybody better, including themselves. … He’s got such a stoic demeanor, he never gets too high or too low and he handles himself way beyond his years.”
MSU will have plenty more opportunities for marquee wins over the next two months, and the Bulldogs will need to capitalize on a few more of those chances to avoid sweating out Selection Sunday. Wednesday was a first step, but a crucial one in terms of giving MSU the confidence to dig deep against some of the best in the conference and the country.
“To be a part of something like that is legendary,” Smith said. “To be a part of it with these guys and Coach Jans is even more of a blessing for us. It’s a surreal feeling, I’m happy that we did it, but it’s on to the next.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.