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STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball and coach Chris Jans leaned on the transfer portal heavily this past season.
Transfers like Claudell Harris Jr., Riley Kugel, RJ Melendez and Michael Nwoko all played significant minutes from game to game. But ultimately, it left the Bulldogs (21-13) in the same spot as last season: a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament.
The transfer portal opened last week, and some MSU players, like Nwoko, have already entered.
Who could Mississippi State target in the transfer portal? Here’s a look at some potential positions of need.
Mississippi State entered the season looking to ease the offensive pressure on star Josh Hubbard while also improving the offense. It did, to a degree, but it still wasn’t good enough.
MSU could add another potent scorer, but a true point guard who can quarterback the offense might elevate the entire team.
Kanye Clary, the Penn State transfer, could’ve filled that role this season, but he played only seven games before a season-ending injury. He’s now in the transfer portal. Dellquan Warren played a few minutes each game, but had obvious freshman struggles.
Forward Cameron Matthews was Mississippi State’s assists leader with 3.6 per game and is out of eligibility.
Jans might refocus MSU on its defense after it led to success in the first two seasons. Defensive shortcomings ultimately were the pitfall in the final month of the 2024-25 season. MSU’s 74.2 points allowed per game were the program’s most since the 1991-92 season.
Losing Matthews, the program’s career steals leader, creates a hole for a defensive anchor. He recorded 2.4 steals per game, best in the SEC and ninth nationally.
Guard Shawn Jones Jr. showed flashes of the ability to play a similar defensive role, but he doesn’t offer the same size as Matthews. He’s a better fit as a perimeter defender at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. Forward KeShawn Murphy is returning and led MSU with 38 blocks but could still improve defensively.
One of Mississippi State’s issues was its inconsistencies on the wing with Harris, Kugel and Melendez. Mississippi State typically performed well when one of those three were scoring. That didn’t always occur, though. It was often difficult to predict which one of those three players would have a good game.
MORE: Former Mississippi State baseball star Jake Mangum makes MLB debut with Tampa Bay Rays
Adding a player who can score a solid 10 points every game could go a long way. That player being a plus-defender would help, too.
Kugel has eligibility remaining; Harris and Melendez do not.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State basketball: Transfer portal targets for Chris Jans
Continue reading...
Transfers like Claudell Harris Jr., Riley Kugel, RJ Melendez and Michael Nwoko all played significant minutes from game to game. But ultimately, it left the Bulldogs (21-13) in the same spot as last season: a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament.
The transfer portal opened last week, and some MSU players, like Nwoko, have already entered.
Who could Mississippi State target in the transfer portal? Here’s a look at some potential positions of need.
Mississippi State basketball needs a true point guard
Mississippi State entered the season looking to ease the offensive pressure on star Josh Hubbard while also improving the offense. It did, to a degree, but it still wasn’t good enough.
MSU could add another potent scorer, but a true point guard who can quarterback the offense might elevate the entire team.
Kanye Clary, the Penn State transfer, could’ve filled that role this season, but he played only seven games before a season-ending injury. He’s now in the transfer portal. Dellquan Warren played a few minutes each game, but had obvious freshman struggles.
Forward Cameron Matthews was Mississippi State’s assists leader with 3.6 per game and is out of eligibility.
Mississippi State needs a new defensive anchor
Jans might refocus MSU on its defense after it led to success in the first two seasons. Defensive shortcomings ultimately were the pitfall in the final month of the 2024-25 season. MSU’s 74.2 points allowed per game were the program’s most since the 1991-92 season.
Losing Matthews, the program’s career steals leader, creates a hole for a defensive anchor. He recorded 2.4 steals per game, best in the SEC and ninth nationally.
Guard Shawn Jones Jr. showed flashes of the ability to play a similar defensive role, but he doesn’t offer the same size as Matthews. He’s a better fit as a perimeter defender at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. Forward KeShawn Murphy is returning and led MSU with 38 blocks but could still improve defensively.
Mississippi State could use a consistent wing scorer
One of Mississippi State’s issues was its inconsistencies on the wing with Harris, Kugel and Melendez. Mississippi State typically performed well when one of those three were scoring. That didn’t always occur, though. It was often difficult to predict which one of those three players would have a good game.
MORE: Former Mississippi State baseball star Jake Mangum makes MLB debut with Tampa Bay Rays
Adding a player who can score a solid 10 points every game could go a long way. That player being a plus-defender would help, too.
Kugel has eligibility remaining; Harris and Melendez do not.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State basketball: Transfer portal targets for Chris Jans
Continue reading...
