Florida
Why Florida loss showed Mississippi State basketball, Josh Hubbard need veterans’ help
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Now that guard Josh Hubbard is 19 games old, Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans doesn’t consider him a freshman anymore.
He posted 25 points in a top-five win against Tennessee. He scored 29 in a crucial neutral court win against Northwestern. On Wednesday, he collected 26 points in a 79-70 loss at Florida — his career-best mark in a road game.
Inexperience is no longer an issue for the all-time leading scorer in Mississippi high school boys basketball history. The problem now is getting help around him that isn’t dependent solely on forward Tolu Smith.
On a night like Wednesday, when Hubbard is feeling it off the bench but Smith has just 10 points on 5-for-12 shooting, Mississippi State (13-6, 2-4 SEC) needed someone — likely a veteran — to step up on the road. That didn’t happen, made evident by Hubbard’s 25 shot attempts.
“We were in a position where him taking a contested 3, maybe, is our best option at times,” Jans said postgame at O’Connell Center. “It’s no fault of his that he was put in a position where you’re trying to get him to get shots and try to give us a chance to get back in the game.”
Foul trouble was a factor with Smith and senior Cameron Matthews fouling out after combining for just 19 points. Fellow senior forward D.J. Jeffries was in a similar spot, picking up two fouls in the first half before finishing with four while scoring six points and missing all five of his 3-point attempts.
With guard Shakeel Moore adding just five points — though he was battling an illness and earned Jans’ praise — and fellow starting guard Dashawn Davis going scoreless for the third time in four games, MSU got little production from its starting lineup.
When Hubbard has 26 points but the five veteran starters ahead of him combine for 30, it becomes evident why Mississippi State is now 0-4 in true road games.
“It’s hard to win on the road,” Jans said. “We’ve just got to play better.”
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MSU’s starters combined to make just one of their five free throws. In SEC play, the Bulldogs are the conference’s worst free-throw shooting team. Florida (13-6, 3-3), a team in the bottom half as well, made 17 of its 20 free throws — including 10 straight to close the game.
Add in the 11-6 run Florida had to take momentum into halftime before opening the second half on a 5-0 run, Mississippi State put together a master class in ways to let a Quadrant 1 road opportunity slip.
Suddenly, the Bulldogs — despite having one of the nation’s top freshmen coming off the bench and an All-SEC forward — are falling from a surefire NCAA Tournament team to one again staring at the bubble.
The SEC presents chances to quickly strengthen the résumé, starting Saturday with a home game against Auburn. But for Mississippi State to reach its goals, a third scoring threat needs to surface.
“We definitely need some guys who have been there, done that, to play better,” Jans said.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
Florida
South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open
Florida
SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
Florida
GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
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