Mississippi
Players to watch for in Mississippi State vs. Kentucky
Momentum can come and go in the SEC this year. We’ve seen that first-hand with the Kentucky Wildcats through two games in SEC play.
Last Saturday, the Wildcats beat the No. 6 Florida Gators, who entered that game undefeated, 106-100. Three days later, Kentucky fell to the Georgia Bulldogs, 82-69. Whatever was there from the Wildcats against Florida wasn’t there from Kentucky against Georgia.
But don’t worry, a game at No. 14 Mississippi State awaits the Wildcats on Saturday night. Yup, these big games just keep coming in the SEC this year. And this Bulldogs team is GOOD. They’re 14-1 for a reason, with a roster filled with young talent and veteran experience recruited through the transfer portal.
The Bulldogs can score, shoot, rebound and defend. Kentucky needs to be ready to go from the opening tip Saturday night.
Let’s look at the Players to Watch on the No. 14 Mississippi State Bulldogs Saturday night.
Players to Watch
1. #12 Josh Hubbard 5’11” 190 lbs. So. Guard Madison, Miss.
17.1 pts, 2.1 rebs, 42.9 FG%, 38.2 3-PT FG%, 83.3 FT%, 30.6 mpg
A cousin of Dwayne Wade, Hubbard has quickly immersed himself as one of the best players and scorers in the SEC. Hubbard led the Bulldogs in scoring last year at 17.1 points per game, which also led all SEC Freshmen. His 13 games of 20+ points led all true Freshmen in the country, while two 30-point games were second in the country. In addition, nine of his 13 20-point games came in SEC play.
Hubbard has six games with 20+ points this season. He’s a really good 3-point shooter, with three games of five+ 3-pointers. In every game but two this season, Hubbard has made multiple 3-point shots. He’s become a player that you can limit and contain, but it will be difficult to shut him down. Hubbard has also played 30+ minutes 11 times this season.
2. #0 Claudell Harris Jr. 6’4” 200 lbs. Sr. Guard Hahnville, La. Boston College
Transfer
11.1 pts, 3.3 rebs, 42.2 FG%, 38.9 3-PT FG%, 15-21 FT, 23.9 mpg
Playing for his third team in four seasons, Harris entered Starkville with over 1,300 points in his first three seasons. He’s coming off a season at Boston College, where he helped the Eagles to the Sweet 16 of the NIT and averaged 13,7 points per game. Harris averaged 2.5 3-pointers per game and shot 37 percent from 3-point range, both sixth in the ACC.
This season, Harris has nine double-digit scoring games, including three straight games coming into Saturday night. Harris has six games with three or made 3-point shots, including six in the Bulldogs season opener. After coming off the bench for four straight games, Harris has started the last five games for the Bulldogs.
3. #3 KeShawn Murphy 6’10” 230 lbs. R-Jr. Forward Birmingham, Ala.
9.9 pts, 7.7 rebs, 19 blk, 52.6 FG%, 4-17 3-PT FG, 73.5 FT%, 23 mpg
Murphy has seven games with double-digit points, including a season-high 20 points against Pittsburgh in the SEC-ACC Challenge back in December. He also has three games with 12+ rebounds. Mississippi State’s leading shot blocker, Murphy has two games with four blocks this season.
4. #2 Riley Kukel 6’5” 210 lbs. Jr. Guard Orlando, Fla. Florida Transfer
9.7 pts, 3.1 rebs, 46.3 FG%, 30.4 3-PT FG%, 17-23 FT, 21 mpg
Kugel is in his first season with the Bulldogs, after playing his first two seasons at Florida. He has seven double-digit scoring games this season, including a season-high 22 points in a three-game stretch where he reached double figures. Kugel has started five games this season, and he has played 20+ minutes 10 times this season.
5. #22 RJ Melendez 6’7” 210 lbs. Sr. Forward Arecibo, Puerto Rico Georgia Transfer
8.7 pts, 3.7 rebs, 49% FG, 33.3 3-PT FG%, 82.1 FT%, 20.1 mpg
Melendez has actually played for two teams prior to his arrival in Starkville, as he helped Illinois to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2023. Last year, he helped Georgia to the NIT Semifinals, where he averaged 9.6 points and 18 double-digit scoring games on the season.
This season, Melendez is coming off a season-high 19 points at Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. Melendez has started eight straight games leading into Saturday night for the Bulldogs, and he has seven double-digit scoring games.
6. #4 Cameron Matthews 6’7” 235 lbs. Gr. Forward Olive Branch, Miss.
8 pts/gm., 6.9 rebs, 61 ast.-32 TO, 38 stl, 61.8 FG%, 1-3 3-PT FG, 52.1 FT%, 25.3 mpg
Ranking in the top five in Mississippi State history in steals and starting 68 of 69 games the last two years, Matthews has become a valuable member of the Bulldogs in helping them to the last two NCAA Tournaments. Matthews has 26 assists in his last five games and 12 games this season with multiple steals. In addition, Matthews has just one game where he didn’t shoot 50 percent or better from the floor. This is Matthews’s fifth season with the Bulldogs.
7. #23 Michael Nwoko 6’10” 245 lbs. So. Center Juba, South Sudan Miami (FL)
Transfer
7.1 pts, 4.9 rebs, 55.4 FG%, 1-3 3-PT FG, 61.5 FT%, 14.9 mpg
A nominee for the McDonald’s All-American Game when he was in high school, Nwoko is in his first season with the Bulldogs and has four games with double-digit points, including two games with 18 points. Nwoko also has two double-doubles and three games with double-digit rebounds. He’s also started 12 straight games heading into Saturday night.
8. #5 Shawn Jones Jr. 6’5” 205 lbs. Jr. Guard Houston, Texas
5.1 pts, 2.4 rebs, 50% FG, 5-18 3-PT FG, 15-19 FT, 17.9 mpg
Jones has started four games this season, and he has played 20+ minutes five times this season.
Head Coach: Chris Jans (3rd season)
Jans has taken the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons in Starkville. It’s Mississippi State’s first time in consecutive NCAA Tournaments in 15 years. Prior to Mississippi State, where the Bulldogs have also won 21 games in each of the last two seasons, Jans spent five seasons at New Mexico State where he led the Aggies to three NCAA Tournaments and a First Round win over UConn in 2022. The Aggies also won four WAC Regular-Season championships in Jans’s five years. Jans also coached Bowling Green for one season, taking the Falcons from 20 losses the year prior to 21-12 in his lone season with the Falcons. Prior to Bowling Green, Jans was an assistant at Wichita State for seven seasons. In 2013, the Shockers went to the Final Four. They followed that with an undefeated regular season and No. 1 seed in 2014, before losing to Kentucky 78-76 in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis.
Keys to the Game
1. Offensive efficiency: Against a Bulldogs team averaging 83.5 points per game, being able to score and be efficient on offense will go a long way for Kentucky on Saturday night. If the Wildcats exhibit the same offensive performance they had against Florida on Saturday night, this is a game the Wildcats win.
2. Take care of the ball: When playing a team that can score, shoot, and rebound, limiting extra possessions is paramount. The Bulldogs average just over 13 offensive rebounds per game. Kentucky can’t let the Bulldogs get to that number on Saturday night.
3. Activity on defense: The Bulldogs average 17.3 assists per game. That’s one component that makes their offense so good is the Bulldogs’ ability to distribute the basketball to its best shooters. The Wildcats need to disrupt the Bulldogs’ offensive rhythm on Saturday night and make ball movement hard to come by.
4. Get off to a good start: The measure of a great team is how they respond to adversity. Kentucky is facing adversity after Tuesday night’s setback at Georgia. How the Wildcats come out in the first four minutes on Saturday night will tell us a lot about the Wildcats’ state of mind and mentality in this top-15 showdown.
Score Prediction: Kentucky 86 – Mississippi State 83
A lot of points will be scored in this game. Kentucky is a really good offensive team and really good team overall. I believe, because of that, Kentucky will bounce back and beat a top 15 team on the road Saturday night, giving Mark Pope four wins over top-15 teams in his first season as the Wildcats head coach.
Jackson State football coach TC Taylor addresses fans at signing day event
Jackson State football coach T.C. Taylor addresses fans at JSU’s recruit reveal event on Feb. 4.
Mississippi leaders and educators are remembering Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony as a trailblazing journalist, educator and public servant following news of her death Thursday, March 5.
Hayes-Anthony, a longtime professor and chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Jackson State University and former acting president of the university, spent decades mentoring students and shaping communications education throughout Mississippi.
Jackson State University officials announced her passing in a statement Thursday morning. She was 72. A cause of death was not provided.
Hayes-Anthony served as interim president for eight months in 2023, between former President Thomas Hudson and Marcus Thompson. She became the first Black woman to work as an anchor, producer and reporter at WJTV in Jackson and later spent 17 years as chair of the communications department at Belhaven University. Hayes-Anthony also served as assistant superintendent of communications for Jackson Public Schools and served as the first Black woman and journalism educator to become president of the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters.
Jackson Mayor John Horhn praised Hayes-Anthony in a statement as a “proud daughter of Jackson and a distinguished graduate of Jackson State University who returned home to pour her knowledge back into this community.” Horhn also extended condolences to Hayes-Anthony’s husband, family, colleagues and former students.
“Our city mourns the loss of a trailblazer whose life’s work helped shape generations of communicators, educators, and leaders,” Horhn said in a statement. “As a pioneering journalist and the first African American woman to serve as anchor, producer, and reporter at WJTV-12, she broke barriers in Mississippi media and opened doors for countless Black journalists. Her leadership at Jackson State, from the classroom to the president’s office, reflected her commitment to excellence. Jackson is better because she chose to live, work, and lead here. We honor her legacy, celebrate her remarkable life, and pray for comfort and strength for all who are grieving this tremendous loss.”
Ward 4 Councilman and Jackson City Council President Brian Grizzell, a long time educator and alumnus of JSU, said he remembered Hayes-Anthony from several points in her life and career.
“I remember Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony from several stages of her remarkable journey,” Grizzell said. “I first knew her as a student in Jackson Public Schools, later as a student at Jackson State University, and we reconnected years later during her time serving as acting president of Jackson State University.”
Grizzell called Hayes-Anthony a pioneer in education whose work helped shape the lives of many students across the community.
Longtime Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, also a JSU alum, honored Hayes-Anthony as a “a trailblazer in every sense of the word.”
See his post on Facebook below:
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves also offered condolences Thursday via X, formerly known as Twitter.
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker also shared the following statement on Hayes-Anthony passing:
“Mississippi has lost a leader and pioneer, my friend Dr. Elayne Anthony. Jackson State benefited from her steady hand during a time of transition. She was revered by its students. The Mississippi Association of Broadcasters recognized her leadership by electing her chair. Elayne’s legacy of kindness, servant-leadership, and community service will impact generations to come.”
Investigative journalist Jerry Mitchell reflected on Hayes-Anthony’s impact on journalism in Mississippi.
“What a loss. Dr. Anthony was truly a champion for journalism. Her work produced so many talented journalists we have today in Mississippi and beyond,” Mitchell said.
State Rep. Zakiya Summers and Sen. David Blount, both of whom represent parts of Jackson in the Mississippi Legislature, also paid tribute to Hayes-Anthony.
Officials with the Mississippi State Department of Health and the Mississippi State Board of Health also shared condolences, noting Hayes-Anthony served on the Board of Health for nearly two decades.
“I personally grieve the loss of a very important Mississippian who cared deeply about education at all levels, public health, and very importantly the need for the health of our population to improve,” said Dan Edney, state health officer and executive director of the Mississippi State Department of Health. “She was a strong supporter of MSDH and for my work as State Health Officer and was one of our greatest cheerleaders. Her passing is a loss to public health and higher education leadership, but her service has helped to make our state a better place.”
Lucius Lampton, chairman of the Board of Health, said Hayes-Anthony’s service on the board began in 2007.
“Dr. Elayne Anthony’s long service on the Board of Health, which began in 2007, was exceptional and benefited the public’s health in countless ways. She led always with intellect, creativity and integrity. The Board of Health and our agency will so miss her gracious presence. I also will miss her dear friendship.”
Charlie Drape is the Jackson beat reporter. You can contact him at cdrape@gannett.com.
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) — Gas prices along the Mississippi Gulf Coast have jumped to nearly $3 a gallon, up from $2.41 just two days ago, according to AAA.
AAA said the increase is driven by two factors: the U.S.-Iran conflict, which has shut down a key Middle East oil route and prompted attacks on refineries, and a seasonal fuel blend switch that adds up to 15 cents a gallon on its own.
Uber Eats driver James Adams said he noticed the increase immediately.
“It actually jumped like 50 to 60 cents in one day,” Adams said.
Adams said the higher cost to fill his tank cuts directly into his delivery earnings.
“We’re working basically for pennies on the dollar already — and once you factor that in with traffic and the mileage you have to go — the gas is outrageous,” Adams said.
DoorDash driver Daniel Yelle said the spike will strain his weekly budget.
“I fill up about twice a week going to and from work and DoorDash — and that’s going to hurt my budget,” Yelle said.
FedEx driver Cecil Banks said there is little that workers can do about the rise in prices.
“As long as there is wars — the price of gas is going to go up for everybody — so it’s just an unfortunate situation,” Banks said.
Banks noted that even though Mississippi’s prices remain below the national average, not driving is not an option for working families.
“What can you do? A lot of people have families — they have to go get their kids — they have to go back and forth to work,” Banks said.
Yelle echoed that sentiment.
“They don’t pay us enough for the higher gas prices,” Yelle said.
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Mississippi
It’s 2,350 miles long, spans 31 US states and is home to a 100kg animal with a tongue that looks like a worm | Discover Wildlife
The Mississippi River flows for around 2,350 miles through the heart of the US. It drains an area of 1.2 million square miles – that’s roughly 40% of the country – and at certain points is 11 miles wide. It is North America’s second longest river, behind the Missouri River.
Rising from Lake Itasca in Minnesota, the Mississippi winds southwards through a range of environments, draining water from 31 US states before reaching its delta at the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
The sheer size of the river and the diversity of habitats it passes through make it a refuge for a huge range of animal species, including more than 260 fish, 326 birds, 50 mammals and at least 145 amphibians and reptiles, according to the National Park Service.
There are many weird and wonderful animals living within the Mississippi’s vast waters, but surely one of the strangest is the alligator snapping turtle.
This prehistoric-looking reptile is massive. It can weigh up to 100kg and males can grow well over half a metre long, making it the largest freshwater turtle in North America.
And as if its size wasn’t enough, the alligator snapper has a host of other characteristics that make it one of the Mississippi’s most striking creatures, including a dark, spiky shell (known as carapace), a brick-like head and a sharp, hooked beak. With such a formidable appearance, it’s easy to see how the turtle got its ‘alligator’ name.
But perhaps the turtle’s most curious feature is a worm-like appendage found on its tongue, which it uses as a lure to catch prey, such as fish, amphibians and invertebrates. Alligator snappers are also quite happy scavenging for food.
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