Tolu Smith progressing toward return for Mississippi State men’s basketball

Mississippi State will get another update on star post player Tolu Smith’s status later this week, head coach Chris Jans told reporters at a Monday press conference.

Smith, who has been out all season with a foot injury he sustained in a preseason practice, has a scan scheduled for Thursday, which will give Jans a sense for when he will be able to practice fully again. In the meantime, Smith has been shooting on his own, and Jans expects him to participate in five-on-zero drills in the next few days.

“He’s still not allowed to have any contact or anything like that,” Jans said. “He’s been getting some free throws in and jump shots and stuff around the basket, so we’re hoping, fingers crossed, that we get a good update on Thursday.”

Jans said the first 48 hours after the injury, which took place in early October, were particularly difficult mentally for Smith, who started all 34 games last season. Since Smith underwent surgery, though, Jans said his mindset has been “unbelievable,” encouraging the other post players and helping KeShawn Murphy return from an injury of his own.

Smith is still on track to return in January, and Jans said game days have sometimes been hard for him because he feels the energy in the arena but is unable to contribute.

“I’ve seen him grow in terms of understanding what a leader is, and how he can help other players because of the respect he’s earned, not only with his play but with his approach and mindset on a daily basis,” Jans said. “He’s built really good relationships with a lot of the players. It’s one thing to lead when you’re not able to play, and now, as he transitions back, we’re hoping he can give us a boost that way too.”

Stellar shooting performance follows week off

Whether the five-day break for finals week had anything to do with it or not, the Bulldogs (7-2) came out on fire offensively in Saturday’s 106-76 win over Tulane and never really cooled off, making 41 of 70 shots overall and 13 of 28 from 3-point range.

Freshman Josh Hubbard, whose efficiency had dipped in MSU’s losses to Georgia Tech and Southern, was 5-for-7 from deep against the Green Wave and led all scorers with 22 points. Hubbard is now second among high-major conference freshmen in scoring with 16.7 points per game, trailing only USC sensation Isaiah Collier.

Shakeel Moore, in his first start of the season, made five of six shot attempts, D.J. Jeffries knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, and Cameron Matthews and Jimmy Bell Jr. finished with 14 points each on a combined 12-for-17 shooting. The win moved the Bulldogs up to No. 30 in the NET rankings — sixth among Southeastern Conference teams — heading into Wednesday’s home game against Murray State.

“It certainly was a welcomed game for our program, including the coaches,” Jans said. “For our team to see the ball go through the net like that… we hadn’t shot the ball like that since (the season opener against Arizona State). It seemed as if the floodgates opened, and what you hope is at this point, something like that would make them feel good and play with even more confidence.”

Scouting Murray State

The Racers have become one of the stronger mid-major programs in college basketball with five conference championships in the last nine years, but this year Murray State has stumbled to a 3-5 start and has not played a team from a high-major conference.

JaCobi Wood is shooting at an impressive 18-for-40 (45 percent) clip from behind the 3-point arc, while Rob Perry leads the Racers with 15 points per game. Brian Moore Jr. and Nick Ellington are also averaging double figures in scoring, with Ellington inside the top five in the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots.

Murray State comes in having dropped five of its last six games, the last of which was a 53-49 slog against Austin Peay on Saturday. All five of the Racers’ losses have come by 10 points or fewer.

“They play mistake-free basketball. They’re real solid on the defensive end; they’re really going to try to play in the gaps and almost dare you to shoot the ball,” Jans said. “What they’re known for is the other end. They run as many sets as probably anyone we’ve faced thus far, and they really pride themselves on their pace and their execution. That offensive end will be a challenge for us to try to take some things away from them.”