‘We are going to lean into it’: Mississippi State basketball’s Chris Jans recognizes rising expectations – The Dispatch

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans did everything possible in his first media appearance since the Bulldogs’ trip to Portugal earlier this month to temper excitement after his team dominated its way to a 3-0 record. 

He noted the competition wasn’t up to snuff. The teams the Bulldogs played didn’t have much size. Many of MSU’s three-pointers, and there were a lot of them over three games, were uncontested. 

“It was nothing like it is going to feel when we get to November,” Jans said. “Or December.” 

Still, it was hard to ignore how fluid the Bulldogs looked on the court at times, coupled with the strong first impressions by freshman guard Josh Hubbard and senior transfer Andrew Taylor. 

Though Jans doesn’t seem to want the fanbase to get too excited in August, even he can’t ignore the growing expectations his program has, coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in year No. 1. 

“In this day and age you can’t hide from (them),” Jans said Wednesday when speaking with local reporters. “It is certainly going to be different from last year. Most coaches are in the mode of lowering expectations this time of year…We are going to lean into it. It has already been discussed. We are not going to sneak up on anybody this year that maybe we did last year early in the season and surprise some people. That won’t be the case this year.” 

Jans, who came to Starkville last offseason from New Mexico State, led the Bulldogs to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019, falling to Pittsburgh in the First Four in Dayton. 

The Bulldogs return all five starters from that team, including All-SEC center Tolu Smith, to pair along with their new additions who should certainly turn college basketball’s worst three-point shooting team into a more dangerous offensive group. 

“The new guys, what a great opportunity it was for them,” Jans said. “It was probably more beneficial for them than the returnees in turns of getting used to playing in the system we are trying to implement to just getting comfortable. A lot of guys did well over there.” 

Hubbard, a four-star guard, was the bright spot, scoring in double digits and leading the team in scoring in all three games, displaying a knack for finding his shot and accuracy from three-point range. As did Taylor, a Marshall transfer, among others. 

Jans noted the differences in summer from year one to year two, with everyone already in the program by the time summer came along, while last year he was still putting roster pieces together. Because of that, the Bulldogs enter this fall in a different place, with a different mindset and bigger goals. 

“It is going to be a different feeling, but that is where you want to be, to be recognized and people taking notice of your team and your program,” Jans said. “That is where we are going into year two. And hopefully they will understand that we will not be taken lightly (by other teams), preparing for us and using last year’s success in who we got back in their team rooms when preparing to play our team. I wouldn’t call it pressure, it’s just reality.” 

Jans scheduling non-conference with a purpose 

As the offseason has rolled on, more of MSU’s non-conference slate has been released to the public. 

So far, it is the known the Bulldogs will host UT-Martin (Nov. 11) and North Alabama (Nov. 14) at The Humphrey Coliseum, will travel to Georgia Tech on Nov. 28 for the ACC/SEC Challenge and will play neutral court games against Arizona State (Nov. 8, Chicago,) Washington State and either Northwestern or Rhode Island in Uncasville, Connecticut, as part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off on Nov. 18 and 19. Additionally, Mississippi State will face Tulane in Atlanta on Dec. 9 and Rutgers in Brooklyn on Dec. 23. 

Though Jans said he would like to schedule more home games, roughly five more games are to be announced, he said there is more of a benefit to playing Power Five programs on a neutral floor. 

“You want to have enough opportunities (against quad one and two teams) to put yourself in position going into SEC play when you will get plenty of them,” Jans said. 

Jans said he felt MSU had a strong non-conference schedule last year, which included five neutral-site games, but only one of those was against an NCAA Tournament team, likely affecting seeding. The Bulldogs ended up as an 11 seed. 

So far, the Bulldogs already have six neutral-site games scheduled for 2023, which Jans hopes could improve NCAA Tournament seeding come postseason play. 

“We found that you have to play good teams to get rewarded for it,” Jans said. “Everyone has a different philosophy. We are trying to find the right medium and mix and want to try to get quad one and quad two wins. You’ve got to trust data just to put our team in position to have opportunities and if we are good enough to win enough games and be considered for an at-large possibility, you’ve got to have the numbers to back it up.” 

Dashawn Davis working through foot injury 

Chris Jans confirmed Wednesday that senior guard Dashawn Davis is still working through a foot injury that prevented him from playing during the Portugal trip. During those games, Davis could be seen near the team’s bench on a scooter, which Jans said he still uses from having foot surgery several weeks ago, though he did not remember the exact date. 

“He is taking time with his recovery,” Jans said. “We expect him back sometime in the fall. I would say the next few weeks, rather than months if everything goes as planned. He won’t miss any games, but he will have some catching up to do with his cardio and rhythm. But so far, so good.” 

Davis, an Oregon State transfer, scored 8.3 points per game last season, his first with the Bulldogs. 

Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.