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What Mississippi State basketball’s Chris Jans said of Arkansas report, contract extension

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6 months ago

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What Mississippi State basketball’s Chris Jans said of Arkansas report, contract extension


STARKVILLE — In early April, a report surfaced from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette linking Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans to the vacancy at Arkansas.

On Wednesday, for the first time since it was reported he was interviewing for the opening, Jans responded.

“I think all of us know at this point in our lives that we shouldn’t believe everything that we read on social media,” Jans said. “Regardless of the question, that would be my first comment about that. That’s all I’m going to say.”

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The Razorbacks were in the midst of replacing Eric Musselman when Jans was linked to the job. However, shortly after the report came out, Arkansas began finalizing a deal to hire former Kentucky coach John Calipari.

Jans is entering his third season at Mississippi State after leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances. He reaffirmed his commitment to MSU on May 20 when he agreed to a contract extension.

The new deal pays Jans an annual salary of $4.2 million. His original salary when he was hired in 2022 was $2.4 million, and it jumped to $3.2 million when he signed an extension last year.

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“It feels great to have the support from (MSU president Mark) Keenum and powers to be,” Jans said. “Certainly, athletics director Zac Selmon had a lot to do with it. We’re very, very appreciative of it and excited to be here, to continue to build upon what we’ve started.

“You harken back to when we got here, that’s what we said we were going to do. We were going to make the NCAA tournament and we were going to build teams each and every year with the goal of being a perennial NCAA tournament at-large program. Fortunately, we’ve been able to do that.”

While the extension shows backing from the administration, it comes with increased hopes of success.

“They’re going to expect us to win more,” Jans said.

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While MSU has been a fixture in March Madness during Jans’ tenure, the trips have been short. Mississippi State was eliminated in the First Four in 2023 before getting eliminated in the first round this year.

“Early exits are not the plan,” Jans said. “We raised our goals last year as a program for the first time – for me, for any program I’ve been in as a head coach in terms of what the end goal was for our team. We fell short of that. We’ll continue to raise those goals that we have, that we basically keep to ourselves in our locker room.”

STAR GUARD: Why Josh Hubbard hosted high school showcase, announced Mississippi State basketball return

The extension also brings stability for his staff, Jans added, though he’s still searching for a new assistant.

Top assistant James Miller left MSU for Oklahoma State on April 9. With his departure coming in the heat of transfer portal movement, Jans elected to put a search for Miller’s replacement on the back burner.

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“The last three weeks, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in vetting guys and having conversations,” Jans said. “We’re getting closer and closer for that to be done.”

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.





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Mississippi

Utah blows double-digit lead in 78-73 loss to Mississippi State

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7 hours ago

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November 19, 2024

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Utah blows double-digit lead in 78-73 loss to Mississippi State


The Utah Runnin’ Utes suffered a hard-fought loss to Mississippi State, falling 78-73 in the Mid-South Showdown on Sunday night in Southaven, Mississippi. Despite leading by 11 points at halftime, the Utes couldn’t hold off a second-half surge from the Bulldogs, led by standout performances from Josh Hubbard and KeShawn Murphy.

Hubbard scored a game-high 23 points for Mississippi State, with Murphy adding 18 points and dominating the boards with 14 rebounds. Cameron Matthews was also pivotal, scoring 12 points and converting 8 of 10 free throws, including several clutch shots in the final moments. Ryan Kugel contributed 12 points and delivered a critical offensive rebound late in the game, which helped seal the victory for the Bulldogs.

Utah started strong, controlling the tempo in the first half and building an 11-point advantage by halftime. The Utes’ balanced attack featured Ezra Ausar with a team-high 15 points, Mason Madsen contributing 14, and Keanu Dawes adding 13 points and 12 rebounds. Miro Little also chipped in with 10 points, hitting two key three-pointers during Utah’s dominant stretch late in the first half.

However, Mississippi State roared back in the second half, led by Hubbard and Murphy. They erased the deficit and took a six-point lead with just over 13 minutes remaining. Utah responded with a rally of its own, creating a back-and-forth battle with seven lead changes in a span of three minutes.

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Down the stretch, Mississippi State’s execution proved decisive. Matthews knocked down critical free throws, and the Bulldogs’ ability to capitalize on Utah’s misses and turnovers secured the win. Despite the loss, Utah displayed resilience and strong performances from several key players.

The Runnin’ Utes will look to bounce back when they host Utah Tech on Friday, Nov. 22, at 5:30 p.m. ET, in a game that will be streamed on ESPN+. This matchup provides an opportunity for the Utes to regroup and build on their promising moments from Sunday night.



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Mississippi College set to undergo name change, discontinuation of football program

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14 hours ago

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November 18, 2024

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Mississippi College set to undergo name change, discontinuation of football program


CLINTON, Miss. (WLOX) – After reviewing and preparing for the college’s 2026 bicentennial, the Mississippi College Board of Trustees approved a name change for Mississippi College.

Starting in 2026, the college will be known as Mississippi Christian University. The decision underscores MC’s status as a comprehensive university and allows the college to retain its logo and identity.

Officials with the college say the name change is a strategic decision that reiterates leadership’s commitment to fulfilling the private university’s vision statement – to be known as a university recognized for academic excellence and commitment to the cause of Christ.

Along with the decision to approve the name change, the college also announced the discontinuation of the football program, which will allow the school to “further its commitment to excellence in Division II play across its remaining 17 sports and pursue needed facility upgrades”.

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“Discontinuing our football program is a difficult decision. We acknowledge the program’s legacy and the deep connection to the many student-athletes, alumni, and supporters of the football program. I want to emphasize that we will always consider them as part of our MC Family,” Athletic Director Kenny Bizot said.

“We will support our current student-athletes as they seek to continue their education at MC as well as those who wish to transfer,” Bizot added.

The changes were based on recommendations from a task force of university trustees, which were developed in consultation with university leadership and approved by the Board of Trustees.

See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.

Copyright 2024 WLOX. All rights reserved.

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The Final Horn: State 78, Utah 73 – Mississippi State

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22 hours ago

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November 18, 2024

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The Final Horn: State 78, Utah 73 – Mississippi State


THE BOTTOM LINE: Mississippi State is off to a perfect 4-0 start this season courtesy of a determined second-half surge that carried MSU past Utah 78-73 at the Landers Center in Southaven on Sunday. The Bulldogs trailed 39-28 after the first 20 minutes of play but used a 22-5 run out of halftime to gain a six-point edge before fending off the Utes down the stretch. Utah tied the game at 71-all with only 1:40 remaining, however State locked down defensively and scored seven of the game’s final nine points to secure victory.

KEY NUMBERS: Individually, Josh Hubbard scored 20 of his team-high 23 points in the second half to lead State’s surge, while KeShawn Murphy did a little of everything for the Bulldogs with 18 points, 14 rebounds, a couple of blocks and an assist. Riley Kugel and Cameron Matthews also reached double figures in scoring for State as each tallied 12 points. Matthews also collected a pair of steals, surpassing the 200-mark for his career. Collectively though, the biggest difference in the game was State’s second-half offensive resurgence. After shooting just 22.9 percent from the field as a team in the opening period, including only making one of 13 shots from three-point range, MSU shot 50 percent as a group the rest of the way and made five of its final 12 tries from deep.

SOCIAL MEDIA SCENES:

NEXT UP FOR THE DAWGS: Mississippi State faces a true road test as MSU battles SMU at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, Nov. 22. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed via ACC Network Extra.

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