Mississippi
Why Mississippi State Basketball Fans Should Keep an eye on the Kentucky Coaching Search
On the eve of the national championship game, the college basketball world and sports universe as a whole received stunning news that was almost unbelievable.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari is leaving the Wildcats to become the next head coach at the University of Arkansas.
Sources: John Calipari is finalizing a five-year deal to become the next coach at Arkansas. The deal is expected to be completed in the next 24 hours.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 8, 2024
Rumors began trickling out that this was a possibility Sunday afternoon, but at the time it seemed like nothing more than unfounded message board fodder. Why on earth would a coach leave arguably the best college basketball job in the country to take a job multiple tiers worse? To be clear, Arkansas is a very good job, but it’s nothing compared to Kentucky.
Well, those rumors turned out to be reality. Calipari was in fact leaving Lexington and heading to Fayetteville. And as stunning a decision as it was, there’s understandable reasoning behind it.
Cal’s tenure at UK had turned sour over the last few seasons. The lack of recent postseason success at a program that expects national championships had Cat fans ready to run him out of town. It was somewhat surprising he wasn’t fired following this year’s first round defeat at the hands of 14-seed Oakland.
The decision had been made to bring him back for the 24-25 season, but Cal saw the writing on the wall. Next season was likely to be his last in Lexington. So he chose to take a solid opportunity to restart the clock on his career at an Arkansas program that, yes, has high expectations but is no where close to as pressure-filled as UK.
Now, the fallout from this move begins. Kentucky is the bluest of blue bloods. It’s a job unlike maybe any other in the sport. And that means the list of candidates will be as star-studded as you can find. There’s a chance a sitting head coach from an elite program leaves their current gig to take over the Wildcats.
If that happens, the domino effect on the rest of the sport will be significant. And it’s why Mississippi State basketball fans need to keep a close eye on the Kentucky coaching search and subsequent moves that follow.
Because there’s a chance their coach ends up riding along the coming coaching carousel.
Let’s get this out of the way at the start. Chris Jans will not be a candidate for the Kentucky head coaching vacancy. He doesn’t fit the mold of what Big Blue Nation is looking for in a head coach.
He hasn’t had major postseason success, he isn’t an elite recruiter, and simply put, he’s just not a big enough name to be the splash hire expected in Lexington.
Jans is an excellent coach. He’s a great program builder who gets the absolute most out of his teams. He’s among the best defensive coaches in the country. And he’s shown the ability to work the transfer portal, an important quality to have in this era of the sport.
But he’s not what Kentucky wants, so there’s no concern about him leaving Starkville for Lexington. However, there’s potential that the domino effect from this search would lead to Mississippi State basketball’s head man getting looks elsewhere.
Though Chris Jans won’t be under consideration for Kentucky, he might be considered by programs that are impacted by Kentucky’s hire.
Kentucky will likely make make an attempt at coaches currently not in college basketball such as former Villanova HC Jay Wright or current Chicago Bulls and former Florida HC Billy Donovan. Those are massive names that fit what they want. And if either of them are the hire, then there wouldn’t be any trickle-down impact on the rest of college basketball.
But the chances at those coaches saying “yes” seem slim. In all likelihood, UK is going to pull a sitting HC from a major college basketball program. And if that happens, you’ll see major impacts across the sport.
Coaches like Baylor’s Scott Drew, Alabama’s Nate Oats, Gonzaga’s Mark Few, and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson could all get looks. If any of those coaches leave for Kentucky, there will suddenly be another very attractive job open that would likely land a sitting head coach. And if they pulled a sitting head coach, guess what? That means yet another job would open.
Yes, we’re playing the hypothetical game here, but it’s valid. More than likely, there will be a run of good jobs opening across the sport, and if that happens, don’t be surprised if Chris Jans gets consideration for them.
Jans is well-respected in the coaching industry with college basketball insiders naming him as someone to watch who could soon be in line for a high-profile job. Since last season, his name has been tied to vacancies at Wichita State, SMU, and Arkansas. Other programs have taken notice, and they will come calling.
To be clear, I still expect Chris Jans to be Mississippi State’s HC next season. But if in the coming weeks we see some major jobs come open, it would not be shocking to see Jans named as a candidate elsewhere. That simply comes with the territory of having a successful HC.
Hopefully, Mississippi State can do what is necessary to keep Chris Jans in Starkville for years to come. There’s great momentum being built up behind the program right now. We’ll see if they can keep it rolling.
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Staff
A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.
The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.
“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.
“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”
Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.
The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.
The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.
Stone County is also contributing to the project.
The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.
The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.
Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.
The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.
This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
Mississippi
CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi
Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.
The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.
A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.
Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.
Mississippi State wins two in Texas
The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.
Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.
Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.
A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.
Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.
Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament
In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.
Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.
Next up
Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.
Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.
Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.
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