Chris Jans era at State

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Chris Jans calls for Mississippi State to avoid defensive breakdowns

by:
Sam Gillenwater
•

Under Chris Jans, Mississippi State's identity is rooted on the defensive side of the ball. That's why, after two losses in conference play, he needed to see improvement from the Bulldogs against Vanderbilt this weekend.

Jans spoke about his team's play on defense during his postgame press conference following their 68-55 victory over the Commodores. He felt like it was good to see them get back to business after not meeting their standards on that end in their previous pair of games.

"Well, if you follow us, you know that we weren't real happy with our last two defensive outings," said Jans. "Not just the raw number of the kind of points we were giving up but just our breakdowns. We just weren't guarding the ball as effectively, our rotations weren't on point."

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COLUMN: Chris Jans hasn't been dealt a fair deck, but it is his job to make it work for Mississippi State

Mississippi State men's basketball lost a crucial road game to Florida
Justin Frommer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. —- Mississippi State men's basketball head coach Chris Jans won't pout. Won't give excuses. Won't complain after another tough Southeastern Conference road loss, this time a 79-70 defeat at Florida.

College basketball is a results business. You win, get applauded. Lose, get criticized.

But let me back Jans up just a bit, because it is fair to say that the hand he and this year's Mississippi State team has been dealt is stacked against the deck.

From the offseason injuries, to the key missing players throughout the year, we never got the chance to see the full-strength roster that Jans put together for this season.

For Jans, that has to stroll through his mind on games like Wednesday, where if he had Marshall guard Andrew Taylor and sophomore forward KeShawn Murphy, maybe Mississippi State escapes The Swamp with a much-needed road victory and doesn't head into Saturday's home game against No. 8 Auburn with their backs against the wall.

"We need some guys who have been there, done that to be better," Jans said. "It is hard to win on the road and we just got to play better."

I don't know if Wednesday's result would have changed with Murphy or Taylor available to play.

To Jans, that won't matter. He's been in this game long enough to know it's his job to make the pieces fit, no matter what is provided.

However, a performance like Wednesday has to make Jans wonder. This fanbase wonder,  what this team could have been.

And maybe, at some point, can still be.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein
@JonRothstein

Chris Jans. The Dentist.
5:33 PM · Jan 27, 2024
·


(   Auburn  58  at Mississippi St  64

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Chris Jans: Mississippi State won 'classic rock fight' vs. Auburn

by:
Dan Morrison
•

Chris Jans was happy to get a win over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday.

Points were at a premium in the game, which the Bulldogs won 64-58. After the game, Jans praised Mississippi State's effort and compared the game itself to a classic rock fight.

"We certainly, like every game win or lose, try to learn from the video," Chris Jans said. "We didn't hardly practice on Thursday. We just felt like we're going to try and ease up a little bit. Even Friday wasn't quite as long, it didn't have as much physicality segments to it. We're just trying to sell them on being fresher for the game and not having anything in their mind that they were tired, etc."

Mississippi State came into the game having lost three of its last four games. Being able to find a way to win and bounce back was huge for the Bulldogs as they navigate SEC play.

"I don't know if that helped or not, but I thought they played the way that we feel like, for the most part, is how we need to play to win games. I know it isn't always aesthetically pleasing for everybody, but you get into conference games against good teams. You've got to slow it down a little bit. It becomes somewhat of a rock fight, and that was a classic rock fight this afternoon."

[jbcarol]

Chris Jans: Mississippi State must work on 'Jekyll and Hyde' mentality

by:
Alex Weber
•

State fell narrowly on the road against rival Ole Miss, and after the game, head coach Chris Jans credited his guys for staying competitive but regretting their carelessness with the basketball.

MSU turned the ball over 15 times Tuesday night vs. just seven committed by the Rebels. A closer margin in that department quite literally could have flipped the outcome, which is why Coach Jans was asked about the giveaways in the postgame presser.

"I've talked to you guys locally, it's become our Achilles heel," the Bulldog coach commented. "Some games, you know, it doesn't show up. But when we have issues, it usually goes back to that. I'm trying to figure it out. We do a lot of different things to try to put our guys in position to make better decisions with the basketball."

Jans then explained why his team's aggressiveness defensively and on the glass sometimes bleeds over in a negative way to his team's ability to execute offense without being overly aggressive or out of control.

"I think we've got to work on that Jekyll and Hyde. We play defense in a certain mindset and we crash the glass with a certain mindset, but sometimes that carries over into how we run offense at times and we're a little too aggressive and try to make some passes that aren't there."

Despite the extra turnovers that may have helped cost Mississippi State the game, Jans...

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Chris Jans provides injury update on D.J. Jeffries after loss against Alabama

by:
Grant Grubbs
•

State forward DJ Jeffries left the Bulldogs' 88-67 loss to Alabama on Saturday during the first half with a leg injury. After the game, Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans pulled back the curtain on Jeffries' injury.

"He went down right in front of our bench. Then, it was a timeout," Jans recalled. "He didn't ask to be taken out and the trainer didn't tell me that he was out. Then, when I looked up and saw the next play where he was limping around, I was like, 'Man, what is he doing?'

"They gave him the opportunity because of the injury to get out of the game. At that point, the trainer told that [Jeffries] was done for the night. They haven't examined it yet or anything like that. So I don't have any further update."

Tolu Smith speaks on Mississippi's State blowout loss

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Chris Jans shares what recent wins do for Mississippi State's confidence
by:
Griffin McVeigh
•

For the first time since nonconference play, Mississippi State has won back-to-back games. Taking down Georgia and Missouri were positive steps forward for Chris Jans, keeping the hopes of an NCAA Tournament bid alive.

"Confidence is an interesting thing," Jans said. "It comes and goes. Sometimes, it stays long, sometimes it doesn't — individually and collectively. Certainly, when you're getting that kind of feedback — which are wins — it makes everybody feel better. The bonds grow deeper, the confidence with each other, the confidence in us all grows."

Looking in the rearview mirror, it's easy to understand why confidence may have been low not too long ago. A heartbreaking rivalry loss against Ole Miss took place in Oxford and followed by a loss to Alabama by 30 points in Tuscaloosa. That brought Mississippi State to three games under .500 in SEC play and in need of a quick turnaround.

[jbcarol]

Jans identifies what he has seen during State streak
by:
Alex Weber
•

State has experienced some ups and downs in conference play this season, and Chris Jans spoke over the weekend about what has sparked such a solid run for the Bulldogs in the last few weeks.

Two weeks ago, MSU was coming off an absolute smackdown against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where a potent Crimson Tide offense torched State for 99 points in a 32-point victory. That loss dropped the Bulldogs to 3-6 in conference play and needing to do plenty of work to re-assure their position in the NCAA Tournament picture.

Fast forward two Saturdays and Mississippi State has done what they needed to. Facing three of the weakest teams in the SEC — Georgia, Missouri and Arkansas —

MSU swept them and enjoyed a six-day break last week before the win over the Razorbacks.

"I really like where they're at. I mean, I even said that, if you remember when we got beat that night, beat soundly, that I still believed in this group and was shocked that we didn't play better in that particular game," he said. "And they stuck together. You know, they didn't lose confidence. They kept practicing at a high level and their energy and their vibe has been good.

"Certainly, winning helps that, you know. Everyone feels better when you win. But this last week, with having a week off, I mean, they were generally excited at practice. We had some some lively sessions, especially Thursday and Friday, and so, I think they're where they need to be right now."

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Chris Jans, Mississippi State viewing Kentucky rematch as a 'big opportunity'

by: Sam Gillenwater
•

State is well within the postseason picture after winning five straight in conference play. However, the final four games for the Bulldogs feature some tough competition, specifically this week where they'll play a pair of rematches.

Chris Jans spoke about their next two games against Kentucky on Tuesday and at Auburn on Saturday during his postgame press conference after their 87-67 win over LSU.

"I haven't thought much about it until a few minutes after we left the locker room," said Jans. "Certainly, it's a quick turnaround."

"Saw the score that Kentucky had today and, obviously, they handled us very easily at their place. So hopefully our guys will be super motivated," Jans said.

[jbcarol]

Jans breaks down final seconds

State loss vs Kentucky
by:
Steve Samra
•

Chris Jans and the Mississippi State Bulldogs dreamt of strengthening their resume with a win over the Kentucky Wildcats, but it wasn't meant to be on Tuesday.

In the SEC clash, Kentucky came out with the 91-89 victory, and Mississippi State was left thinking what could've been in Starkville. It was the ending sequence of the game, where Reed Sheppard sunk the Bulldogs' hopes, that really stuck in Jans' craw:

"Pretty fast and furious. It was a heck of a play by Josh [Hubbard], to give us a chance to go to overtime at that point. You know, it's a scramble situation, and I have to watch some film. But Reed [Sheppard] rose up, and unfortunately had a really good angle, and I was pretty darn sure that it was going in. It was a heck of a play," Jans said of the final seconds, following the game. "He controlled, you know for his team, the last minute of the game. So savvy and so smart, it's like a coach out there on the floor. He was either rebounding the ball or getting right back.

"He's obviously an excellent free throw shooter, and put us in some tough positions with having to foul him down the stretch."

While the aforementioned Hubbard did all he could do for Mississippi State, tying the game at 89 with only 11 seconds left with a three-pointer, Sheppard allowed Kentucky to leave the Bulldogs losers when he made a two-point shot with only two seconds on the clock.

On Saturday, they'll travel to face No. 11 Auburn on the road, and then the following Wednesday they'll welcome the Texas A&M Aggies to town. Finally, they'll end their season on Sat. March 9, when they welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks to Starkville for an afternoon clash.

At the moment, Mississippi State has a 19-9 record, and a strong NCAA Tournament resume.

[jbcarol]

Chris Jans explains how he's approaching SEC Tournament with NCAA bid on the line

by:
Sam Gillenwater
•

Bubble teams across the country are running through the scenarios of what they need to make the NCAA Tournament.

Mississippi State is among that group.

Chris Jans claims not worry about any of that.

"You know I get asked that a lot – about what I think of where we're at and what we need. I see other coaches get in these environments, have platforms, and vouch for their team. Go drill down on why they should be included in the NCAA Tournament," said Jans. "I got to believe that the committee members don't pay any mind to that. I don't think they really care what an individual coach thinks about his team and why it should be included. If that was part of the process then I think we'd all have some sort of avenue to go through to preach our case, if you will.

"My answer is always the same. How I feel about our team and why we should be included, right now or with whatever scenario comes next, is irrelevant," said Jans. "My focus probably needs to be more on how can I get my team better, how can I prepare them better rather than spending a bunch of time on talking about why we should be in and comparing myself and our team's resume to others."

[jbcarol]

Chris Jans addresses team's shaky first half vs. LSU in SEC Tournament

by:
Thomas Goldkamp
•

Likely needing another win or two to fully cement itself as as NCAA Tournament team, Mississippi State opened SEC Tournament play against LSU with a bang. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead before hitting a wall.

LSU put down the clamps defensively and closed the half by holding Mississippi State without a bucket for the final 7:42 of the first stanza.

"We got to the rim early," coach Chris Jans told ESPN's Marty Smith at halftime. "We didn't finish very well. They blocked a couple of our shots. Then obviously we missed some free throws that really hurt us. Defensively we were great to start the game, and then unfortunately when the offense sputtered our intensity and effort dropped a little bit on the defensive end."

State 42  LSU 36  Under 12:00 2nd

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Wes Rucker
@wesrucker247
MissState coach Chris Jans on Tennessee: They're so good. Our only chance was to hit 'em in the mouth and get 'em rattled.
3:39 PM · Mar 15, 2024
·

Wes Rucker
@wesrucker247
FINAL IN NASHVILLE: Mississippi State 73, No. 5 Tennessee 56.

The SEC champions are going home early after arguably never showing up in the first place.

UP NEXT: Hopefully an extremely long, serious look in the mirror.
3:11 PM · Mar 15, 2024
·

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Chris Jans explains how Mississippi State upset No. 1 seed Tennessee in SEC Tournament quarterfinals

by:
Sam Gillenwater
•

State pulled off the upset of the SEC Tournament so far by knocking off Tennessee, the bracket's No. 1 seed, on Friday in the quarterfinals. It came from an unmatched effort by the Bulldogs that, regardless of how the rest of the weekend goes, will very likely now extend their season into the NCAA Tournament.

Chris Jans spoke with the desk on the ESPN broadcast following Mississippi State's massive, 73-56 victory over the Volunteers. He said it was all because of a fight that they brought against a team that they knew that they'd need it against today.

"Be super aggressive. You know, just be super aggressive," said Jans in describing their plan. "Ball-screen defense, how we guarded the ball. Everything we did, we wanted to be aggressive.

"We had a shot at playing someone as good as Tennessee, who won the conference and deservedly so over an 18-game schedule. Got so much respect for them," Jans said. "Our guys came out and really fought and we were able to hold on in the end."

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein
@JonRothstein
Chris Jans. The Dentist.
3:11 PM · Mar 15, 2024
·

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Jans explains confidence in Mississippi State ahead of NCAA Tournament

by:
Barkley Truax
•

State's SEC Tournament title hopes were cut short on Saturday after losing to eventual SEC Tournament champion Auburn 73-66 in their semifinal matchup.

Still on the NCAA Tournament's bubble, the Bulldogs enter selection Sunday at 21-13 overall Bulldogs after winning its first two games in Nashville. With their tournament bid not yet confirmed, head coach Chris Jans knows where his team needs to improve if they're given the opportunity to go dancing.

"People talk about our defense. I cringe a little bit this season because from where I sit, I didn't think it was quite the level that we wanted," Jans revealed after the Auburn loss. "Even last year. ... But our offense has improved a lot this year compared to last year. I don't know if this is correct or not, but there's a part of me that thinks because of that we scored the ball a little bit easier. We had some great halves, great games. We kind of thought maybe we could win games that way.

"We had the opportunity after the regular season to kind of regroup and actually have four days between games, with three of them being practices.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Mississippi State slotted with fellow SEC Tournament semifinalist Texas A&M in the 'Last Four Byes' category. With no more bid-stealing teams, Lunardi is expecting the Bulldogs to enjoy a trip into the round of 64 beginning on Thursday. In the latest update of Lunardi's official bracket, the Bulldogs are expected to be a 9-seed in the East Region.

[jbcarol]

Chris Jans considers whether Mississippi State re-gained momentum in SEC Tournament

by:
Griffin McVeigh
•

State stumbled into the SEC Tournament in Nashville, losing the final four games of the regular season. Head coach Chris Jans was going to need a couple of wins to make the NCAA Tournament and somehow, got exactly that. A semifinal birth was earned by taking down LSU and Thursday and then upsetting Tennessee on Friday.

Taking down the Vols was good enough to earn an at-large bid and potentially give Mississippi State some positive momentum. Jans admitted they played better in those two games than they did down the stretch —

"Obviously we played better down here in Nashville than we did the majority of the latter part of our schedule," Jans said.

"Just disappointed with the result. Like I told the team, you just never know as a player, as a coach, how many opportunities you're going to have to play for championships, especially one of this magnitude," Jans said.

[jbcarol]

Jans explains D.J. Jeffries's playing through injury vs. Michigan State in NCAA Tournament

by:
Andrew Graham
•

State forward D.J. Jeffries isn't at 100 percent health, but he wasn't going to miss out on playing in the Bulldogs' first NCAA Tournament game since 2018. So, despite being banged up, head coach Chris Jans was trying to manage how much Jeffries go on the floor early against Michigan State.

Speaking with CBS sideline reporter Allie LaForce:

"Yeah he got injured in the Auburn game down the stretch and he hasn't really practiced much since the SEC Tournament," Jans said. "He's trying to give it a go."

And getting down to the Spartans early, Jans was actually upset with the offensive lapses for his team fueling the Michigan State offense.

"Just our lack of execution offensively," Jans said. "We knew they would be heavy in the gaps, scraping the ball and we just haven't settled in offensively and we've had too many turnovers and they've converted them into baskets."

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State gets 2 big commitments for 2024-25 season
Derek Peterson |

As the Bulldogs look to build on the foundation Jans has set, Friday feels like a potentially huge day for the program. Veteran forward Cam Matthews announced on his social media that he will be returning for the 2024-25 campaign, utilizing the extra year of eligibility granted to athletes because of COVID. On the same day, Penn State transfer guard Kanye Clary announced his commitment to the program.

Matthews has 132 appearances across his 4 seasons with the program. With Jans in town, Matthews has been a starter in 67 of his 68 games. This season, he averaged 9.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 steals (second in the SEC). He earned All-SEC Defense honors for his efforts.

Ye, a 5-foot-11 guard from Virginia Beach, spent his freshman and sophomore seasons as Penn State, where he was instantly a contributor. He played in 32 games as a true freshman, averaging 10.4 minutes a night. This season, he averaged 29.5 minutes across 23 appearances and 20 starts.

Throughout the first 2 years of his career, Clary has per-40 averages of 19.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. He has knocked down 45% of his shots and 36% of his 3s thus far.

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Report: Chris Jans, Darrell Walker scheduled to interview for Arkansas job

by: Barkley Truax
•

Arkansas is set to interview Mississippi State's Chris Jans and Little Rock's Darrell Walker for its vacant head coaching position.

Both interviews are set to take place over Zoom, as athletic director Hunter Yurachek is currently in Phoenix for College Football Playoff Committee meetings.

In two seasons with Mississippi State, Jans has led the Bulldogs to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, compiling a 42-37 record in that time. Before arriving in Starkville, Jans put together a 122-32 record in five seasons as New Mexico's head coach. He is the last coach to beat UConn in the NCAA Tournament, downing the Huskies 70-63 in the first round in 2022.

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Arkansas turns down Chris Jans after turning down Chris Beard, Jerome Tang

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Jon Rothstein
@JonRothstein
Oklahoma State's Steve Lutz has hired Mississippi State's James Miller as Associate Head Coach, per release.
7:48 PM · Apr 12, 2024
·

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Boston College transfer Claudell Harris commits to Mississippi State

by: Justin Rudolph
•

Former Boston College guard Claudell Harris has found his new home after recently entering the transfer portal. According to Jeff Borzello, Harris has committed to playing for the Mississippi State Bulldogs

Harris entered the NCAA Transfer Portal just over two weeks ago, leaving the Golden Eagles following a season where he averaged 13.7 points and shot 37% from three-

He will sign with YM APAA Sports as his representative agency.

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Mississippi State forward KeShawn Murphy withdraws from NCAA transfer portal

by: Justin Rudolph

Shortly after news broke that Boston College transfer guard Claudell Harris had committed to playing for the Bulldogs and Chris Jans next season, one of their own elected to withdraw their name from the NCAA transfer portal.

According to Pete Nakos, Bulldogs forward Keshawn Murphy will be back in Starkville, MS, for the 2024-25 campaign.