Mississippi State men’s basketball is coming off its third straight trip to the NCAA tournament of the Chris Jans era. The third-year head coach has never missed the Big Dance during his tenure in Starkville, and he and his staff are probing the NCAA transfer portal in order to rebuild the roster for another run in March. The early returns on the transfer portal are strong, with Jayden Epps (Georgetown), Quincy Ballard (Wichita State), Amier Ali (Arizona State), Ja’Borri McGhee (UAB), and Achor Achor (Kansas State) all set to join the roster next year.
However, the coaching staff is also setting up a schedule for next year, and it is set to be tough, especially with the latest news: According to Jeff Goodman, the Bulldogs and Iowa State are slated to do battle on November 10th in Sioux Falls. The Cyclones have been a consistent winner in the Big 12 for quite a while and finished their season last year with a 25-10 overall record, a 13-7 conference record, and a 15-2 record at home. Iowa State eventually would lose in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament to the Ole Miss Rebels.
This is yet another quality nonconference opportunity for the Bulldogs, who are also set to face off against Memphis on December 20th in Starkville and will also take on SMU again this time in Starkville on Black Friday, as it will follow the annual Egg Bowl matchup, which will be played in Starkville at 11 a.m. CT. It seems like every season of the Jans era in Starkville, the nonconference schedule gets tougher and more challenging with matchups against Utah, Pitt, Memphis, and McNeese last year. Still, the Humphrey Coliseum is now set to host a pair of these games which will be a good way to get a nice crowd of maroon and white faithful in the Hump leading up to SEC play.
Mississippi State and Iowa State have had three matchups on the hardwood, and the Bulldogs have won all three. The last matchup came on January 30th, 2021, and it saw State win 95-56. Iverson Molinar led State with 20 points while D.J. Stewart chipped in 17, and Tolu Smith scored 16. However, a lot has changed for programs since then, with both becoming threats for the NCAA tournament every year, and it is setting up to be an early test for both squads.
Josh Hubbard declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, and if he comes back, it will be big for State. Regardless, the Bulldogs will have a lot of new faces. The early test against the Cyclones will let fans know early how State stacks up. There is still a little work to do in the transfer portal class, but State is poised to make its fourth straight NCAA tournament.
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