Chris Jans explains the significance of getting off to stronger starts

The Mississippi State men’s basketball team has struggled since securing their one lone SEC win of the season over rival Ole Miss. Since defeating the Rebels, Mississippi State has lost four straight games, most recently losing to Florida in a narrow 61-59 loss. The Bulldogs haven’t just struggled to finish games, but starting them, as head coach Chris Jans detailed the importance of getting off to stronger starts.

“Yeah, we’ve had some games where we’ve actually gotten off to a good start and it certainly helps,” Jans said. “I don’t care what team you’re coaching, I’ve always believed that it’s more fun to play with a lead. It’s kind of like in the academic world, what we preach is let’s play with a lead academically, let’s not try to come from behind.”

During their four-game losing stretch, the Bulldogs haven’t entered halftime with a single lead, being outscored 106 to 88 in first halves. Their offense in general has been stagnant, ranking second worst in the SEC in points per game and field goal percentage, only scoring 64.9 points per game on 40.4% shooting.

“Certainly you can win games in a variety of ways but it’s more comfortable and I think a little bit easier to get off to a great start, and establish yourselves, and get that confidence and maybe take away some of the other team’s confidence, especially at home,” Jans said.

Mississippi State fought hard and battled in their latest game at home versus Florida, but could not overcome their slow 24-point first half and poor shooting performance from three-point range.

“But it’s crucial for this team, when I watch the tape we were down 16 obviously and got back to even a couple times. We were never able to overcome them and see what would happen if we got the lead, but I don’t feel any different after watching the tape,” Jans said. “We played good enough, certainly had mistakes, to win the game of you could match the execution and the intensity in the second second half compared to the first half.”

The Bulldogs face yet another tall task in their next matchup, as they take on No. 2 Alabama, which makes the Crimson Tide the third-ranked conference opponent they’ve faced in their last four games. Hopefully, Jans and his squad can get off to a better start and ignite their offense early, as they tip off against Alabama on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET in a game airing on SEC Network.