Head coach Chris Jans talks new-look Bulldog roster at SEC Media Days

In just a few more weeks, Mississippi State basketball will open the 2025-26 season and face North Alabama on November 5th. On Wednesday, head coach Chris Jans along with Bulldogs Josh Hubbard, Shawn Jones and Jayden Epps took to the podium in Mountain Brook, Ala., as part of SEC Media Days.
Jans returns only a couple of veterans this season in Hubbard and Jones, and the roster will feature several new faces and a five-member Class of 2025.
“In terms of our team, like all the other coaches are talking about, we got 15 players,” Jans noted. “It’s the smallest roster I’ve ever had as a head coach at any level. It’s new territory for me that way. I’ve been accustomed to having a lot of bodies in practice. It’s caused us to change how we organize our practices and certainly run our practices.
“We have four guys that were in uniform last year. One starter, two in the rotation. That means we have 11 new players. Of those 11, four of them are high school players and six of them were transfers, then we have an international player, as well. Still trying to find our identity, to be honest with you. I remember a few weeks ago struggling internally about who our team is going to be, how we’re practicing.”
Of course, there are not many questions surrounding Hubbard and what he brings to the table. Hubbard was voted first-team All-SEC earlier this week by preseason media voting and averaged a team-best 18.9 points a year ago.
“I never get tired of talking about Josh,” shared Jans. “I had someone come into practice the other day that has been around a little bit yearly. He asked me, Is he really as good a kid as he seems to be, as he comes off to be? I go, he’s better.
“A lot of coaches talking about kids being better people than they are players. It’s a cliché, but that’s Josh. That’s his identity. That’s who he is. That’s a heck of a statement because he’s a hell of a player. To say that he’s a better person just speaks kudos to the quality human being that he is.”
However, with so many new faces on the court and long-time veteran Cameron Matthews no longer in the program, Hubbard has had to take on an expanded leadership role.
“He’s been crucial,” added Jans on Hubbard. “He took a leadership role last year as a sophomore, along with Cameron Matthews. He was definitely the little brother of the duo. He did it more silently than Cam did it.
“He’s got all the qualities you would want if you’re looking at it from a coach’s perspective in terms of his ability. He’s got respect that way. He’s as hard a worker as we have in the program, which gives him a little more confidence in allowing him to say things to his teammates.”
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And regarding his actual play on the court, Jans believes Hubbard has taken strides there, as well.
“I think once we start playing these games, people watch him play, you’ll see he’s gotten even better,” remarked Jans. “He’s continuing to strive to be a two-way player, improve his game all around. We’re seeing it develop in front of us every day.”
In Jans’ first two seasons in Starkville, the Bulldogs were more of a defensive-minded team and that style led team to the NCAA Tournament. A year ago, the offense improved at State but the defense was lacking.
“Well, people talked about “The Dentist” that I didn’t coin myself,” mentioned Jans. “Had nothing to do with that name. We were known for being a tough-nosed team, blue-collar. Last year I wouldn’t have described our team like that. Our analytics flipped a little bit.”
With that in mind, this offseason Jans and his staff hit the transfer portal with a goal of improving the defensive end of the court. Obviously, the season will tell the tale on that but getting back to hard-nosed defense is going to be needed.
“Defensively we took a couple steps back,” Jans explained. “I knew we would. I just didn’t want to take two steps back. We took more than we wanted. We had that in mind when we jumped in the portal this year, tried to get some length and more defensive-minded guys. We’ll see how the plays out. But that’s definitely something we’re going to try to get back to.”
Also on Wednesday at SEC Media Days, Jans announced that reserve center Gai Chol will miss the entire season due to recent knee surgery.
Mississippi State will play its lone exhibition of the preseason on October 26th in Rosenberg, Texas, against 2025 national runner-up Houston.