State newcomers Sergej Macura, Jamarion Davis-Fleming adjusting to life in the SEC

A few months ago the members of Mississippi State’s Class of 2025 made their way to Starkville to begin a new chapter in their basketball career. Unlike the majority of previous classes, this group is expected to have some guys who contribute sooner than later.

Earlier this week, two of those 2025 signees – center Jamarion Davis-Fleming and forward Sergej Macura – met with the media for the first time since arriving in Starkville. Due to his professional background, Slovenian native Mucura is considered a sophomore on the roster:

Q: Jamarion, after playing mostly forward in high school, how were those conversations with Chris Jans and you moving to the center position?
Davis-Fleming: Coach Jans, we had a good conversation. He told me that with my athleticism, he wanted to try to see how I could move my feet and bang with the bigger guys. We had that conversation before games and he wanted to see how physical I could be and what I could do against that type of competition (Houston). It was a great chance for me and a great opportunity. I thought I did pretty well. I got to rebound the ball better but just competing and being physical with those guys, I did a really good job.

Q: Following up on that, what was that like for you to go against a frontcourt like Houston that played in the national championship game last year?
Davis-Fleming: For my first game in college, it was definitely a great experience. I had a great time, and like I said, a great opportunity. To play against national championship runnerups and a guy like (Joseph) Tugler and those guys, those were big, physical guys for my first game out of high school. To get a taste for that for first game coming right out of high school, it was a great opportunity for me. I felt pretty good about that.

Q: Sergej, what’s it been like adjusting to Starkville and college basketball?
Macura: It’s been fun, to be honest. First of all, it is different. The level of athleticism is a bit higher. The players are faster, stronger, and the referees let the game go. They let us punch each other a bit more. It’s been good. Lifestyle-wise, Starkville is a great city. I like it, it’s calm and it lets us focus on our goals in basketball.

Q: Sergej, what was the process of you getting to Mississippi State?
Macura: I think colleges started recruiting me last April. Basically in a span of two weeks, I heard multiple offers. Then I talked with my family and my representative about the offers I got and we chose Mississippi State. I talked with Coach (Chris) Jans, I talked with Coach (Dave) Anwar and basically decided on the style of coaching, which is tough. It is very European-like in the sense of the coach being aggressive and tough on the players. It is similar to what I’ve been used to back home. So overall, we chose this program because it seemed like the best fit for me.

Q: Sergej, when you get to the SEC and face that kind of talent, what do you think will be the biggest adjustments to your game?
Macura: For me, it was the game against Houston. I saw the level of physicality that is allowed in the game. So I was kind of surprised by the things the referees let go. So I was just figuring out how to respond to it. In the SEC and until then, I feel like I am going to be ready to understand the limits of physicality during the games, just getting to the flow of the team. We’re still getting our chemistry together. We’re a really new team and I think we’re on a really good path toward it. But we still need some reps and a feel for the game.

Q: Jamarion, you mentioned before of needing to get stronger in this league. How does facing Quincy Ballard each day in practice prepare you for that?
Davis-Fleming: It prepares me a lot. He is the biggest guy on the court and he was the biggest player on the court against Houston, too. He is 7-foot so just going against him and being physical every day, it taught me a lot. I was very prepared going into the Houston game after competing with those guys (in practice) and facing Quincy every day and being physical. Coach Jans pushes us to our limits and he wants us to compete and be physical and bang. The SEC is a physical league. So we always go in there and physically bang with each other. After practice we laugh but in practice, me and him always compete to try to get each other better. So it’s definitely a good experience.

Q: Jamarion you had a previous relationship with Josh Hubbard before you got here. How is it being his teammate now?
Davis-Fleming: Josh is my guy. We grew up together and played each other when I was like in the 9th grade, I think 11th grade. But we grew up together so him being my teammate wasn’t anything new. He was half of the reason I came here. We talked every day before I committed. When I got here he just took me under his wing. He taught me Jans’ system, showed me how to respond, how to do certain things in Jans’ ways. Just having him right there by my side with what I am going through or if I am having a bad practice, he picks me up and lifts me up. It’s always good to have someone like that.

Q: Sergej, you talked about your adjustments on the court. What about the adjustments off the court coming to a place like Starkville?
Macura: The first time I heard about Starkville is when we started speaking with Mississippi State. It’s actually my second time being in the (United) States. The first time was last summer when we had a preparation-friendly game with a G-League team from my last season. Just lifestyle-wise, it’s been nice. To be honest, I prefer small town to bigger city. i prefer the calmness and I think people are nicer in a small town.

Lifestyle-wise it’s been nice. I miss home a bit but with the team, we have a really good friendship and chemistry, and we do a lot of stuff outside of the court. So it’s been a really nice adjustment. I’ve connected with the guys. Like JMar (Davis-Fleming) said, we like to compete in practice. There’s no harsh feelings about what we do in practice. Off the court it is nice and a good group.

Q: Jamarion, you came in as a freshman with Tee Bartlett. What is he like as a player and what can he bring to the team?
Davis-Fleming: Tee, he is a dog. He is one of the biggest players and biggest freshmen in the country. Once he gets right and keeps getting in better shape and keeps working every day, I feel like he’s going to be a great person for this team. Great inside presence, can score around the rim, big body, can be physical. In the SEC you got big guys. So when comes around, me, Quincy and him can rotate at the five. I know I can play the four, too, and we can play our position well and just defend. I think we will be a good defensive team with a big unit like that. We can go big, can go small. I think we’ve got a great team this year.