The NBA Draft has come and gone, and no Bulldog heard his name called. In fact, the last two State players to be drafted into the NBA happened back in 2020 as Robert Woodard and Reggie Perry were selected. However, the NBA Summer League is set to get underway this weekend, and Mississippi State will have three representatives. Cameron Matthews will suit up for the Houston Rockets, and former big men Garrison Brooks and Tolu Smith will be teammates once again this time for the Detroit Pistons. The NBA 2K26 Summer League will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion from July 10-20.
After starting his career at North Carolina, Brooks spent just one season in the maroon and white. The Alabama native is the son of long-time Bulldog assistant George Brooks. The youngest Brooks played his season under head coach Ben Howland and averaged 10.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Matthews, or "Mook," has become a Bulldog basketball legend after his five-year career at State. He made three straight trips to the tournament under current Bulldog head coach Chris Jans. Still, there was a time when it seemed like Matthews would just be a defensive specialist and nothing more, and he certainly always flashed his defensive prowess, as he was named to the All-SEC defensive team twice.
However, it was the progression of his offensive game that the NBA teams may have noticed. Matthews was never a consistent double-figure scorer, but he certainly flashed his scoring ability throughout his career by scoring 19 against Kentucky and 16 against Vanderbilt this past year.
Also, Smith had an impressive career during his time at State, making the All-SEC First Team in his last two seasons under Jans after previously signing to play under Howland. The men's basketball program has been rejuvenated under the leadership of Jans and Smith, along with a few others, who will forever be known as the group that started the Jans era at Mississippi State.
After his season under Jans and his first trip to the NCAA tournament, Smith, like current Bulldog guard Josh Hubbard, declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. Bulldog fans waited patiently, and ultimately, Smith decided to return for his final season and once again made it back to the Big Dance.
The ten-day event will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and all three Bulldogs will play tomorrow. The Pistons will take on the New York Knicks tomorrow at 5 p.m., and NBA TV will have the broadcast. Finally, the Rockets will do battle with the Los Angeles Clippers at 9 p.m. tomorrow. The Jans era has made making the NCAA Tournament a near guarantee, but as his tenure progresses, the hope is that more Bulldogs will get a chance to play in the NBA.