Josh Hubbard has been swimming with the sharks of the SEC for a couple of years just fine. Now he wants to test the professional waters as well.
Mississippi State's shooting star and record-setting sophomore has declared intention to enter the National Basketball Association draft. On a social media post, Hubbard stated "I am excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2025 NBA draft while maintaining my college eligibility at Mississippi State to ensure I make the best decision for my family."
This year's edition of the NBA draft will be held June 25-26, starting at 7:00 central time in Brooklyn. The deadline for declaration is April 26, with the Draft Combine to be held May 11-18.
The early entry withdrawal deadline is what Bulldog basketball fans want to know, because Hubbard leaves the door open for his return. That deadline is June 15 at 4:00 central time.
News that Hubbard will explore his professional options is not so surprising given his impact on Mississippi State and the Southeastern Conference as well for now two seasons. Hubbard has twice been named second-team All-SEC by the league's coaches, and had the first team been more than just five members the Bulldog had a serious shot at such status.
Hubbard is coming off a soph season that produced 18.9 points per game overall and 18.8 points in SEC regular season contests. He led the Bulldogs also in three-points made with 108 and was a 34.5% marksman at the arc.
The real story to his second year in maroon and white was the role transformation. A pure shooter as a freshman, Hubbard out of team necessity became the point guard as well this past winter. He performed superbly under the forced circumstances, with 107 assists against just 43 turnovers.
Hubbard also improved his defensive game greatly and tallied 31 steals officially while making his presence known on the perimeter. Still it was shooting the ball that made his All-SEC name and had him on the national radar as well. Besides following his freshman year work at the arc, Hubbard became a more aggressive scorer attacking the lane and rim.
In the process he drew enough fouls to get to the line 148 times and convert on 130 chances. In fact, Hubbard is the most accurate free throw shooter for a multi-year career in Mississippi State history at 86.6%.
He is coming off the 7th-best scoring season by a Bulldog of any class, broke his own season record for three pointers made and is sixth-best in career treys after just two years. Hubbard has 1,214 career points and is already top-thirty all time at State, and his 17.85 points per game is fifth-best for a career.
Now he wants to find out his professional value, with equal opportunity to come back for a third Mississippi State season.
In the announcement Hubbard stated his gratitude "to my coaches, teammates, and the entire Mississippi State University for providing me with guidance and support to reach this point in my career."