There is a lot going on at Mississippi State's campus these days, and today, the local media got a chance to talk with Bulldog head coach Chris Jans, Josh Hubbard, and Shawn Jones. Hubbard made a lot of Bulldog fans' hearts sink whenever the Madison, Mississippi native announced his intentions to declare for the NBA Draft while retaining his eligibility. The 5-10 guard just wanted to test his stock, but it still caused some anxiety among the maroon and white faithful, but all is well, as the dynamic scorer will be back hooping in the Humphrey Coliseum this winter with a new perspective.
"I learned a lot," Hubbard said of going through the NBA draft process. "I learned a lot about my game and what I can improve on. Obviously, I want to be the best player I can be, so I want to get better at those things to help the team as well. I am not satisfied, and we still have some big things to do as a program, and I am excited to be back."
Perhaps nobody had a more difficult job with that news than Jans, who was recruiting the NCAA transfer portal in hopes of overhauling his roster. The third-year head coach did an excellent job of doing that with another highly regarded recruiting class. However, with Hubbard potentially moving on, it certainly was a difficult situation, but while Bulldog fans were stressing, Jans had a good grasp of what was going on.
"I was glad he went through that process, and hopefully he learned a lot, and knowing him, I know he did. We had great communication throughout the process, so I had a pretty good idea he would be back unless something crazy happened," Jans detailed. "We went through the recruiting process, for the most part, knowing that Josh was going to be a part of the team next year."
Hubbard improved last year, obviously scoring the ball, as his points per game rose to 18.9. He also became a much cleaner player while improving defensively. Still, there will be some big shoes to fill in the leadership department for the Bulldogs, as Cameron Matthews finished his fifth year a season ago. Hubbard and Jones both have already been leaders, but now their voices will carry more weight than they ever have.
"The experience we have had in the SEC and with Coach Jans is what will help us as a team to take that next step," Hubbard explained.
"We are just grinding, trying to get one percent better every day. One thing I am working on every day is just being more vocal and working on my leadership skills; those have been the two main things I am trying to improve this summer," Hubbard said.
The leadership department has always been big regardless of sport or era, but in the transfer portal era, having veterans of a program is massive. When the Bulldogs tip their 2025-2026 season off, four transfers could be in the starting lineup, which is not abnormal these days, but it is still an adjustment. State has had a couple of days of work so far this summer, and the early returns on the transfer class are promising.
"I have seen the buy-in from all of them, really," Hubbard said of the incoming transfers. "They are ready and hungry. They want to do whatever it takes to win. We have been with Jans since the beginning, so they ask us questions and ask what it's like. They are eager to listen, and that has been great to see."
Jans noted during his presser some areas he wanted to improve on, and getting more offensive players was one of his main focuses. Well, Georgetown guard Jayden Epps was the most significant addition for State in that category. Epps has been a double-digit scorer throughout his three-year college career and averaged 18.5 points per game in the 2023-2024 season. Everyone on the team will benefit from Epps, but perhaps none more than Hubbard.
"Anytime we can get someone who can kinda alleviate some of that pressure off Josh, it is a good thing," Jans said. "He is another dual-threat guy like Josh. He does not rely on just the three-point shot, or just being a driver, or just being a paint-eater. They have some similarities in that way."