40. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

41. Memphis Tigers

42. McNeese Cowboys

43. Michigan State Spartans

44. Michigan Wolverines

45. VCU Rams

46. Dayton Flyers

47. St Mary’s Gaels

48. Washington Huskies

49. UCF Knights

50. Louisville Cardinals

51. Boise State Broncos

52. Clemson Tigers

53. New Mexico Lobos

54. Arizona State Sun Devils

55. Utah State Aggies

56. Colorado State Rams

57. Seton Hall Pirates

58. SMU Mustangs

59. South Carolina Gamecocks

60. Nevada Wolfpack

61. TCU Horned Frogs

62. Villanova Wildcats

63. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

64. Saint Louis Billikens

65. Syracuse Orange

66. Nebraska Cornhuskers

67. Pittsburgh Panthers

68. Iowa Hawkeyes

69. NC State Wolfpack

70. Butler Bulldogs

71. Princeton Tigers

72. Virginia Cavaliers

73. Saint Joseph’s Hawks

74. Oklahoma Sooners

75. West Virginia Mountaineers

76. Georgia Bulldogs

77. UAB Blazers

78: Wisconsin Badgers

79. San Diego State Aztecs

80. Missouri Tigers

81. Northwestern Wildcats

82. Loyola Chicago Ramblers

Welcome back to another edition of our 82 in 72 countdown, we are now into the top 40 of our countdown and we are just over a month away from college basketball being back in our lives! If you missed it, we just previewed number #40 Rutgers and are looking at our number #39 team today in our preseason rankings…a school looking forward greatly to basketball and baseball…the Mississippi State Bulldogs led by coach Chris Jans!

Steven	Maxwell	Kam	Cody
35	27	54	41

The recently extended Chris Jans is the first coach since Rick Stansbury in 2008-2009 to lead Mississippi State to back-to-back tournament appearances. As a head coach (outside of the covid year), Chris Jans has never failed to win 20 games in a season, this includes time at Bowling Green and New Mexico State prior to the last two tournament appearances with the Bulldogs. Entering year three at State, with arguably the most talented pre-season roster Jans has had in his career, the Bulldogs seem poised to have a monster year in the SEC.

Last season was a monster freshman campaign for Josh Hubbard. Per Cerebro Sports, Hubbard was the only underclassmen guard in the country last season to produce his respective combination of five factors(pure scoring prowess, 3 point efficiency, floor general skills, around the rim and defensive statistical impact)while also posting a 30% or greater usage percentage. Josh Hubbard had a historical freshman run, setting the school record for most SEC freshman of the week awards while also being voted All-SEC second team last season. Hubbard will be the returning leader for Chris Jans this season and Jans made sure he wasn’t alone on the wing, the Bulldogs reloaded in the portal…

Riley Kugel, a player who very well could have heard his name called in the NBA draft last cycle, has joined the Bulldogs after departing from Florida, and was a major addition after originally committing to Kansas and Bill Self. Kugel is a defensive wing with plus athleticism, a plus jumper and a solid overall offensive game. I would imagine that Kugel slots alongside Hubbard and Penn State transfer Kanye Clary on the wing. Clary is the player I am most excited for in regards to joining this roster, playing Clary and Hubbard together gives coach Jans two high level guards who are both capable of playing on or off the ball. Clary was one of the better pure scorers in the Big Ten last season and should carry over his scoring prowess into the SEC. 

Along with Riley Kugel and Kanye Clary, the Bulldogs also welcome talented Boston College transfer Claudell Harris who will likely play the sixth man role this season. Harris can expand the floor and will be a reliable offensive spacer and secondary creator, as is Georgia transfer RJ Melendez, who will also be a counted-on rotation piece for State. 

There will be a hole in the frontcourt this season for Mississippi State after losing Tolu Smith and Jimmy Bell, but transfers Michael Nwoko (Miami) and Jeremey Foumena (Rhode Island) will work to offset the loss along with four star freshman Eric Paymon and returners Gai Chol and KeShawn Murphy. Cameron Matthews, the Bulldogs most experienced frontcourt player, will likely start at the four spot, but the Bulldogs will be looking to confirm their answer at center this season…it is one of the few questions I have about this Mississippi State team.

Could Mississippi State win the SEC? Absolutely! Could Mississippi State win their first NCAA tournament game since 2008? I am certain they can! I think this team is capable of more than just those two feats, contingent on their solutions up front, but why bet against Chris Jans, he is entering his third season at State and appears to have a roster that fits his play style more than previous State teams. This team will be able to run and generate more possessions per game than previous teams and this team should be the best shooting team Jans has had while at State. 

Mississippi State is my SEC darkhorse this season and Chirs Jans is my pick to win SEC coach of the year this upcoming season. From my vantage point, it seems that Jans and the Bulldogs have the pieces falling into place for them this summer and fall leading into the season and for Jans, you have built a solid foundation and have received the second contract…the time is now and the team is here! 

Cheers Mississippi State fans, here’s to basketball season!