The Chris Jans era has brought a new identity to Mississippi State basketball.

The Bulldog defense is holding its opponents to 48.3 points per game through the season's first three games. The dominant defensive start is the best Mississippi State has had in the modern era (since 1955-56), and they currently ranked 8th in the nation and 1st in the SEC in points allowed per game.

The advanced metrics demonstrate Mississippi State's stellar defense. The Bulldogs rank 25th in the nation with a 90.5 adjusted defensive efficiency, which is the points per 100 possessions they'd allow against the average division-1 offense.

It gets even better when you look at the field goal percentages. Mississippi State is 9th nationally with a 36.7% effective field goal percentage allowed, which is a field goal percentage that adjusts for the fact that 3-pointers are worth more than twos. The Bulldogs are also 15th with a 37.8% 2-point percentage allowed.

The Bulldogs aren't just getting stops but also creating turnovers. Mississippi State gets 12 steals per game, which is an impressive number given their slow tempo. They currently rank 4th in the country in steal rate at 18%, which is the number of defensive possessions resulting in a steal.

A large part of Mississippi State's defensive success comes down to two players. Shakeel Moore has been one of the peskiest guards in the country, averaging 2.7 steals per game. Moore's 7.7% steal rate ranks 17th out of 2,325 qualified nationally.

Moore hasn't had the best offensive start to the season, as he's only hitting his 3-pointers at a 16.7% clip, but the junior emphasized that defense is what's going to keep him in the rotation.

"Coach emphasizes defense, and that's what's gonna get you on the floor," Moore said. "I do that really well, so if my shot's not falling, defense is something I can really sit back on and lock into."

The other defensive MVP for Mississippi State has been Cameron Matthews. The junior forward is averaging two blocks per game this season, and he's helped Mississippi State to a 14.4% block rate which ranks 49th in college basketball.

Matthews himself ranks 20th out of 2,325 qualified players with a 13.6% block rate, and he's also among the top in steal rate, ranking 108th at 5.1%.

Matthews is just a stat sheet stuffer and the absolute definition of a glue guy. His scoring has improved this season, as he's up to 6.3 points per game after scoring just 2.9 last season, but being a guy who's averaging 2.0 blocks and 1.7 steals makes him such a versatile threat on the defensive end and a rare breed in college basketball.

"It's contagious. He makes us want to rev it up," Moore said. "He's very contagious. He's just a defensive anchor. Just a monster on the defensive end," Tolu Smith added.