Starkville - For the first time in 22 years, Mississippi State has taken down a top five opponent.
On Wednesday night, the Bulldogs defeated the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers 77-72 behind a spectacular offensive performance from freshman guard Josh Hubbard and graduate big man Tolu Smith, replicating a 24-point performance by Timmy Bowers in a win over No. 5 Alabama on February 9, 2002.
"It's history in the making. To be a part of something like that is legendary," Smith said. "To be a part of it with these guys, and Coach Jans is even more of a blessing. It’s a surreal feeling, I’m happy that we did it. Now, it’s onto the next one.”
Chris Jans' team showcased a new gear of offense they just didn't have a season ago as they connected on 50% of their field goal attempts against KenPom's No. 2 ranked defense. Smith controlled the low post as usual, scoring 23 points while fouling out Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo, but what the Bulldogs didn't have last year was a guard like Hubbard who torched the Vols for 25 points while draining 5/10 three-point attempts.
"He can score the ball, pretty obvious statement. The guys have learned to trust him and understand that he’s a weapon for us," Jans said of Hubbard. "He just gets in those zones, if you will. He’s a tough guard. We see it in practice sometimes. He’s got such a stoic demeanor. He never gets too high or too low, and he handles himself way beyond his years.”
Wednesday night was the first time the Bulldogs got to see their new duo live up to their potential. Smith missed the first 12 games of the season with a foot injury, and after solid 16-point outing in his debut against Bethune-Cookman, he found himself in foul trouble in Saturday's 68-62 loss at South Carolina.
When Smith and Hubbard finally got to share the floor for an extended period of time, the result was a dynamic offense that hadn't been seen during the Jans era. Hubbard's knock down shooting ability at 39.4% from downtown is the missing piece to the 2022-23 MSU team that finished 363rd in the nation with a 26.6% three-point percentage, and the added deep threat has made Smith's operations in the low post smoother.
The stat sheet won't show it with only one assist, but the offense flowing through him gave the Tennessee defense trouble. When Smith is left one-on-one, he's sure to get a bucket or draw a foul, and when he's doubled he's making the right play to get an open look for one of his teammates.
"I’m sure he had some, but I don’t remember a game where he played any better. If he did, it wasn’t much. I thought he was determined to get that ball as close to the rim as he could. He missed a couple of them that he probably should’ve made, but he just put a lot of pressure on their defense," Jans said. "They had to make decisions. Then, he made really good decisions on if there was another defender near him of just making simple plays. Getting a shot, getting a hockey assist or a potential hockey assist. He had a look about him tonight. He wanted to win this game. He wanted to be a big part of it, and I’m just happy for him."
With Smith operating underneath and Hubbard taking defenders off the dribble for open jump shots and drives to the lane, the Bulldog offense is more complete than its ever been. What's even more scary through the three games Smith has played is the effectiveness has had at the free throw line.
Smith's free throw shooting was an outright liability last season, hitting just 58.8% of his freebies. The year before that, 65.0%. With a player like Smith who at times can be unguardable downlow, free throws are going to come frequently. Since returning from injury, the 6'11" big man has made those shots, hitting 20/24 (83.3%) of his attempts. Albeit a small sample size, it's another factor that can make the Bulldog offense even more dangerous.
The added offensive firepower hasn't deterred Mississippi State away from its defensive identity, and they couldn't pulled out the win on Wednesday without holding the Vols to just 22 points in the first half. D.J. Jeffries, Shakeel Moore and Cameron Matthews combined for eight steals and helped hold Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi, two players who have torched the Bulldogs during their five seasons at Tennessee, to a combined five points on 2/12 shooting.
Dalton Knecht and Zakai Zeigler combined for 54 points as Knecht got hot in the second half scoring 26 of his 28 after the break, but the Bulldogs got stopped when it mattered against one of the SEC's top scoring wings. Jeffries blocked a Knecht jump shot in a one-point game down the stretch, and Dashawn Davis stole the ball from him on the Vols' final possession with the Bulldogs leading by three.
"You never know how the game’s going to unfold and how the kids are going to react, but I was proud of their might, their toughness, their strength and how physical they played," Jans said.
The win gives Mississippi State a huge résumé boost, as they jumped from #34 to #27 in the NET rankings after its first quadrant one win of the season. The Bulldogs have another quadrant one opportunity on deck for Saturday, with Alabama, who sits at #5 in the NET rankings, making the trip down Highway 82 to Starkville for a 7:30 tip-off.
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