Mississippi State Wins the Josh Hubbard Sweepstakes

Despite an early exit from March Madness, Mississippi State fans have reason to celebrate. The number one recruit in the Magnolia State, MRA’s Josh Hubbard, made his decision to head to Starkville and play for Chris Jans and the Bulldogs. This comes just after Hubbard retracted his signing from Ole Miss.

Trading Red and Blue for Maroon and White

Earlier in the year, four-star recruit Josh Hubbard committed to the Ole Miss Rebels. He even signed a national letter of intent. However, the Ole Miss basketball program was in turmoil this season. The teams went 12-21 this season and 3-15 in SEC play. Just to add some salt to the wound, the Rebels also lost both games they played against archrival Mississippi State. This all led to Ole Miss firing head coach Kermit Davis before the season even ended. 

This seemed to raise concerns for the number one recruit in Mississippi. Hubbard de-committed from Ole Miss quickly after the firing and made himself available to other schools. Despite Ole Miss making a good hire in former Texas head coach Chris Beard, Hubbard chose to head 90 miles south to Starkville. This made an already happy Bulldogs basketball fan base even happier. This is an unbelievable defense and potentially the best first year for a head coach in history; the Bulldogs have put themselves in an excellent position.

Bulldogs Get What They Need

The run that Mississippi State went on under first-year head coach Chris Jans was nothing short of remarkable. With their first March Madness birth since 2019, the Bulldogs have a bright future. They arguably could have gone further in the tournament with their defensive prowess. Yet, their biggest weakness all season, shooting, struck hard in the heartbreaking loss to Pitt. However, Hubbard is exactly what this team needs.

The Bulldogs have been one of the best defensive teams in the country this season. It’s what head coach Chris Jans is known for but Mississippi State’s offense has been nothing short of horrendous. Hubbard will bring a much-needed offensive threat to Starkville. At MRA, Hubbard broke the career state scoring record that was set 37 years ago by Robert Woodard, dropping 4,367 points in his high school career. Hubbard has proven himself to be a scoring threat from anywhere on the hardwood. His jump shot is quick and smooth, and he is not afraid to attack the paint. It’s fair to say that Josh Hubbard is exactly what Chris Jans needs to make another run at Madness in 2024.