The 2025-2026 Mississippi State basketball season unofficially got underway on Wednesday morning as Head Coach Chris Jans, Josh Hubbard, Jayden Epps, and Shawn Jones Jr. hit the podiums during the final day of the 2025-2026 SEC Tip-off, which showcased the Bulldogs basketball program. Like the other fifteen coaches over the last two days, Coach Jans presented a message of careful optimism. The Bulldogs have 11 new players from last season and only four remaining from the 2024-2025 season. 

Although we won’t know much about this team until they play Houston in a preseason game in a few weeks or when they open the season on November 5th against North Alabama, we can still anticipate their performance. I do have a few takeaways from what Coach Jans said on Wednesday morning at the 2025-2025 SEC Tip-off. 

First, although the identity of the 2025-2026 Mississippi State Bulldogs might be unknown at this point, Josh Hubbard will be at the forefront as both the talent and vocal leader. Coach Jans mentioned that from the podium this morning how Hubbard has not only improved his game, but his vocal leadership as well, the jump from sophmore year Josh Hubbard to junior year will likley be the difference maker for the Bulldogs once Southeastern Conference play rolls around, well into March as Hubbard looks to deliver his team to at least the second weekend or beyond.

Second, like any other college basketball program in the modern era with the transfer portal, Mississippi State is struggling to find an identity. That doesn’t mean the sky is falling, but a loss or two early on might happen. When it does, Bulldogs fans need to remain calm and trust the process. Coach Jans talked about this; he has eleven new guys this year, and only four returning players from last season. That means an entire roster overhaul where you have to experiment to get things right. Having Shawn Jones Jr and Josh Hubbard on the roster will support what Coach Jans and his staff are doing, but the Bulldogs have the talent to navigate the early-season choppy waters and be prepared for March. 

Lastly, you could sense that, despite lacking an identity, Coach Jans really likes this team. He has a deep roster with added size to the frontcourt, featuring an even more improved Josh Hubbard and Shawn Jones Jr, who are eager and ready to take Mississippi State to the next level. Often, you can overlook the coaches’ talk at events like media day, but it really shows that a coach likes his team and believes they’ll be just fine when it matters the most. 

Mississippi State will head to Texas on October 26th to take on the Houston Cougars in the lone preseason game. 

Photo Credits- Mississippi State Basketball on X