# 2022–23 Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball team

The 2022–23 Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Mississippi State University during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by first-year head coach Chris Jans, and played their home games at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi as a member of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 20–11, 8–10 in SEC play to tie for 9th place. They defeated Florida in the second round of the SEC tournament before losing to Alabama in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as an 11th seed, where they lost in the First Four play-in round to Pittsburgh.

## Previous season

The Bulldogs finished the 2021–22 season 18–16, 8–10 in SEC play to finish 10th place. They defeated South Carolina in the second round of the SEC tournament before losing to Tennessee in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Virginia.
Following the season, the school fired head coach Howland. On March 20, 2022, the school named New Mexico State head coach Chris Jans the team's new head coach.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Rocket Watts | 0 | G | 6'2" | 185 | Junior | Detroit, MI | Transferred to Oakland |
| Iverson Molinar | 1 | G | 6'3" | 190 | Junior | Panama City, Panama | Declare for 2022 NBA draft |
| Javian Davis | 2 | F | 6'9" | 240 | RS Junior | Canton, MS | Graduate transferred to UAB |
| Cam Carter | 5 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Freshman | Donaldsonville, LA | Transferred to Kansas State |
| Garrison Brooks | 10 | F | 6'9" | 230 | GS Senior | Lafayette, AL | Graduated |
| Andersson Garcia | 11 | G/F | 6'7" | 210 | Sophomore | Moca, DR | Transferred to Texas A&M |
| Derek Fountain | 20 | F | 6'9" | 220 | Sophomore | Holly Springs, MS | Transferred to LSU |
| Alden Applewhite | 44 | F | 6'7" | 205 | Freshman | Memphis, TN | Transferred to Portland |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Jamel Horton | 2 | G | 6'4" | 190 | GS Senior | Queens, NY | Albany |
| Dashawn Davis | 10 | G | 6'2" | 185 | Senior | Bronx, NY | Oregon State |
| Eric Reed, Jr. | 11 | G | 6'2" | 190 | Senior | Baton Rouge, LA | Southeast Missouri State |
| Will McNair Jr. | 13 | F | 6'10" | 277 | Junior | Philadelphia, PA | New Mexico State |
| Tyler Stevenson | 14 | F | 6'8" | 215 | Senior | Columbus, MS | Southern Miss |

### 2022 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kimani Hamilton #27 SF | Clinton, MS | Clinton High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Aug 28, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Martavious Russell SG | Buhl, AL | Sipsey Valley High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Dec 10, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Mississippi State 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. "2022 Mississippi State Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. ||||||

### 2023 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2023 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Gai Chol #46 C | Decatur, GA | Greenforest Christian Academy | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jul 9, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Mississippi State 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. "2023 Mississippi State Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 7, 2022* 6:30 p.m., SECN+ | | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | W 63–44 | 1–0 | 19 – Smith | 11 – Smith | 4 – Reed Jr. | Humphrey Coliseum (6,254) Starkville, MS |
| November 11, 2022* 6:30 p.m., Barstool Sports | | vs. Akron Barstool Showcase | W 73–54 | 2–0 | 26 – Smith | 8 – Smith | 4 – Tied | Wells Fargo Center (5,213) Philadelphia, PA |
| November 13, 2022* 2:00 p.m., SECN+ | | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | W 80–47 | 3–0 | 10 – Tied | 9 – Smith | 4 – Horton | Humphrey Coliseum (5,664) Starkville, MS |
| November 17, 2022* 8:00 p.m., SECN | | South Dakota Fort Myers Tip-Off campus site game | W 79–42 | 4–0 | 16 – Smith | 9 – Jeffries | 4 – Hamilton | Humphrey Coliseum (6,047) Starkville, MS |
| November 21, 2022* 5:00 p.m., FS1 | | vs. Marquette Fort Myers Tip-Off semifinals | W 58–55 | 5–0 | 15 – Reed Jr. | 16 – Smith | 6 – Smith | Suncoast Credit Union Arena (1,894) Fort Myers, FL |
| November 23, 2022* 7:30 p.m., FS1 | | vs. Utah Fort Myers Tip-Off championship | W 52–49 | 6–0 | 18 – Davis | 16 – Smith | 3 – Tied | Suncoast Credit Union Arena (1,144) Fort Myers, FL |
| November 28, 2022* 6:30 p.m., SECN+ | | Omaha | W 74–54 | 7–0 | 12 – Smith | 8 – Smith | 4 – Moore | Humphrey Coliseum (6,090) Starkville, MS |
| December 3, 2022* 1:00 p.m., SECN+ | | Mississippi Valley State | W 82–52 | 8–0 | 24 – Smith | 6 – Tied | 6 – Moore | Humphrey Coliseum (6,343) Starkville, MS |
| December 11, 2022* 7:30 p.m., BTN | No. 23 | at Minnesota | W 69–51 | 9–0 | 20 – Smith | 8 – Jeffries | 7 – Jeffries | Williams Arena (8,664) Minneapolis, MN |
| December 14, 2022* 6:30 p.m., SECN+ | No. 17 | vs. Jackson State Magnolia Madness | W 69–59 | 10–0 | 15 – Jeffries | 5 – Tied | 5 – Matthews | Mississippi Coliseum (3,206) Jackson, MS |
| December 17, 2022* 2:00 p.m., SECN | No. 17 | Nicholls | W 68–66 | 11–0 | 15 – Smith | 8 – Smith | 6 – Davis | Humphrey Coliseum (6,023) Starkville, MS |
| December 20, 2022* 4:00 p.m., BallerTV | No. 15 | vs. Drake Battle in the Vault | L 52–58 | 11–1 | 11 – Reed Jr. | 8 – Jeffries | 3 – Tied | Pinnacle Bank Arena Lincoln, NE |
| SEC regular season |||||||||
| December 28, 2022 8:00 p.m., SECN | No. 21 | No. 8 Alabama | L 67–78 | 11–2 (0–1) | 11 – Tied | 15 – Jeffries | 4 – Tied | Humphrey Coliseum (9,803) Starkville, MS |
| January 3, 2023 6:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at No. 8 Tennessee | L 53–87 | 11–3 (0–2) | 15 – Stevenson | 2 – Tied | 6 – Davis | Thompson–Boling Arena (16,697) Knoxville, TN |
| January 7, 2023 1:00 p.m., CBS | | Ole Miss | W 64–54 | 12–3 (1–2) | 13 – McNair Jr. | 8 – Tied | 5 – Matthews | Humphrey Coliseum (9,295) Starkville, MS |
| January 11, 2023 5:30 p.m., SECN | | at Georgia | L 50–58 | 12–4 (1–3) | 15 – Moore | 10 – Matthews | 3 – Davis | Stegeman Coliseum (7,741) Athens, GA |
| January 14, 2023 7:30 p.m., SECN | | at No. 21 Auburn | L 63–69 | 12–5 (1–4) | 20 – Smith | 10 – Smith | 4 – Davis | Neville Arena (9,121) Auburn, AL |
| January 17, 2023 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | No. 9 Tennessee | L 59–70 | 12–6 (1–5) | 20 – Moore | 10 – Smith | 5 – Davis | Humphrey Coliseum (8,797) Starkville, MS |
| January 21, 2023 7:30 p.m., SECN | | Florida | L 59–61 | 12–7 (1–6) | 12 – Tied | 11 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Humphrey Coliseum (8,660) Starkville, MS |
| January 25, 2023 8:00 p.m., SECN | | at No. 2 Alabama | L 63–66 | 12–8 (1–7) | 15 – Smith | 7 – Tied | 4 – Moore | Coleman Coliseum (11,681) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| January 28, 2023* 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | No. 11 TCU Big 12/SEC Challenge | W 81–74 $^{OT}$ | 13–8 | 27 – Smith | 13 – Smith | 5 – Tied | Humphrey Coliseum (8,643) Starkville, MS |
| January 31, 2023 5:30 p.m., SECN | | at South Carolina | W 66–51 | 14–8 (2–7) | 22 – Moore | 8 – Smith | 5 – Davis | Colonial Life Arena (9,129) Columbia, MO |
| February 4, 2023 5:00 p.m., SECN | | Missouri | W 63–52 | 15–8 (3–7) | 25 – Smith | 12 – Smith | 6 – Davis | Humphrey Coliseum (8,494) Starkville, MS |
| February 8, 2023 8:00 p.m., SECN | | LSU | W 64–53 | 16–8 (4–7) | 18 – Jeffries | 7 – Jeffries | 6 – Davis | Humphrey Coliseum (7,070) Starkville, MS |
| February 11, 2023 5:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Arkansas | W 70–64 | 17–8 (5–7) | 17 – Davis | 8 – Smith | 5 – Moore | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| February 15, 2023 7:30 p.m., SECN | | Kentucky | L 68–71 | 17–9 (5–8) | 22 – Smith | 7 – Matthews | 6 – Matthews | Humphrey Coliseum (9,297) Starkville, MS |
| February 18, 2023 2:30 p.m., SECN | | at Ole Miss | W 69–61 $^{OT}$ | 18–9 (6–8) | 17 – Tied | 12 – Smith | 5 – Smith | SJB Pavilion (7,188) Oxford, MS |
| February 21, 2023 6:00 p.m., SECN | | at Missouri | L 64–66 $^{OT}$ | 18–10 (6–9) | 14 – Smith | 10 – Smith | 5 – Davis | Mizzou Arena (12,014) Columbia, MO |
| February 25, 2023 2:30 p.m., SECN | | No. 25 Texas A&M | W 69–62 | 19–10 (7–9) | 17 – Smith | 6 – Tied | 4 – Matthews | Humphrey Coliseum (6,065) Starkville, MS |
| February 28, 2023 8:00 p.m., SECN | | South Carolina | W 74–68 | 20–10 (8–9) | 20 – Moore | 6 – Tied | 6 – Davis | Humphrey Coliseum (7,280) Starkville, MS |
| March 4, 2023 7:30 p.m., SECN | | at Vanderbilt | L 72–77 | 20–11 (8–10) | 27 – Smith | 11 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Memorial Gymnasium (10,544) Nashville, TN |
| SEC tournament |||||||||
| March 9, 2023 12:00 p.m., SECN | (9) | vs. (8) Florida Second round | W 69–68 $^{OT}$ | 21–11 | 28 – Smith | 12 – Smith | 8 – Davis | Bridgestone Arena (13,165) Nashville, TN |
| March 10, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPN | (9) | vs. (1) No. 4 Alabama Quarterfinals | L 49–72 | 21–12 | 17 – Smith | 11 – Smith | 1 – Tied | Bridgestone Arena (16,107) Nashville, TN |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 14, 2023* 8:10 pm, TruTV | (11 MW) | vs. (11 MW) Pittsburgh First Four | L 59–60 | 21–13 | 15 – Davis | 13 – Jeffries | 5 – Tied | UD Arena (12,453) Dayton, OH |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
Source