(Photo from HailStateMBK on X)
- Chris Jans has returned NCAA Tournament consistency to a proud program, one that had reached the tournament just once in 13 years before his arrival.
The numbers still say “dance” for Mississippi State, and they’re not likely to change, but the steps have been awkward in the run to the finish line.
The Bulldogs failed to immediately answer the bell in the second half at Arkansas Saturday. As a result, they end the regular season with four losses in five games, three of those to March Madness bubble teams Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas, and the fourth by 38 points to a likely 2 seed, Alabama.
Chris Jans has returned NCAA Tournament consistency to a proud program – one that had reached the tournament just once in 13 years before his arrival – but if the Bulldogs are a quick out in this Big Dance they’re going to look a lot like a program that has plateaued.
Two years ago they lost to Pittsburgh in Dayton in what traditionalists call the “play-in game.” Last year they bypassed Dayton as an 8 seed by lost by 18 to Michigan State.
This year, after a fast start with win streaks of five and six games, and a lot of buzz with pre-conference ranked wins against Pittsburgh and Memphis, the Pitt game lost some luster as the Panthers have faltered.
State’s best wins heading into SEC Tournament play Wednesday are against Ole Miss (twice) and Texas A&M.
Still, the Bulldogs navigated the SEC’s biggest landmines and reached late February and March with a schedule as favorable as could be hoped for in the nation’s top conference.
“We need to improve our resume and improve our vibe before we head to Nashville,” Jans said prior to State’s 93-92 loss at Arkansas.
Instead, the Bulldogs, down by by one at the half, fell behind by 16 with less than 12 minutes left.
They got themselves together and had chances to win in the final seconds. It didn’t work out, though. Ultimately those missed opportunities in the early stages of the second half loomed large.
Searching for consistency
It continued an unfortunate trend with Jans imploring his team to find its best level more often.
“We’ve just got to play better. It boils down to execution, to trying to avoid tough stretches. We had three of them as I look back at the Texas game where we had a 3-4 minute segment where we just didn’t play well, two in the first half and one in the second.”
That became an 87-82 overtime home loss.
‘We’ve got to be more consistent in our play. We can’t let a missed assignment or a sloppy turnover affect the next play. We’ve got to regroup quicker and faster,” Jans said.
The Bulldogs seemed to be hitting a stride after double-figure wins at then-No. 19 Ole Miss and at home against No. 7 Texas A&M.
Indeed, State reached the final five games with Alabama as its only ranked opponent.
There are no gimmes in the conference, but the heavies, for better or worse, were in the rear view mirror. The Bulldogs had a chance to secure a.500 league record or something better.
But empty stretches have plagued them. Eight conference wins and seven Quad 1 wins overall are carrying a lot of weight with the bracketologists right now.
However, there remains a human element to the selection process. The “look test” is still a thing, and while State will find itself in the field, it’s stumble at the finish has likely affected seeding.
A long stay in Nashville would be beneficial.
There’s a proud history with Mississippi State basketball.
Proud Program
Next spring will be the 30th anniversary of the Final Four appearance. There was a Sweet 16 trip the season before.
Richard Williams, now the team’s color analyst, was the coach for those teams, Rick Stansbury the lead assistant.
The program resettled a bit, and Stansbury took over. The Bulldogs won the SEC regular season championship in 2004. They won or tied for the SEC West title five times and won the SEC Tournament twice.
But with all that regular season success, there was a postseason plateau as State under Stans never reached the Sweet 16.
The program struggled under Rick Ray. Ben Howland was able to restore pride and expectations, but couldn’t reach the NCAA Tournament consistently.
Jans has done that Can he do something more?
“Everybody plays with a little more desperation when it gets to that point,” Jans said.
Jans, right now though, is talking less about winning streaks and more about better play through each phase of each game.
“In terms of winning streaks, things of that nature, I don’t know how many games in a row we won in the fall, or even how many we’ve won in a row in the SEC. That’s not a thing we talk about or I concern myself with. We’re just trying to prepare for each and every game.”
