STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball and coach Chris Jans leaned on the transfer portal heavily this past season.
Transfers like Claudell Harris Jr., Riley Kugel, RJ Melendez and Michael Nwoko all played significant minutes from game to game. But ultimately, it left the Bulldogs (21-13) in the same spot as last season: a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament.
The transfer portal opened last week, and some MSU players, like Nwoko, have already entered.
Who could Mississippi State target in the transfer portal? Here’s a look at some potential positions of need.
Mississippi State basketball needs a true point guard
Mississippi State entered the season looking to ease the offensive pressure on star Josh Hubbard while also improving the offense. It did, to a degree, but it still wasn’t good enough.
MSU could add another potent scorer, but a true point guard who can quarterback the offense might elevate the entire team.
Kanye Clary, the Penn State transfer, could’ve filled that role this season, but he played only seven games before a season-ending injury. He’s now in the transfer portal. Dellquan Warren played a few minutes each game, but had obvious freshman struggles.
Forward Cameron Matthews was Mississippi State’s assists leader with 3.6 per game and is out of eligibility.
Mississippi State needs a new defensive anchor
Jans might refocus MSU on its defense after it led to success in the first two seasons. Defensive shortcomings ultimately were the pitfall in the final month of the 2024-25 season. MSU’s 74.2 points allowed per game were the program’s most since the 1991-92 season.
Losing Matthews, the program’s career steals leader, creates a hole for a defensive anchor. He recorded 2.4 steals per game, best in the SEC and ninth nationally.
Guard Shawn Jones Jr. showed flashes of ...
