To say the 2025-2026 season has been a disappointment for Mississippi State basketball would be an understatement. As we draw near the conclusion of January and first month of SEC play, the Bulldogs sit with a paltry 11-10 record, owning a 3-5 mark in the conference. Barring an unfathomable midseason turnaround, Chris Jans' squad will not be anywhere close to being in consideration for the NCAA Tournament if even the NIT.
That was not all the expectation for a Bulldogs team featuring one of the SEC's best players in Josh Hubbard and a Transfer Portal class that, on paper, looked solid. But the Portal additions for this roster, players State was counting on, have largely underwhelmed, and it's why they're hovering barely above .500 for the season.
But even in the midst of a frustrating campaign, Mississippi State has found reasons for optimism, at least for the future. The Bulldogs' young talent is starting to shine.
Young talent impressing for Mississippi State basketball
As more veteran transfers have failed to lead the way for the Bulldogs, the younger players on the roster have begun to earn significant minutes. And they're making the most of that opportunity.
Freshman big Jamarion Davis-Fleming has led the way for the young talent on the roster. Seeing regular minutes since the beginning of the season, Davis-Fleming has earned starting roles in recent games. He's become a strong rebounder for the Bulldogs, averaging 5.4 boards over the last seven games, and is leading MSU in blocks. He still needs to grow offensively but showed real promise in that area with a 6-8, 13-point performance against Ole Miss.
Davis-Flemings' freshman counterpart King Grace has recently emerged for State. After seeing minimal playing time for much of the season, the guard has averaged over 18 minutes a game in MSU's last three outings. In those contests, he's shooting 47% for 9.7 points per game.
Then there's Slovenian sophomore forward Sergej Macura. The newcomer has been a part of the rotation throughout the year, but his play has really taken off against SEC competition. In league play he's shooting 59% with 6.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. In his most recent outing at LSU, he recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.
None of these players have yet established themselves as headliners for MSU. There have been ebbs and flows with their performances as they continue to search for consistency. But the overall trajectory has been positive for all three, and it's nearing the point that they become players Chris Jans can truly start to count on.
And that's a major positive for Mississippi State. The biggest issue program-wise the Bulldogs have faced under Jans has been the inability to maintain roster continuity by developing young talent. This season and last, State has had to turn to the portal for the majority of its rotation. That's not unique to them, but, as we've seen, it can lead to volatile results.
If Davis-Fleming, Grace, and Macura continue to grow through the remainder of this season, MSU could enter the offseason feeling confident in what's already on the roster. They would suddenly have a group of contributors in place as the nucleus to build around. Add in that Josh Hubbard still has another year of eligibility, and you get a very intriguing team. They'd still need some transfers, but their success wouldn't necessarily hinge on those transfers.
Obviously that hinges on 1. those players continuing to develop and 2. everyone returning for another year, which is anything but a given in this era. But if those things happen, it could be quite beneficial for Bulldog basketball moving forward. This was supposed to be a more successful year for Mississippi State on the hardwood, but it may prove to be a foundation-laying season for the future.