Josh Hubbard and Mississippi State get last laugh over former teammate KeShawn Murphy

Josh Hubbard was the story of Mississippi State basketball's upset win over Auburn. The prolific shooter went for a career-high 46 points and set a school record with 10-made threes to lift the Bulldogs to victory. But there was another intriguing storyline playing out in this matchup...

Suiting up for Auburn was former Bulldog forward KeShawn Murphy. Murphy played three seasons in Starkville, including a strong 2024-2025 campaign in which he averaged 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds as one of Mississippi State's top playmakers.

He'd have been a key piece of this season's Bulldog team but instead chose to transfer back to his home state of Alabama for his senior season, a move that didn't go over well with the Maroon and White faithful. Naturally, there was an added layer of intensity surrounding Murphy's individual matchup with State. Boos rang out from the Humphrey Coliseum crowd when his name was announced for team introductions.

Throughout the game, Murphy and his former teammate Hubbard could be seen jawing back-and-forth, and Murphy let his emotions known to the MSU crowd on multiple occasions. It was State that got the last laugh though, and as the Bulldogs were closing out the game, Josh Hubbard appeared to celebrate with a direct dig towards Murphy...

For those that aren't lip-readers, Hubbard says "You don't leave State!" while alongside Murphy. And if there's any doubt if those were Hubbard's actual words, he made it clear for the MSU media team after the game.

Cleary, it meant a lot to Hubbard to get the win over the guy who left the program, as it should.

KeShawn Murphy had a rough outing against his former team

Not only did KeShawn Murphy's return to Starkville end in a loss, he had a poor individual performance as well. He shot an abysmal 1-7 from the floor and 0-2 from three, finishing with seven points thanks almost entirely to free throws. Among his misses was an embarrassing failed dunk attempt.

He did manage 11 rebounds and had a pair of blocks, but for a guy that was desperate to make a statement against his old school, he fell well short. Oh, and to make matters worse for Murphy, his Tigers are now in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament thanks to a fifth-straight loss.

If Auburn fails to reach the Big Dance in large part due to suffering an upset loss to Mississippi State, it's definitely going to sting quite a bit for KeShawn Murphy. And it makes victory just a tad bit sweeter for the Bulldogs.