Mississippi State basketball has a lot to replace at the center position from this season. The Bulldogs have seen starter Michael Nwoko and second-leading scorer KeShawn Murphy enter the transfer portal. The loss of Murphy, who despite coming off the bench was the team's second-leading scorer and played the most minutes of anyone at the five, was particularly tough on Chris Jans' squad.
As a result, it was imperative that State be able to find a high-level option at the position out of the transfer portal. They've now achieved that.
Mississippi State Bulldogs land Wichita State center Quincy Ballard out of transfer portal
Mississippi State got fantastic news Wednesday night when former Wichita State center made his commitment to the Bulldogs. The 6-11, 251 big man averaged 10.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game while making an incredible 75.1% of his field goal attempts. Dushawn London of 247 Sports first reported the news.
NEWS: Wichita State transfer Quincy Ballard has committed to Mississippi State his agent Brandon Grier of Equity Sports, told @247SportsPortal
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) April 10, 2025
The 6-11 big man averaged 10 points and 9.2 rebounds this season. https://t.co/cDDX35yU8P pic.twitter.com/G1ixsd4MuD
Quincy Ballard is a high-level rim protector, totaling 138 blocks over the last two seasons at Wichita State. He's posted 14 career games with at least four blocks with a career high of seven coming twice during the 2023-2024 season.
On the other end of the floor, Ballard is a dominant dunker. He set a program record in 2024-2025 with 62 dunks for the Shockers, a big reason he converted on 75.1% of his shots (also a program record). But as a double-digit scorer, he's an efficient bucket-getter even when he's not dunking. This season, he went for a career-high 22 points on 11-12 shooting against UTSA.
A native of Syracuse, NY, Ballard began his college career at Florida State. After two seasons with limited minutes in Tallahassee, he transferred to Wichita State. His first year with the Shockers was cut short due to injuries, but over the last two seasons, he's started all 67 games in which he's played.
This is a great addition for Chris Jans and Mississippi State. It gives them an outstanding defender in the frontcourt and a player that can provide physicality on offense. Between Quincy Ballard and transfer guard Ja'Borri McGhee, State is off to a good start with their portal class.