Mississippi State's Claudell Harris - "I came here to learn how to be a winner"

When Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans went into last offseason, he entered with the primary goal of adding immediate impact scorers through the transfer portal to take pressure off his star in Josh Hubbard. He accomplished just that, landing several proven shooters for his 2024-2025 roster.

One of those was Boston College guard Claudell Harris. A double-digit scorer and three-point sharpshooter for the Eagles last season, Harris looked to be a perfect compliment to Hubbard in the backcourt.

But for some players, the presence of an existing #1 option, like Josh Hubbard, already on the roster would scare them away from joining a program. Why not go where you can be the leader? Following Mississippi State's 95-60 season-opening win over West Georgia, Claudell Harris had a very simple answer for why he still joined the Bulldogs.

He wanted to learn to be a winner.

"I came here to learn how to be a winner. I knew I could do that under Chris Jans."

- Miss State guard Claudell Harris

Harris began his career at Charleston Southern, where he endured two losing seasons. As a junior, he transferred to Boston College, and while the Eagles enjoyed some minor success reaching the NIT, Harris saw Mississippi State under Chris Jans as a place where he could win in his final season.

But even with a star already on the roster in Josh Hubbard, it's not like there isn't room for multiple players to shine in Starkville. That was evident on Monday night, when Hubbard and Harris went for 26 and 20, respectively, making a combined 12 three-pointers.

Harris' performance gave Bulldog fans exactly what they were desperate to see - someone other than Josh Hubbard being capable of having a big performance shooting. Harris recognizes that he and Hubbard are capable of being a formidable duo.

"Me and Josh, we have a great relationship on and off the court...nights like this when he's hot and I'm hot, it's hard to stop."

- Claudell Harris

Of course it's not just Claudell Harris and Josh Hubbard in Starkville. This is as deep a Mississippi State roster as we've seen, and Harris sees that surrounding talent as a blessing.

"It's a blessing being able to play with these guys. They're all so talented. I see them day in and day out how they work, and I really came in here and I'm ready to play my role. I keep my intentions pure. I trust my work, I trust their work, and the coaches trust us, so it just all works out. "

- Claudell Harris

For Bulldogs' coach Chris Jans, the Claudell Harris that took the court Monday night was the exact player he new Harris was capable of being. According to Jans, Harris' performance was a product of the buy in and effort he displayed in the offseason.

"Claudell came off the bench and gave us a big spark. And I love Claudell Harris... he made a conscious effort this summer to buy in...it wasn't a gradual deal. He just decided one day, "I'm all in", and he's been preparing very, very hard. He's been working his tail off...it was his night tonight."

- Miss State HC Chris Jans

With Claudell Harris and Josh Hubbard being capable of terrorizing opposing teams, the Mississippi State offense will be a pain to stop. And as mentioned, there are several other options between the likes of Cam Matthews, Kanye Clary, Riley Kugal, RJ Melendez, and others for defenses to deal with. This State team is poised to put up some huge numbers on the scoreboard this season, and Claudell Harris will be a big reason why.