Mississippi State basketball began the 2025-2026 season with a win, defeating North Alabama 86-62. A poor end to the first half, featuring ugly offensive possessions and lapses in defense, saw the Bulldogs enter the break up just 38-37. UNA would maintain momentum early in the second half, taking a 51-42 lead.
From that point forward, however, it was total domination by the Bulldogs. State would score 16-straight to take control of the game and ultimately finish on a 44-11 run to secure a comfortable win. Josh Hubbard led all scorers with 27 points on 7-16 shooting and record a career-high eight assists.
Ja'Borri McGhee Mississippi State's most impressive newcomer
State's roster is almost entirely new for this season which meant plenty of new faces taking the court Wednesday night. None were more impressive than UAB transfer guard Ja'Borri McGhee. In need of offensive production from someone other than Josh Hubbard, McGhee gave the Bulldogs 14 points off the bench on 4-10 shooting, including 2-3 from three, to go along with two assists and four rebounds. He provided good defense as well, nabbing a pair of steals. State still needs others to step up alongside Hubbard, but McGhee gave them a great start.
The Bulldogs have serious length in the frontcourt
Mississippi State wanted to return to the physical style of play typical of Chris Jans' teams this season, and it looks like the new roster additions, particularly in the front court, will make that happen. State won the rebounding battle 53-36 with four players posting at least seven boards, led by Sergej Macura with 12. They were successful trapping, blocked six shots, and allowed just 24 paint points. Perimeter defense still needs some work, but the Bulldogs look strong inside.
Mississippi State will still be sorting through things early in the season
There will likely be growing pains for this team. They're relying on a lot of new players, some of whom have only been with the program for a few months, and it's going to take some time for guys to settle into roles and rotations to be set. All 11 Bulldogs that played Wednesday played in the first half, with Chris Jans heavily rotating through his bench. It's going to take at least a few games before State finds the proper groove. Of course, their schedule doesn't exactly grant them time to ease into things. They'll take on No. 16 Iowa State in their next game on November 10. It'll be interesting to see how Chris Jans handles his lineup and rotation for that matchup.