SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 13, 2025

Chris Jans

Josh Hubbard

Shawn Jones

Bridgestone Arena

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

Missouri 85, Mississippi State 73

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Mississippi State. We'll go straight to questions for the players.

Q. Josh, two-point game in the last four minutes. You have the timeout, go to the huddle. They closed on a 13-4 run. What did you see in the final few minutes?

JOSH HUBBARD: Yeah, it was just a bad stretch for us and a good stretch for them. They just executed good offensively. They got us on a backdoor one time with Caleb Grill. We just had some defensive errors. Yeah, that was pretty much it.

Q. Shawn, last game you played Missouri, Caleb Grill had a really good game. Today he only had one three-pointer. How much of limiting him from beyond the arc was the game plan?

SHAWN JONES JR.: It was a big part. He's an elite three-point shooter. We was just -- Jans told us to run him off the three-point line and don't let him get any open looks. We tried to excel at that as best as we could.

Q. I know sometimes the start of these second halves, you were really the better team the first four or five minutes of the second half tonight. What was the message in locker room at halftime?

JOSH HUBBARD: We know in the past few games the second half we came out slow. We were preaching staying positive to each other, come out strong, stay positive, just go out there and just dominate.

Q. Shawn, the team was struggling offensively. You gave them a nice lift in the first half. How did you feel like you were able to come in there and lift the team up?

SHAWN JONES JR.: Just come in and playing basketball, playing defense first, offense game would have came to me. To be confident in my shot and trust the offensive work we do. It all comes to me.

Q. Josh, in terms of the March Madness projections and things that are out there, this team is in a similar spot to where it was last year. Is there anything you think that's maybe different about this team that could possibly go on a run in the NCAA tournament?

JOSH HUBBARD: Yeah, we're definitely a special team this year. Definitely can make some runs. Got the potential to be a scary team in March Madness.

Hopefully we just have to react good to this. We wanted this win. Just look forward to next week.

THE MODERATOR: Guys, thanks. We'll continue with questions for Coach Jans.

Q. A tough finish to the game. What were you seeing that y'all weren't able to do down the stretch to keep the game where it was?

CHRIS JANS: Yeah, would definitely like to have those last four minutes back. Obviously it doesn't work that way. It was winning time, and we didn't play well in winning time. That's the bottom line.

They played better than we did. It was back and forth obviously throughout the game. I felt really good about it. Once we handled their punch in the first half, got back at halftime, then came out, I felt really good about where we were at, just the vibe of how the game was unfolding.

In the end, time runs out, right? You got to make the plays. You got to get stops. We just weren't able to do it.

Q. It seems like you did a pretty good job running them off the three-point line. That opened things up inside. What were the keys defensively, and how do you feel the execution was?

CHRIS JANS: Well, the three-point line was a big part of our game plan. We've been deservedly much maligned for our percentage defensively this year. When we played them last time, they played from three. They have a lot of guys. Caleb Grill is a great player. Have a ton of respect for him. But they've got a lot of good players that can do different things.

Tonight Perkins and Bates just kind of had their way with us. But when Grill was on the court, we were trying our best to limit his attempts, just make them as hard as we could, just not let him get into any sort of rhythm because of his ability to just break games open.

It exposed a little bit of not having as much gap support for the ball handler. They bullied us a couple times around the basket, laid the ball in. They did a good job of taking what we presented to them.

We tried to limit them, like I said, from the three. We did a pretty good job of that. They were 8-24. I thought most of Caleb's, but maybe one, were fairly well-contested. It definitely opened us up for some other deficiencies.

Q. In terms of specifically the offense in those last five minutes, I think there was only one field goal made. What were you seeing as the issue in that stretch with the offense?

CHRIS JANS: It's one of those games where there were so many pivotal plays. Looking forward I guess in a weird way to watch the last five minutes to lock into it a little bit better.

I remember we had it at the rim a couple times and weren't able to finish it.

I thought we had at least one or two pretty good looks at three when we were up, could have got it to five I think, and had some momentum. We weren't able to do that.

They took advantage of it. It came down to the last few plays. Certainly the ending score wasn't indicative of how the game was played.

Q. Obviously you're in a good position to get in the tournament three years in a row. What do you think about where your team is going into the big dance?

CHRIS JANS: Sure, 10,000-foot view, we're in a good position. But wanted to be in a better position. Wanted to be in a great position.

What I kept telling our team down the stretch was that we control their own destiny. We didn't need any help. We had a fairly good first 15, 16 games, were in great position. Then obviously the league is what it is this year. Everyone for the most part, not everyone, but for the most part had stretches where it was tough.

I thought we weathered the storm pretty good. But we didn't finish the regular season with the overtime loss to Texas, then the one-point loss to Arkansas. Definitely hit the reset button coming down here and felt really good about where we were at and the vibe and our practices and our focus. Played well last night.

Just didn't play well at winning time. That's the bottom line. We just didn't play well the last four minutes of this particular game.

Eventually we'll regroup here soon and be excited about what's next for us. But right now it's opportunities we let get away from us.

Q. Last time you met Mizzou, you called them not just one of the better teams in the SEC but in the country that no one is talking about. With further national media coverage of the team, how would you say Mizzou has grown in your eyes?

CHRIS JANS: I was a pretty good predictor then, wasn't I (smiling)?

I think what sticks out to me is just their depth. I mean, look at the stat line, Mitchell played 12, 13, 14 minutes, right? It was no problem. They play so many guys. They have their main guys, but they can mix and match. It's kind of random sometimes, at least from where we sit. From where they sit, I'm sure there's rhyme or reason to it.

I think the depth, then there's so many guys that have the ability to shoot the ball and stretch the D. They play with a lot of confidence. Coach Gates and his staff obviously do a really good job.

They're really, really good. They're really, really good. To be honest with you, they're built for this kind of tournament, with playing consecutive days, quick turnarounds, having that many pieces to work with, that kind of depth. Wouldn't surprise me if they continued on winning.