Josh Hubbard is once again at the center of Mississippi State’s offense, but Chris Jans is looking for more than just the usual scoring burst from his star guard.
The Bulldogs return home Thursday night in Starkville, Miss., to face Northwestern State after opening the season with a 106-88 win over Tennessee Tech on Monday. That outburst matched Mississippi State’s highest-scoring game since it put up 109 against North Florida on Dec. 30, 2017, and Hubbard was right in the middle of it with 25 points.
He wasn’t alone, either. King Grace turned in a career-best 23 points, giving Jans exactly the kind of secondary punch he wants to keep seeing.
"None of us have any expectation that King is going to average 23 points per game, but he’s shown that he’s capable of being a leading scorer on a specific night," Jans said. "He’s always been one of our tougher kids. He’s a hard worker, and he doesn’t back down from anything or anybody."
Hubbard is also closing in on a major program milestone. The senior is 170 points shy of tying Mississippi State’s all-time scoring record of 2,142, set by Jeff Malone from 1979-83. Still, Jans said his focus is less on the number and more on how Hubbard handles the floor for the Bulldogs.
"I just have an unbelievably high standard for him, and I know he does as well, especially with all the experience he has," Jans said. "I thought a big key (on Monday) was when our lead went from 20, 22 to 12 or 13, I thought Josh stepped up and showed why he is who he is for this basketball team."
Northwestern State comes in at 0-1 after an 87-65 loss at Baylor on Monday, a game in which it never led. Thursday will be the Demons’ second and final matchup against a power conference opponent.
Rick Cabrera’s roster looks very different after a 10-22 season in 2025-26, with the Demons rebuilt largely through non-Division I transfers. That new group got most of its production from Kai Simpson, Nathan Ojukwu and Isaiah Vick, who combined for 42 of Northwestern State’s 65 points against the Bears.
Cabrera knows another tough assignment is waiting.
"Our guys are excited for the next opportunity," Cabrera said of facing the Bulldogs. "We always want to play on the biggest stage against the best, and these types of games are going to help us with our conference (Southland). But we go into these games and try to win them."
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Taylor has already signaled a commitment to Mississippi State despite the transfer chatter that tends to follow any player who flashes this kind of upside. That makes the next stretch important for the Bulldogs, who are trying to keep momentum around a player whose rise has only added to the attention on the roster. And with other names around the sport also turning in breakout seasons, Mississippi States next move with Taylor will matter just as much as his next one. [Read more 🡒]