Mississippi State basketball transfer portal update: Position breakdowns, prospects to know

Less than a month has passed since Mississippi State basketball walked off the court at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. With emotions raw, the Bulldogs strolled to their temporary locker room fresh off a 69-51 defeat against Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Things haven’t been quiet since then.

The immediacy of the transfer portal’s opening quickly saw changes to coach Chris Jans’ roster. Guard Trey Fort was the first to depart with forward Jaquan Scott, guard Shakeel Moore and forward KeShawn Murphy following.

The Bulldogs also saw the exhausted eligibilities of Tolu Smith, Jimmy Bell, D.J. Jeffries and Dashawn Davis dwindle the roster.

Mississippi State got an addition via the portal in the three weeks since that March Madness defeat. Guard Kanye Clary, who spent last season at Penn State before being dismissed from the team in February, committed to MSU.

Where does that leave Jans − who reportedly entertained the Arkansas opening – entering his third season with Mississippi State? The Bulldogs have six scholarship slots left to fill. Here’s our breakdown of where the roster stands, what MSU needs to improve and a look at potential options to add from the portal.

Unpacking Mississippi State’s backcourt

Moore entered the transfer portal in 2022 when Jans was hired but ultimately returned. According to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, that’s an option again this year. However, it’s likely Moore – along with any guard MSU adds from the portal – would come off the bench.

Mississippi State has a pair of high-scoring guards in Clary and Josh Hubbard. As a freshman, Hubbard was an All-SEC player while Clary averaged 16.7 points per game last season at Penn State. Incoming freshman Dellquan Warren is the only other scholarship guard set to be on the upcoming roster.

MSU will need to find transfers to build depth at guard. With Hubbard and Clary both listed under 6-feet, bigger guards with strong defensive play could be a priority.

Unpacking Mississippi State’s frontcourt

Forward Cameron Matthews, who was an All-SEC defensive team selection, is returning for his final season of eligibility. The Bulldogs are also expected to have Gai Chol and Adrian Myers back in the frontcourt along with incoming freshman Eric Paymon Jr.

This is where Mississippi State has the most work to do via the portal.

Jeffries was arguably the Bulldogs’ top defender on the wing. Shawn Jones – who isn’t on scholarship – filled in while Jeffries was injured, so there’s potential for an increased role there. Myers (6-foot-6, 210 pounds) has a similar build to Jeffries (6-7, 215), but entering his sophomore season, he’s appeared in only 10 games.

Smith was the anchor on the block for Mississippi State, earning All-SEC first-team honors. Chol spent his freshman season building muscle and preparing for an increased role behind Smith and Bell, but like Myers, there’s little in-game experience to carry into next season.

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Players Mississippi State is targeting in the transfer portal

Mississippi State, along with Southern California, Georgia and Ole Miss, is in the final four for guard De’Shayne Montgomery. At 6-foot-4, Montgomery is coming off a freshman season at Mount St. Mary’s in which he averaged 13.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

MSU is also reportedly in the running for center Rueben Chinyelu who averaged 4.7 points and five rebounds per game as a freshman for Washington State. At 6-11, he averaged more than a block per game and could give MSU an interior presence to complement its smaller guards.

Mississippi State has been linked to a pair of Minnesota transfers. Joshua Ola-Joseph is a 6-7 forward who averaged 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds across two seasons with the Golden Gophers. Pharrel Payne is a 6-9 forward who averaged nine points and 5.5 rebounds per contest in two seasons at Minnesota.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State basketball: Names to watch in transfer portal