MSU Basketball's Portal Path to Rebuild

0:00On March 20, Mississippi State Basketball missed the NCAA tournament this season, finishing with a frustrating 13 wins and 19 losses. Overall, including five wins and 13 losses in the Southeastern Conference, fans know the drill, but the real buzz now is around two former Bulldogs making the big dance with the University of Central Florida. Third Riley Kugel averaged 14.4 points per game with 56 three-pointers starting every match-up, while Big Man Jeremy Fumina chipped in 3.5 points off the bench as the Knights earned a 22 win 11 loss record. Meanwhile, other X-dogs had mixed results. Kishar Murphy's Auburn team landed in the national invitation tournament after missing the NCAA's Kanye Clare's Oklahoma State Squad did the same. And EJ Paymon enjoyed a winning year at Southern Mississippi. But squads for Michael Newoko at LSU, Harrison Alexander at Southern Indiana and Martavius

1:00Russell at ULM struggled with single-digit victories. Preseason scrimmages sparked optimism with athleticism and skills on display, but it all faded fast, turning into a grind by New Year's despite an in-ean. Early 2-0 SEC start. Credits of coach Chris Jans for a tight culture, with no leaks on tension, yet the portal transfers mostly flopped, except flashes from Jaden Epps. Now the focus shifts to rebuilding through the portal, which opens April 7th right after the national title game. Returners like Josh Hubbard for his senior year, Jamarian Davis Fleming, Freshman T. Bartlett and King Grace form a core, but they need a major, influx of bigger, better talent to compete. State staff admits it's time to rethink their transfer process for a deeper dive into the next class, setting the stage for a potential turnaround. Toward the 2027 Tournament.