BREAKING: Mississippi State Receive Big News as transfer portal opens on Monday

Mississippi State basketball’s season concluded in the same way as the previous year.

The No. 8 seed Bulldogs (21-13) were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season, losing 75-72 to No. 9 Baylor in Raleigh, North Carolina.

MSU continues to search for its first March Madness victory since 2008 and is now 0-3 under head coach Chris Jans.

With the transfer portal opening on Monday, roster changes are already underway. Here’s a look at Mississippi State’s roster for the 2025-26 season.

Who is out of eligibility for Mississippi State basketball?

The Bulldogs are losing two starters — three if you count guard Claudell Harris Jr., who was added to the starting lineup for the loss to Baylor.

Forward Cameron Matthews will leave after five seasons with the Bulldogs. The versatile defender from Olive Branch ends his Mississippi State career with the program record for career steals (274) and games played (167).

Forward RJ Melendez is also out of eligibility after transferring from Georgia. He started 29 games this season, averaging 8.8 points per game, contributing with his 3-point shooting and length around the rim. Melendez previously played two seasons at Illinois before transferring to Georgia.

 

 

 

Harris, who transferred from Boston College, shot 37% from 3-point range. He made 18 starts for the Bulldogs but his 3-point shooting dropped to 34%, averaging 9.6 points per game. Harris also spent two seasons at Charleston Southern before Boston College.

Trey Jackson III, a Starkville native, is a redshirt senior but may be eligible for another year due to his time at Northwest Mississippi Community College in 2020-21. He played just five games this season, totaling eight minutes.

Who can return to Mississippi State basketball?

The Bulldogs will return three of their top four scorers from this season: Josh Hubbard, KeShawn Murphy, and Riley Kugel.

Hubbard had an impressive sophomore season, averaging 18.9 points per game. Murphy, in his breakout redshirt junior year, averaged 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game off the bench. Kugel, a junior who transferred from Florida, averaged 9.3 points per game but will need to improve his consistency.

Other players with eligibility remaining include guards Kanye Clary, Shawn Jones Jr., Dellquan Warren, Harrison Alexander, and Martavious Russell; forwards Adrian Myers and EJ Paymon; and centers Michael Nwoko, Jeremy Foumena, and Gai Chol.

Mississippi State signs one of its best freshmen classes ever

Mississippi State has secured the No. 12 recruiting class for 2025, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, with Arkansas and Kentucky being the only SEC teams ranked higher. The class features four-star recruits King Grace, Tee Bartlett, and Jamarion Davis-Fleming.

This recruiting class is set to be Mississippi State’s best since 2016.