Chris Jans explains Mississippi State’s mindset in the recent transfer portal cycle

Mississippi State Bulldogs Head Coach Chris Jans recently explained some of the program’s thinking regarding the acquisition of players in the recent transfer portal cycle.

Jans explained that while sourcing players from power conference programs wasn’t the only factor that went into deciding on individual players, it made it easier to evaluate those players and see how they might fit at Mississippi State.

“Our approach to recruiting in the spring, especially the portal, we didn’t have the thought of ‘Hey, we’re only going to sign or recruit guys that have experience at this level,'” Chris Jans said. “That obviously plays a role when you’re trying to make decisions about who you’re going to hire. I think it’s sometimes a little easier to evaluate those candidates because the obvious is clear and you know who they’re playing and what the level of competition is. You don’t have to think about that as much, so maybe it’s a little easier that way.”

Chris Jans and Mississippi State have been very active in the transfer portal this offseason. According to the On3 College Basketball Team Transfer Portal Rankings, the Bulldogs have the fifth-ranked transfer class in the 2024 cycle. It’s a class that has seen six players enter the program, five of whom come from power conference teams.

The only transfer to the program that does not come from a Power Conference team is Jeremy Foumenaa seven-foot center from Rhode Island who averaged 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game as a freshman.

“But I know that the level of trust is higher when you sign someone at that level and that that translates to your own program,” Jans said.

The 2024-25 season will be Jans’ third in Starkville. He has led the Bulldogs to two consecutive 21-win seasons and has taken the team to the NCAA Tournament twice.

Chris Jans explains the process of bringing KeShawn Murphy back from the transfer portal

An important step that Chris Jans made this offseason was the introduction KeShawn Murphy from the transfer portal back to Mississippi State.

“Yeah, luckily we’ve all been through enough recruiting cycles to know our personal opinion of how to best handle situations like that. From the time I got here to the time I took over, who were we, who were we? Some people were undecided about whether to come back because they were in the portal or go into the portal. With Murph, I felt like we understood how to handle that,” Jans said.

“In my opinion, we just try to give them time and space. It’s not a sales pitch. You know, I always feel like when you’ve had a young guy in your program for a year, you recruit him and sell him like a new recruit… We’re going to give you time and space. We’re excited to have you here. But at the same time, you know the rules are rules and the options are options. That approach has served us well so far.”