How Chris Jans' roots molded Mississippi State basketball's return to March Madness

STARKVILLE — In the bowels of Bridgestone Arena, coach Chris Jans was sitting in a corner just outside the Mississippi State basketball team’s temporary locker room. In front of him, a cluster of papers filled with illegible writing covered a gray folding table.

He sat there moments before his team's loss Friday to No. 1 seed Alabama in the SEC Tournament. Coaching against one of the nation’s top teams in perhaps the nation’s most prestigious conference, Jans couldn’t find a better office?

“I like it this way,” Jans said. “I’m a juco guy.”

You can take a trailer park boy out of Fairbank, Iowa, but it’s hard to take those roots out of Jans. That’s proven to be valuable as the humble, blue-collar approach has brought Jans’ coaching career to the SEC – from Elmhurst College and Kirkwood Community College to New Mexico State and Mississippi State.

It’s also proven to be valuable for the maroon and white faithful as Jans’ personality has worn off on a roster that brought MSU its first at-large NCAA Tournament bid since 2019. The Bulldogs (22-12) are dancing, starting Tuesday (8:10 p.m., truTV) against fellow 11-seed Pittsburgh (22-11) at Dayton, Ohio, in the First Four, because they’ve embraced a grind-it-out approach.

Mississippi State doesn’t shoot like the Golden State Warriors. It doesn’t blow teams out. MSU wins ugly.

“(That) doesn’t bother this crew at all,” Jans said.

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Returning a core featuring Tolu Smith

Forward KeShawn Murphy didn’t take the court last season as a freshman after battling various injuries. However, as a 6-foot-10 forward with a stroke from deep, Murphy’s potential made him an obvious candidate for a key role this season.

Jans ensured Murphy returned after the coaching change, but he was straightforward with what he needed from him.

“He knew that I was a good offensive player,” Murphy said after recording three blocks in a November win against Omaha. “He knew that defense was going to be a struggle for me. All summer and every practice, I’ve worked on defense.

“When he came here, he talked about a lot of defense. No offense because he knew offense would come. When he got here, he told me if I want to play, you’ve got to (play) defense.”

Jans had to make a pitch to veteran players as well, such as guard Shakeel Moore and forward D.J. Jeffries and Tolu Smith. To make a run toward March Madness, Jans needed a foundation.

Defense was a key selling point, along with an inside-out offense for Smith. However, one of his best selling points came before leaving New Mexico State.

Smith checked social media following coach Ben Howland’s firing and saw Jans was a potential replacement. Smith tuned into to watch New Mexico State nearly advance to the Sweet 16 a year ago.

Jans proved he was capable of making noise in March with a mid-major roster. He told those at MSU they could do the same in Year 1.

“Certainly back then, it sounded good,” Jans said Sunday. “How realistic was it for most people? Who knows. But I know the people in our room believed in it. They worked their tail off, and now they’re rewarded (by) playing in the greatest show on Earth.”

Why MSU held hope in low points

Perhaps more impressive than the wins is the approach Mississippi State maintained in its lowest points. The Bulldogs lost eight of nine games after an 11-0 start, yet Jans says the intensity never faltered.

MSU believed in winning ugly, even when it wasn’t winning. The losing stretch was capped by a three-point loss at Alabama – a moment where MSU appeared to be running out of resume-boosting chances. However, Jans saw the loss as a turning point.

Mississippi State won its next five, highlighted by a win at Arkansas. In the modern game, MSU won with just 10 attempts from 3-point range.

“That was such a big win for our program,” Jans said. “We needed that win. It really gave all of us confidence that we could do it. That’s a good team, a great road environment, and we handled ourselves really well.”

After two months of high-pressure games just to crack the field of 68, Mississippi State will have to put together a gutsy performance to advance and 6-seed Iowa State (19-13) in the first round Friday (2:10 p.m., TRuTV) in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Mississippi State and Pitt will be the lone game on TV. The programs will get national exposure, and it’ll be the first chance for many to watch Jans’ Mississippi State team.

Fans looking for an aesthetically pleasing product likely won’t get one. Jans likes it that way.

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

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Chris Jans got Mississippi State basketball back to March Madness