Close not good enough for Bulldogs, Jans
Close is not good enough for Mississippi State head men's basketball coach Chris Jans.
He left New Mexico State to join the Bulldogs earlier this year with the intent on winning games and even though they did that early in the season with an 11-0 record, it has been difficult since beginning the Southeastern Conference slate.
The most recent opportu- nity may have been the most frustrating of all for Jans and MSU. The Bulldogs led the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide by 10 points in the second half on Wednesday night only to lose a 66-63 decision in Tuscaloosa.
That result came only days after MSU got off to a good start at home against Florida but fell to the Gators 61-59.
If brownie points could be accumulated for each time the Bulldogs got close to pulling out a victory, they would have a pretty good stash by now.
When it comes to finding an answer why MSU has had trouble closing out games, Jans was searching for reasons himself earlier this week.
“If I knew how to fix it, I would have done it already,” Jans said on Monday. “I'm not sure why and it's certainly my job to know that. We are deep-diving and looking at everything offered to us from an analytical perspective.”
Jans seeks the advice from his staff on many different subjects through the course of the season, but especially now that the Bulldogs are struggling to find that winning edge.
MSU has a very good team with good players, but sometimes it takes a little something extra when it comes to facing top 25 opponents on a regular basis. Having consistent success in that situation is difficult.
A mentally tough and cohesive unit is what Jans believes it will take to shake this slump the Bulldogs finds themselves in. He's not saying MSU doesn't have those characteristics, but he said it takes having “that confidence to stick together, just make some timely shots and timely stops.”
Don't give up on the Bulldogs. It may take a little bit more time for Jans to get them where he wants and the fans want them to be.
There is no rest for the weary for MSU on Saturday when the 11th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs come to
Starkville for the SEC/BIG 12 Challenge.
The Horned Frogs have had a run of impressive victories lately and if mental toughness is required for the Bulldogs, it will take every bit of it to pull off an upset at Humphrey Coliseum.
Danny P. Smith is the sports editor of The Starkville Daily News. The opinions in this column are his and not necessarily the views of the SDN or its staff.