Mississippi is well-represented on this year’s SEC community service team.
Two Magnolia State natives, Ole Miss forward Jaemyn Brakefield and Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard, are being honored by their teams’ conference for their good work off the court.
Brakefield, known as a presence of positivity in the Oxford area, is making his third straight appearance on the community service team. The graduate senior dominated headlines in the sports world in late December when CBS Sports released a story detailing how Brakefield is using his name, image, and likeness (NIL) funds to help raise a 16-year-old.
Additionally, the veteran basketball player was a part of the Ashley Homestore Hope to Dream event, where he helped provide 50 bed sets to children in Tunica, Quitman, and Lafayette counties.
Brakefield has helped increase support in literacy throughout the state of Mississippi with “Reading With the Rebels,” an annual event where student-athletes visit and read to local elementary schools. He has also worked with the Willie Price Lab School for their Spirit Day, playing games and spending time around their students leading into their homecoming events.
The Jackson native partnered with CASA of North Mississippi for their Superhero 5K run to help raise money to fund events and initiatives that take place for the organization throughout the year. He worked with the men’s basketball team in CASA’s Adopt-A-Child, where he helped provide gifts during the Christmas holiday for six foster children, while the team as a whole adopted two boys to sponsor gifts for as well.
He has been a regular participant in the “Feed the Sip” project, a food sustainability event within the Stronger Together MS Initiative, where he volunteers to assist children in the collection and donation of non-perishable food items that benefit elementary students in the Tunica and Quitman counties. He helped with the collection of over 14,000 food items. Brakefield has also been an active participant in “Adopt a Basket” where the athletics department donates over 100 Thanksgiving baskets to families in need throughout the Lafayette-Oxford-University community.
On the court, Brakefield has been a key contributor to his team — this year as a sixth man. Brakefield is averaging 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in the current campaign. A bittersweet home finale for Brakefield on Wednesday was highlighted by a heroic 19-point second-half showing, which fueled Ole Miss to a historic 78-76 win over No. 4 Tennessee. He will make his first NCAA Tournament appearance with the Rebels this year.
Hubbard has been involved in several community efforts since arriving in Starkville as a freshman in 2023. He ran his own basketball camp, the Josh Hubbard Showcase, in his hometown of Madison last summer, where he gave away scholarship money. He has also engaged with elementary and middle school students, along with their teachers from multiple schools in the Starkville community.
The reigning Howell Trophy winner was one of 29 candidates across all collegiate sports for the prestigious 2025 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup honor.
Hubbard has a lab component at the Child Development and Family Studies Center as a part of his major. Early childhood professionals who oversee students at the center every day have commented on his positive interactions with the children and how he always remains engaged with them. The children he works with during his lab are ages 2-4.
The sophomore Bulldog has embraced the opportunity to demonstrate how a student-athlete can excel both on the court and in the classroom during his time at Mississippi State. He continues to showcase his extraordinary leadership skills on campus.
On the hardwood, Hubbard is averaging 18.3 points and 3.3 assists per game. His team is projected to appear in their third straight NCAA Tournament under the leadership of head coach Chris Jans.
