Star Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard has earned the respect of the media ahead of the upcoming men’s basketball season.
The league’s media honored Hubbard on Monday as a preseason first-team All-SEC selection. The Madison native’s coronation comes after he averaged 22.1 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.5 rebounds for the Bulldogs last season. Hubbard joins Canton native Quinndary Weatherspoon as the only Mississippi State players to collect three preseason All-SEC selections during their careers. Hubbard and Erick Dampier are the only Bulldogs to be named to an All-SEC team in their freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons.
Hubbard was State’s first player to amass at least 700 points and 100 assists in 2025-26. He is one of two SEC players and one of 12 major-conference players with multiple seasons with 640-plus points and 100-plus assists during the 2000s. He enters 2026-27 with 1,947 career points, ranking No. 4 on the Bulldogs’ all-time list, No. 4 among SEC players after their junior season, and No. 34 overall in SEC history.
He has already shattered Mississippi State’s program mark by knocking down 311 career three-pointers. The 311 deep shots are also tied for No. 9 on the SEC’s all-time list.
While the excitement surrounding Hubbard is palpable, that sentiment is not shared about the Mississippi State basketball team as a whole. The Bulldogs were picked to finish No. 15 in the 16-team conference. In-state foe Ole Miss was picked to finish No. 13 in the league.
Mississippi State finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 13-19 overall record and went 5-13 in conference play. Ole Miss ended the season with an overall record of 15-20 and went 4-14 versus SEC foes, but made a deep run in the conference tournament.
The Bulldogs begin the upcoming regular season at home versus Tennessee Tech on Nov. 2. Mississippi State will play exhibition games against NC State on Oct. 18 and Memphis on Oct. 23. The Rebels begin the regular season at home versus Alcorn State on Nov. 2. Ole Miss will play exhibition games against Alabama on Oct. 15 and Andy Kennedy’s UAB team on Oct. 27.
