Hubbard, Murrell named second-team preseason all-SEC
Photo: Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard (MSU Athletics photo)
Oct 30, 2024- Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard garnered Preseason All-SEC Second Team accolades by the league’s coaches on Wednesday as announced by the SEC office.
As a program, the Bulldogs have had at least one player capture All-SEC Preseason honors from the coaches in four consecutive seasons and during nine of the last 10 seasons going back to 2015-16.
In five days, State faces West Georgia (Nov. 4 – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network+) for its 2024-25 season opener at Humphrey Coliseum and officially embarks on the program’s third season under Chris Jans, who has guided State to consecutive NCAA Tournament trips. The Maroon and White are looking to secure three straight NCAA Tournament bids for the third time in program history.
Hubbard is coming off one of the nation’s most electric seasons by a true freshman last season. He garnered All-SEC Second-Team status, won the SEC’s Freshman of the Week honor five times and was the first freshmen to secure the Bailey Howell Trophy which is awarded to the state of Mississippi’s top collegiate player.
Hubbard racked up 17.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. His 17.1 points per game are fourth-most among SEC returning players in 2024-25 and were tops among SEC freshmen a season ago. Hubbard amassed nine of his 13 outings of 20-plus points versus SEC opponents, while his 13 performances of 20-plus led the nation among true freshmen.
The 598 points for the Madison, Mississippi native was a State freshman record and ranked 8th for a single season. He drained 108 three-pointers which were both overall and freshmen single season records for the Maroon and White.
Hubbard ranked among the SEC’s top 15 in three-pointers made (3.09 – 1st), three-point field goal percentage (35.5 – 5th), free throw percentage (85.3 – 9th) and field goal percentage (35.5 – 15th).
REBELS’ MURRELL PICKED SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC PRESEASON BASKETBALL
Ole Miss senior guard Matthew Murrell added yet another preseason honor on Wednesday, when the SEC announced the Coaches All-SEC Preseason Teams, naming him to the second team.
Murrell adds this preseason honor to a list that includes All-SEC Second Team preseason by the media, and a spot on both the National Player of the Year and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year preseason watchlists by the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
He enters this year, his fifth season with the program, with the 16th-most career points in school history with 1,444 and the fifth-most three-point field goals made with 218. Murrell is coming off All-SEC Second Team and NABC All-District Second Team honors a year ago, and is poised to make a splash on the national stage as the Rebels earned preseason rankings from both the AP and Coaches.
