Josh Hubbard withdraws from NBA draft, returns to Mississippi State basketball
Josh Hubbard will return to Mississippi State basketball.
The star guard is withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to the Bulldogs, he announced with a post on X, formerly Twitter, on May 21. He declared for the draft on April 1 while maintaining his college eligibility.
Hubbard was not one of the 75 players invited to the NBA draft combine in early May.
"I'm back," Hubbard said at the end of a 30-second highlight reel.
What Josh Hubbard returning to Mississippi State basketball means
Hubbard returning to Mississippi State is a massive boost for next season's team. He has been the Bulldogs' leading scorer in each of the past two seasons, improving to 18.9 points per game as a sophomore.
That's especially true with the roster getting hit hard by graduation and the transfer portal. As it is, the Bulldogs have lost seven of their top scorers from last season. Forward KeShawn Murphy, who was second on the team in scoring, transferred to Auburn . Guard Claudell Harris Jr. is out of eligibility after averaging 9.6 points per game. Guard Riley Kugel, who averaged 9.3 points per game, transferred to UCF.
The Bulldogs have added five transfers so far: guard Ja'Borri McGhee (UAB), center Quincy Ballard (Wichita State), guard/forward Amier Ali ( Arizona State ), wing Achor Achor (Kansas State) and guard Jayden Epps (Georgetown).
They also have the 12th-ranked recruiting class for 2025 with three four-stars, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings: King Grace, Tee Bartlett and Jamarion Davis-Fleming.
Josh Hubbard stats
Hubbard averaged 18.9 points, 3.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game last season and was an All-SEC second-team selection. He shot 40.2% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point range.
Hubbard owns Mississippi State records for consecutive games with a made 3-pointer, 3-pointers in a season and career free-throw percentage.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_ .
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Josh Hubbard withdraws from NBA draft, returns to Mississippi State basketball
Post a Comment for "Josh Hubbard withdraws from NBA draft, returns to Mississippi State basketball"
Post a Comment