Josh Hubbard will return the Mississippi State basketball.
The star guard is withdrawing from the NBA draft to return 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.
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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’s led the team in scoring in each of the last two seasons, improving to 18.9 points per game as a sophomore.
That’s especially true with MSU’s roster getting hit hard by the transfer portal and graduation. If Hubbard didn’t return, MSU’s top eight scorers from last season wouldn’t be back. 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 last season. Guard Riley Kugel, who averaged 9.3 points per game, transferred to UCF.
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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.
MORE: Inside Mississippi State pitcher Stone Simmons’ 3-year recovery from injury, crazy warmup routine
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.
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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, returning to Mississippi State
