Josh Hubbard is finishing what he started at Mississippi State.
Fresh off of winning the Howell Trophy earlier in the week, the standout Bulldog guard announced Friday that he will be back in Starkville for his senior campaign. Hubbard, a native of Madison, has gone against the grain in the modern transfer portal era of college athletics and is one of few examples of a current SEC basketball player who is beginning and ending his career at the same school.
“Let’s call 12 one more time. Let’s run it back,” Hubbard said in a return announcement in Humphrey Coliseum.
finishing what i started🐶 pic.twitter.com/i7NPEpDF2o
— Josh Hubbard (@jhubb_3) April 17, 2026
Hubbard began his career at Mississippi State in 2023 and now ranks among the program’s all-time greats with 1,947 career points, a school-record 311 three-pointers, and a historic 2025-26 season that included multiple 40-point performances while becoming the first Bulldog to record at least 700 points and 100 assists in a single year.
He is the first player to win the Howell Trophy – presented annually to Mississippi’s top men’s college hooper – three times in the award’s 22-year history and has earned a litany of other recognitions, including All-American and All-SEC honors, along with the 2026 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup.
“Playing in Humphrey Coliseum has meant a lot to me. It’s very important to me in my life to play here for my home state in this arena,” Hubbard said. “Growing up and seeing all the highlights that have happened in this arena has definitely been a blessing. The kinds of memories I’ve made in Starkville will last a lifetime.”
The Bulldogs did not reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Hubbard’s collegiate career this past season, and he will look to help change that under the guidance of head coach Chris Jans. In the offseason, the Bulldogs are working to rebuild the roster through the portal. Mississippi State has six players jumping ship and has landed one commitment this cycle. Kennesaw State guard R.J. Johnson committed to the maroon and white over the weekend.
Mississippi State will return to the hardwood for the 2026-27 campaign in November.