This story was updated to add new information.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball star Josh Hubbard has declared for the 2025 NBA draft.
The sophomore guard made the announcement Tuesday with a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Hubbard said in the post that he’ll maintain his college eligibility “to assure I make the best decision for my family.”
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to play the sports that I love,” Hubbard wrote. “To my family, who has supported me through this journey, thank you for the sacrifices you have made to help me pursue my dream. To my coaches, teammates, and the entire Mississippi State University, thank you for providing me with guidance and support to reach this point in my career.”
Hubbard, a Madison native, led the Bulldogs (21-13) in scoring for the second straight season with 18.9 points per game while shooting 40.2% from the floor and 34.5% from 3. He also averaged 3.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.1 blocks per game.
Hubbard was named to the All-SEC second team for the second straight season.
What Josh Hubbard declaring for NBA draft means for Mississippi State basketball
If Hubbard sticks with the NBA draft, it will be a big loss for Mississippi State and difficult to replace.
Hubbard was a four-star prospect out of high school who flipped from Ole Miss to Mississippi State and coach Chris Jans late in the recruiting cycle. He’s been the catalyst of MSU’s offense the past two seasons.
Without him, Mississippi State will need another potent scoring guard. The Bulldogs return Riley Kugel who averaged 9.3 points per game, but he struggled with inconsistencies. They signed four-star freshman shooting guard King Grace.
The transfer portal opened last Monday where MSU could turn to attempt to replace Hubbard’s production.
Where Josh Hubbard is in 2025 NBA mock drafts?
Mock drafts do not project Hubbard to be picked as of Tuesday.
ESPN’s big board of the top 100 prospects published on March 25 does not include Hubbard. Neither does Yahoo’s top 60 big board or another top 100 board from nbadraft.net.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
