Chris Jans Provides Update on Tolu Smith's Injury

The Mississippi State men's basketball team has won seven of its first nine games this season without Preseason All-American forward Tolu Smith, who suffered a foot injury on Oct. 5.

The graduate student led the Bulldogs in scoring (15.7 points per game), rebounding (8.7) and blocking (0.7) in 2022, and a new update for his return to the court this season was provided by head coach Chris Jans on Monday.

"He has a scan scheduled for Thursday and at that point, I'll know a lot more in terms of when he'll transition back to practice," Jans said. "But I think in the next couple of days, I think he'll be doing some 5-on-0 things with us in the half court for sure and then maybe in the full court. He's still not allowed to have any contact, but he's been shooting on his own and getting free throws, jump shots and stuff around the basket in a 1-on-0. We're hoping (fingers crossed) that we'll get a good update on Thursday and I'll know more then."

Unfortunately, Smith has dealt with sitting on the sidelines for extended periods before. This is extremely difficult for a college athlete to endure, especially one of Smith's status, as he's in his final year of eligibility.

However, Jans explained that Smith's work ethic to recover from the injury is the same as his diligence on the court. But the "first 48 hours were rough."

"He was pretty down and it took a big toll on him mentally and certainly the surgery too," Jans said. "But ever since then, he's had an unbelievable mindset. There's been a couple of times, like gameday, where he gets a little down because he's ready to play. He feels the energy and vibe and you work work work until gameday but you can't perform."

Jans stated that Smith's ability to deal with these obstacles has helped him become a "model student-athlete" not only when working with trainer Andrew Kegley, but making an impact with his voice from the sidelines as well.

"He's been great that way and encourages the players," Jans said. "He's grown at understanding what a leader is and how he can help other players with the respect he's earned with not only his play, but his approach and mindset on a daily basis. He's built really good relationships with a lot of the players. Certainly, it's one thing to be able to lead when you're not able to play, and now as he transitions back, we're hoping he can give us a boost that way too."