Mississippi State basketball adds former Florida State forward out of France
By David Wasson
Published:
The Mississippi State basketball program picked up another player via the transfer portal, as former Florida State forward Thomas Bassong is headed to Starkville for the 2026-27 season.
A 6-foot-8 rising sophomore from Paris, France, Bassong scored 5.9 points and grabbed 3.5 rebounds per game in 17 starts and 33 appearances last season for the Seminoles. Bassong finished with double-figure scoring five times last season, with his best outing coming against Georgia Tech (14 points to go with 12 rebounds).
He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Before his freshman FSU season, Bassong played his high school basketball for Overtime Elite as part of the Jelly Fam squad – averaging 15.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Bassong also competed for France in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland.
Mississippi State missed the 2026 NCAA Tournament after a 13-19 season – the first time the Bulldogs failed to make March Madness in four seasons under coach Chris Jans. He is one of four incoming Mississippi State players, joining guard RJ Johnson (Kennesaw), guard TJ Simpkins (Seton Hall) and forward Kendyl Sanders (Utah.).
The Bulldogs are set to lose guard Dellquan Warren, forwards Sergej Macura, Amer Ali, Brandon Walker and Achor Achor, and centers Jamarion Davis-Fleming and Gai Choi to the portal.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
