Mississippi State’s Hubbard, Carter win Howell and Gillom trophies

Published 6:07 pm Monday, March 11, 2024

Josh Hubbard added his name to another historic list.

The Mississippi State freshman on Monday was named the winner of the 2024 Howell Trophy, which is given to the top men’s college basketball player in Mississippi.

Hubbard is the first freshman to win the award since it was started in 2005.

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“I’m a Mississippi guy, born and raised, so just to go to Mississippi State — my brother went there — and all the names and all the great players that went there and went to the pro level, it definitely means a lot,” Hubbard said in a press conference after the awards ceremony at Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia.

Hubbard became the top scorer in Mississippi high school history at Madison-Ridgeland Academy and hasn’t missed a beat since moving up to the Southeastern Conference.

The 5-foot-10 guard has already set State’s freshman single season record with 521 points, previously set by Rickey Brown in the 1976-77 season. He’s also drained 98 three-pointers, which is another school record. He has scored in double figures in 26 of 31 games and is averaging 16.8 points per game.

Also on Monday, Hubbard was selected to the All-SEC second team and All-SEC Freshman team.

Mississippi State’s Tolu Smith, the 2023 Howell Trophy winner, was a first-team All-SEC selection for the second year in a row.

Mississippi State also brought the Gillom Trophy, given to the top women’s player in the state, back to Starkville. Graduate student center Jessika Carter ended a three-year run of Ole Miss players to become the first Bulldog to win it since 2020. Carter finally won the Gillom Trophy after being a finalist in 2022 and 2023.

Carter is averaging a double-double this season, with 14.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. She was selected to the All-Southeastern Conference second team.

Carter is one of three players in MSU history to total 1,500 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

The Howell and Gillom trophies are presented by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

Howell Trophy winners
2024 – Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
2023 – Tolu Smith, Mississippi State
2022 – Iverson Molinar, Mississippi State
2021 – Devontae Shuler, Ole Miss
2020 – Reggie Perry, Mississippi State
2019 – Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State
2018 – Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State
2017 – Sebastian Saiz, Ole Miss
2016 – Stefan Moody, Ole Miss
2015 – Stefan Moody, Ole Miss
2014 – Jarvis Summers, Ole Miss
2013 – Marshall Henderson, Ole Miss
2012 – Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State
2011 – Gary Flowers, Southern Miss
2010 – Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
2009 – Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
2008 – Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State
2007 – Trey Johnson, Jackson State
2006 – Jasper Johnson, Delta State
2005 – Lawrence Roberts, Mississippi State
———
Gillom Trophy winners
2024 – Jessika Carter, Mississippi State
2023 – Angel Baker, Ole Miss
2022 – Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
2021 – Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
2020 – Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
2019 – Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State
2018 – Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
2017 – Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
2016 – Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
2015 – Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
2014 – Jamierra Faulkner, Southern Miss
2013 – Martha Alwal, Mississippi State
2012 – Veronica Walker, Delta State
2011 – Veronica Walker, Delta State
2010 – Alexis Rack, Mississippi State
2009 – Alexis Rack, Mississippi State
2008 – Jennifer Rushing, Delta State