STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans said Monday that guard Andrew Taylor is no longer with the team and won't return this season.

Taylor hasn't played since Dec. 13 and hadn't been on the bench for MSU's games since. When asked if Mississippi State had been in contact with Taylor during his absence, Jans reverted to his statement about Taylor no longer being on the team.

Taylor was in his first season at MSU after transferring from Marshall. He spent four seasons with the Thundering Herd and was a first team All-Sun Belt selection last season.

As for forward KeShawn Murphy, who hasn't played since a Jan. 6 loss at South Carolina, Jans was more optimistic.

"He's still unavailable, but he's working his way back to being on the team," Jans said. "Hopefully, before the season concludes, he'll be on the floor again."

Throughout their absences, Jans cited, "personal matters" as to why Taylor and Murphy weren't playing.

Murphy has appeared in seven games this season, averaging 3.6 points and two rebounds per contest. In a nonconference win against North Texas, Murphy scored a career-high 18 points.

STAR GUARD: Josh Hubbard nearly ended up at Ole Miss. Against Auburn, he was Mississippi State's basketball star

Jans also provided an update on guard Trey Fort who was seen holding his wrist during Saturday's win against then-No. 6 Auburn. Fort has a sprained thumb and is day-to-day, per Jans.

Mississippi State (14-6, 3-4 SEC) returns to action Tuesday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network) against Ole Miss (17-3, 4-3) in Oxford.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State basketball: Andrew Taylor no longer part of the team