As the Mississippi State Bulldogs men’s basketball program prepares to turn over a new leaf under former UCLA coach Ben Howland, it will have to do so without one of its top freshman.
Per a report from Michael Bonner of the Clarion-Ledger, freshman center Joe Scruggs will miss two months as he deals with a bone issue in his shin.
Granted, the recovery timetable means that Scruggs, a former star at Montgomery’s Carver High School, will be ready for the regular season. But it should also be noted that he is a long and lean center at 6-foot-9, 210 pounds, so lower body injuries are always going to be treated extra carefully.
It’s also worth noting that Mississippi State already lost explosive guard and Louisiana Tech transfer Xavian Stapleton to a torn ACL, though he was set to sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules. Still, with the team lacking frontcourt depth as a whole, this is not the right time for injuries to be mounting on the hardwood in Starkville. The Bulldogs are looking to make a statement in the ever-competitive SEC and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, and it’s going to be hard to do that if key players can’t stay healthy.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to A View From My Seat
