Basketball: MSU F Ben Carter suffers knee injury, out indefinitely

The rough week for MSU sports continues as today Tom Izzo announced that graduated transfer big man Ben Carter suffered a knee injury that will require surgery and keep him out indefinitely.

Carter transfered to MSU this past offseason from UNLV, where he he averaged 8.6 points and 6 rebounds a game before suffering a season ending knee injury in January. Another knee injury for Carter does not bode well for him, and there is now a semi real possibility he doesn't even suit up for MSU.

This is a pretty big inury for MSU. For the first time in I can't even remember, MSU is razor thin in the frontcourt. MSU's current depth chart up front is:

• SR Gavin Schilling- 6'9, 240 -3.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG last year as a junior
• FR Miles Bridges- 6'7, 230- #10ish recruit in the country last year
• FR Nick Ward- 6'8, 250- #45ish recruit in the country last year
• SO Kenny Goins- 6'6, 230- 2 PPG, 2.9 RPG last year, former walk-on

And that's it. There's definitely some talent there as Bridges and Ward are two top tier freshman, but in terms of returning front court production, MSU returns about 6 points and rebounds per game, and one of those is a former walk-on.

If MSU gets into suffers another front court injury, one/both of these freshman struggle, or even get into frontcourt foul trouble in a game (Schilling commited 5.7 fouls/40 minutes last year and 7 fouls/40 as a sophomore), they will be very susceptible down low.

MSU now has two scholarship players listed at 6'8 or larger, and none taller than 6'9. Michigan has 6 scholarship players at 6'8 or taller, including 4 taller than 6'9. Whether this size differential turns into an advantage remains to be seen, but for the first time in a while MSU should not have any decided advantage down low against Michigan or the rest of the league.