STARKVILLE — Mississippi State men’s basketball freshman forward Aric Holman will have knee surgery this week, the school announced Sunday afternoon.
Holman will have surgery to repair a patellofemoral disorder that causes pain in the front of the knee under the patella and is common among athletes. It’s a result of repetitive stress that wears down cartilage and leads to the cartilage detaching from the bone.
“I really hate this for Aric,” MSU coach Ben Howland said in a statement released by MSU. “He has worked so hard this summer to improve and prepare for college basketball. I know he’ll do everything he can to recover and put himself in a position to come back stronger.”
The 6-foot-10, 195-pound forward from Owensboro, Kentucky, signed with MSU in May and was expected to make an immediate impact.
Holman is the fifth Bulldog to have surgery this year. Craig Sword had a second back surgery in the spring, but he is finally feeling healthy. Travis Daniels had sports hernia surgery in May. Fallou Ndoye had wrist surgery, but he should return at the end of October. Louisiana Tech transfer Xavian Stapleton underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but he was going to have to miss this season anyway due to the NCAA’s transfer rule.
MSU has Ndoye, Daniels, and senior center Gavin Ware in the frontcourt. Senior Johnny Zuppardo could be thrown in the mix, but he has yet to play for the Bulldogs since transferring from Jones County Junior College.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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