With practices in Starkville set to kick-off in just over three weeks, few people have a true idea of what Ben Howland’s Mississippi State team will look like come opening night.
Becoming the fifth Bulldogs player to undergo surgery in 2015, incoming freshman Aric Holman–largely considered to be a top 100 talent in the prep ranks last recruiting cycle–will go under the knife for a knee injury later this week.
Holman joins Craig Sword (his second back surgery), Travis Daniels (sports hernia), Falloi Ndoye (wrist), and Xavian Stapleton (torn ACL) as honorary names on Hail State’s triage sheet. The procedure, for Holman, is to repair a patellofemoral disorder.
While the timeline for Holman’s return doesn’t guarantee that he will miss the entire season, it’s hard to believe that Howland would waste an entire year’s worth of eligibility just just two or three months worth of playing time. Even then, there are no promises that Holman would be in game shape and ready to contribute at the immediate conclusion of his rehab.
Holman was a key piece to the Bulldogs’ praised 2015 class that also included in-state star and five-star recruit, Malik Newman. The 6-foot-10 power forward figured to play a starring role for Howland, whose frontcourt already looked a bit thin before the most recent medical situation.
At this point, it might be best for both parties if Holman were to commit to a redshirt year, allow the Bulldogs to go through some growing pains in Howland’s first season, and return stronger than ever next year. After all, Howland has said that he expects his entire starting five to leave school after one season, so having Holman back as a holdover would be advantageous.
