Sword, MSU recovering from an offseason of surgeries

STARKVILLE -- A new administration is in place but the same old problems exist for Mississippi State basketball.

The Bulldogs are down to 11 scholarship players due to injury, MSU coach Ben Howland announced on Thursday.

The most pressing issue involved freshman Joe Strugg. The forward will miss a couple months with pain in his shins.

"It's a long-term bone-issue there," Howland said.

Wednesday, Xavian Stapleton had surgery on his knee after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Howland said the surgery went well after doctors took a piece of Stapleton's hamstring to create a new ligament. Howland hopes to have Stapleton back in May.

The first-year MSU coach also said Craig Sword had a second surgery on his back in the spring. Sword missed four games last year with back soreness after surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. The guard's explosiveness didn't return until late in the season.

Travis Daniels also had surgery in May for a sports hernia.

This all comes after Fallou Ndoye had surgery on his right wrist in October.

For most drills, the Bulldogs only have 10 scholarship players. The injury also doesn't give Gavin Ware a legitimate defender to square off against in the post.

"Ndoye is working really hard," Howland said. "…I love his character. I love the fact that he's coachable. That he wants to do whatever you ask him to do."

It wasn't all bad news.

Howland raved about the offseason conditioning installed by new strength coach David Deets. Ndoye gained 20 pounds. Freshman Malik Newman gained 11 pounds during the summer and increased his vertical leap by 5.5 inches.

"That's unheard of," Howland said.

Quinndary Weatherspoon gained 10 pounds in the offseason. Aric Holman bulked up by 16 pounds.

Veterans I.J. Ready tacked on 4.5 inches to his vertical, while Gavin Ware increased his by 5 inches.

"I thought our strength coach and our players did a phenomenal job in their performance and strength training," Howland said.

Mississippi State starts practice on Oct. 5. The season opens at Humphrey Coliseum on Nov. 13 against Eastern Washington.

Contact Michael Bonner at mbonner@gannett.com. Follow @MikeBBonner on Twitter.