Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was hopeful last week that grad transfer big man Ben Carter would be ready for the start of the season and caught up physically by Big Ten play to contribute for the Spartans.

It appears that might not be the case, as MSU basketball announced Monday that Carter suffered a knee injury over the weekend that will require surgery and "keep him out for an extended period of time." An exact timetable hasn't been determined, according to a release, after Carter landed awkwardly contesting a jump shot.

"I feel awful for Ben," Izzo said. "He had worked extremely hard on his rehab and to suffer another knee injury on a fluke play is incredibly cruel."

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Carter tore his ACL in January while still playing for UNLV. Izzo said last week that there hadn't been any setbacks for Carter -- or any of his injured players -- but the grad transfer big man wasn't near where he needed to be physically yet to play.

Carter averaged 8.6 points and six rebounds last season for UNLV.

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