UNLV graduate transfer Ben Carter will be coming to Michigan State for the 2016-2017 season. Carter chose the Spartans over Arizona, Arizona State, NC State, and Miami. He announced his intentions from his Twitter account Wednesday.
For those who have been waiting for my announcement. I'll be heading to Michigan state next season to finish my college career.
— Ben Carter (@Ben_Carter13) May 4, 2016
Carter, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound power forward, was seen on Michigan State’s campus Saturday with the team.
He averaged 8.6 points and 6.0 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game for the Rebels last season. Carter played one year for the Rebels after starting his collegiate career at Oregon. He will be immediately eligible to play for the Spartans.
The Las Vegas native penned a farewell message on UNLV fan site RunRebs.com, in which he explained how much the city of Las Vegas means to him and how excited he is to play for “one of the most legendary coaches in college basketball history,” referring to Tom Izzo.
Carter’s status to begin the 2016-17 season is uncertain. He suffered a torn ACL in his left knee against San Diego State on Jan. 30. But when he is cleared to play, he will fill a major hole in the Spartans’ roster.
The Spartans had made it known they would be attempting to add another big man after Marvin Clark, Jr. and Javon Bess announced their intentions to transfer, while freshman forward Deyonta Davis declared for the NBA draft.
Those three departures left three open scholarships for Izzo’s team. Following Carter’s announcement, MSU now has one scholarship spot open, which could be used on yet another graduate transfer. Kenny Goins, a former walk-on forward, will use the other scholarship.
Zane D’Souza contributed to this story.
