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Mississippi State’s Jacoby Davis, slated to start at PG, tears ACL

Rick Ray

Rick Ray speaks to a small gathering of reporters and fans after being introduced as Mississippi State s head basketball coach on Monday, April 2, 2012 at the school’s Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. The 40-year-old Ray comes to Mississippi State after spending two years as the top assistant at Clemson. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

AP

Rick Ray knew that taking the Mississippi State was was going to be a rebuilding process.

Dee Bost graduated. Arnett Moultrie was a first round pick in the NBA Draft. Renardo Sidney left school and didn’t get drafted. Rodney Hood transferred to Duke. DeVille Smith left school in March. What he was left with was a roster that returned just five players -- only two of whom (guard Jalen Steele and big man Wendell Lewis) contributed at all last season -- and featured seven newcomers.

Well, on Monday, Ray’s tough task got even more difficult, as Jacoby Davis -- a freshman from St. John’s Military Academy in Wisconsin -- tore his ACL in a team workout. Davis was slated to be the starter at the point for the Bulldogs this season.

“As a coach, you always hate to see this happen,” Ray said in a statement. “But Jacoby is a tough kid and I know he’ll bounce back from this injury.”

Davis probably wasn’t going to be an instant replacement for Bost, the university’s all-time assists leader, anyway. He signed with North Florida out of high school before deciding to enroll in prep school. And for Davis, there may be a silver lining to this injury: he’ll be around Starkville for five years now. Assuming Ray can get the program up and running, that means he’ll be playing more minutes when the team is better. It’s not much of a consolation prize, but it only helps to look at the bright side when you’re dealing with a torn ACL.

As of now, the only point guard on MSU’s roster is Trivante Bloodman, who spent his freshman season at a JuCo in Illinois.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.