Mich. St. senior Maurice Ager
Background: Ager is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who is a scorer in the purest sense. He is third in the Big Ten in scoring (19.9 ppg) and possesses a deft touch from beyond the 3-point arc. Ager, the Spartans’ first Detroit Public School League recruit in the Tom Izzo era, has been up and down in conference play. He has averaged just 12.5 points through four games. Ohio State held Ager to two points on 1-of-11 shooting in 44 minutes Sunday.
What’s up: Consistency has been an issue, but when he’s on he has few peers in college basketball. Against Gonzaga in the EA Sports Maui Invitational earlier this season he scored 36 points, including seven 3-pointers. He hit big shot after big shot to keep Michigan State in the game before he fouled out in the third overtime of a 109-106 loss.
What’s next: A Big Ten title and Final Four berth, Michigan State fans hope. Ager’s play and leadership will have an enormous impact on how far the Spartans go. He was a secondary cog in Michigan State’s unexpected run to the Final Four a year ago, but now the pressure’s on. Players under Izzo are held accountable for continuing a tradition of conference titles and deep NCAA runs.
Dempsey’s take: Ager is one of the nation’s premier players and should be a first- or second-team All-American. He’s as explosive as they come, can hit the 3 and is growing into the leadership role necessary to take Michigan State to an elite level.
