Also check out the article yesterday for a look at the draft prospects at the Guardians Classic and Preseason NIT, along the updated 2006 and 2007 mock drafts reflecting the developments described in these articles.
Stats provided are per game averages of the three game tournament in Maui
Stock Up:
Maurice Ager, 6-5, senior, shooting guard, Michigan State
26.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, 2.7 turnovers, 49% FG, 48% 3P
Jonathan Givony
Ager could very well be the one player who raised his stock more than anyone here in Maui. The beat writers who vote for the All Big Ten team decided that Ager wasn't worthy of being mentioned, but DraftExpress disagreed with that notion and named him our preseason Big Ten conference player of the year, as well as the #1 NBA draft prospect in the conference. Ager certainly showed the country who was wrong on that one in Maui, carrying the Spartans offensively and defensively in all three games here and generally looking like a true NCAA star that is ready to bust out this year as one of the top players in the entire country. He showed terrific strength and athleticism time after time slashing to the basket, finishing alley-oops, blocking shots and doing a great job disrupting whoever he was guarding. His perimeter stroke was on all tournament long, knocking down three pointers from well beyond the arc with his feet set or off the dribble.
What scouts will be looking for as the season moves on is the most advanced skills that separate backup shooting guards from the true difference makers in the NBA, mainly in their off the dribble game. Ager will need to show progress in his ability to pull up off the dribble from mid-range rather than forcing his way to the basket predictably every time (he has a tendency to almost always go right). Showing better instincts by creating for others with his passing skills--slashing with his head up rather than glued to the rim-- and better recognition of what the defenses give him through his inside-outside game will make Ager a more complete player and likely a strong candidate for the lottery if he can maintain the consistent approach he showed in Maui.
What scouts will be looking for as the season moves on is the most advanced skills that separate backup shooting guards from the true difference makers in the NBA, mainly in their off the dribble game. Ager will need to show progress in his ability to pull up off the dribble from mid-range rather than forcing his way to the basket predictably every time (he has a tendency to almost always go right). Showing better instincts by creating for others with his passing skills--slashing with his head up rather than glued to the rim-- and better recognition of what the defenses give him through his inside-outside game will make Ager a more complete player and likely a strong candidate for the lottery if he can maintain the consistent approach he showed in Maui.