Maurice Ager

Maurice Ager

Personal information
Born	(1984-02-09) February 9, 1984 Detroit, Michigan
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school	Crockett (Detroit, Michigan)
College	Michigan State (2002–2006)
NBA draft	2006: 1st round, 28th overall pick
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks
Playing career	2006–2010
Position	Shooting guard
Career history
2006–2008	Dallas Mavericks
2006–2007	Fort Worth Flyers
2008	Tulsa 66ers
2008–2009	New Jersey Nets
2009–2010	Cajasol Sevilla
2010	Maine Red Claws
2010	Minnesota Timberwolves
Career highlights and awards
2x Second-team All-Big Ten (2005, 2006)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Maurice Darnell Ager (born February 9, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played at the collegiate level for the Michigan State Spartans from 2002 until 2006, and earned a spot on the 19-and-under USA basketball team in the summer of 2004. As a Junior, Ager led the Spartans to the NCAA Final Four in 2005, averaging 14 points per game. As a Senior, Ager led the Big Ten in scoring, averaging just below 20 points per contest, and participated in the prestigious NCAA dunk contest at the 2006 Final Four. The 6' 5" (1.95 m) guard was best known for his sharp shooting and exceptional athleticism. On June 28, 2006, Ager was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA draft with the 28th overall pick. In 2008, Ager was included in a trade between the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets, which centered on all-stars Jason Kidd and Devin Harris. Separately, Ager is an accomplished music producer and was considered for a Grammy Award for his song "Far From Home." Ager released his debut album, Moe Town Vol. 1, in 2013. In 2014, Ager created "Moe Ager Hoop School," a basketball enrichment program which serves to develop young, up-and-coming basketball players worldwide. Ager has provided his program all over the world in areas including America, Canada, Spain, China, South America, Africa, and is currently active in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Basketball career

College

Ager attended Michigan State from 2002–2006. In his freshman year, he averaged 6.7 points per game as the Spartans advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to Texas. As a sophomore in 2004, he increased his scoring average to 8.5 points per game while averaging 22.5 minutes per game. The Spartans, who were ranked No. 3 in the country to begin the season, faded late in the year and were ousted in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

In 2005, Ager was the top scorer for Michigan State, averaging 14.1 points per game while averaging 26.3 minutes per game. He led the Spartans to the Final Four by defeating Kentucky in a memorable double-overtime game in the Elite Eight. He was named to the Austin All-Regional team after averaging 16.8 points and 5 rebounds a game. Ager scored 24 points against North Carolina in the Final Four, but the Spartans lost to the eventual National Champions.

Ager again led the Spartans in scoring in 2006, as he averaged 19.3 points per game as a senior. On November 22, 2005, at the Maui Invitational Tournament, Ager faced off against Gonzaga's Adam Morrison in one of the most thrilling battles of the year. Down by three with virtually no time remaining on the clock, Ager sank a three-point shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. Despite Ager's team-high 36 points, Gonzaga knocked off the Spartans in triple overtime 109–106. The next day Ager led the Spartans with 20 points to defeat Arizona 74–71 in overtime. Despite this, the Spartans did not live up to the expectations that analysts put on them. Once ranked No. 5 in the country, they received a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to George Mason in the First Round. (George Mason would go on to the Final Four).

Ager finished his career with 1,554 points with Spartans.

Professional career

On June 28, 2006, Ager was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA draft with the 28th overall pick.

While with the Mavericks in 2006, Ager was assigned to the Fort Worth Flyers of the D-League. Ager would appear in 32 games in his rookie season for the Mavericks. He appeared in 12 games (Started 4 games) for the Mavericks in 2007–08. However, on February 19, 2008, Ager was traded, among others, by the Mavericks to the New Jersey Nets in a multi-player deal involving point guard Jason Kidd. During this time, he also played in the NBA's D-League. Ager would appear in 14 games for the Nets and 20 games in 2008–09. Following his stint with the Nets, he played in the D-League and Spain. After appearing four games for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010, he was waived November 11, 2010.

NBA career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2006–07	Dallas	32	1	6.7	.314	.333	.606	.7	.2	.1	.1	2.2
2007–08	Dallas	12	3	6.4	.185	.000	.833	.3	.3	.0	.1	1.3
2007–08	New Jersey	14	0	6.3	.421	.273	.167	.6	.3	.0	.0	2.6
2008–09	New Jersey	20	0	4.9	.349	.000	.500	.5	.2	.1	.1	1.7
2010–11	Minnesota	4	0	7.3	.545	.750	.000	.5	.3	.3	.0	3.8
Career		82	4	6.2	.339	.250	.566	.6	.2	.1	.1	2.1

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007	Dallas	3	0	8.0	.556	.667	.500	1.0	.0	.0	.0	5.0
Career		3	0	8.0	.556	.667	.500	1.0	.0	.0	.0	5.0

Music career

In 2010 Ager created his own music production company called "Moe Ager Productions". As a music producer, Ager's musical talent is becoming ever increasingly known and recognized, a talent which he has developed since his teenage years. In 2013, he was nominated for Producer of the Year at the EOTM Awards in Los Angeles. Ager received ballot consideration for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for his single, "Far From Home." He has produced for not only himself but artists such as Royce Da 5'9, E-40, Lazy Bone, Tobenwige, Major Williams, Marcus Moody, Yukmouf, Rashaun Will, ETC and B-Real of Cypress Hill. One of Ager's most popular works is his single, "Forever I'm a Spartan," which was released as an anthem for the Michigan State University football team in 2010. Ager released 3 projects in the winter of 2018,"Moe House","Lost in Translation" and "Visa Run" currently streaming on all major music platforms globally.

External links

• Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
• Player profile
• Former MSU basketball player receives grammy nomination at statenews.com by Ariel Ellis, October 31, 2013