Michigan State Basketball: 2020 guard AJ Hoggard commits to Spartans

AJ Hoggard, a top-100 recruit in the 2020 class has committed to Michigan State Basketball. Head coach Tom Izzo picks up his 3rd recruit for the 2020 class.

AJ Hoggard came out of the same prep school as former Spartan Miles Bridges, comes out of Huntington Prep in West Virginia and looks to fill the void at point guard or shooting guard next season as Cassius Winston and Joshua Langford are seniors this year for Michigan State Basketball.

He is listed at 6-foot-3, 215-pounds and he was considered a heavy lean after his official visit this fall to Michigan State. He held offers from the likes of Connecticut, Mississippi, and Maryland to name a few. The Spartans already received a commitment from another point guard in the 2020 class, name Jalen Terry. With Langford, Winston, and Ahrens graduating along with the possibility of Aaron Henry turning pro after this season, the need for guards in this class is a top priority to Izzo and his staff.

Due to his size and frame, it is likely that he will move to shooting guard once he arrives in East Lansing. He is taller than fellow 2020 commit Terry, and he has displayed his strength by his ability to get to the rim against smaller guards. Not that Hoggard couldn’t play point guard as he has quick feet to be able to defend speedy point guards, but his ability to shot off the dribble is maybe what why Izzo didn’t mind taking two point guards for the 2020 class.

He isn’t the greatest 3-point shooter but it is not considered a weakness by any stretch of the imagination.  If Izzo decides that he plays point guard next season along with Terry and returning point guard Foster Loyer, he can distribute the ball well. He does turn the ball over occasionally as he is not afraid to make the tough pass or dribble through multiple defenders.

On defense, he rebounds very well for a high school point guard which is something Izzo expects from his guards as well as any player on his roster. He is considered a good defender who is willing to take risks to get steals. All accounts are that he wants to play right away as a freshman and if his defense is up to Izzo’s standards, that is a strong possibility.

Not that he is the same caliber player as Bridges but he did start off playing in his home town before leaving for prep school. He played two seasons in a Catholic school in Philadelphia before he decided to transfer to Huntington Prep. Other than him and Bridges, other notable players have played their high school ball like Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng, and Thomas Bryant.

During his official visit back in September, it appeared that Izzo made him a top priority. Certain blog writers and message board posts indicated that he wouldn’t come to Michigan State due to Terry already being a point guard for the 2020 class. However, those in the know and highly regarded recruiting experts never wavered on their predictions that he was going to commit to Michigan State. The Spartans are putting together a very solid and talented recruiting class for 2020 and they are not done with their recruiting this season.