Michigan State Basketball: Breakdown of newcomers for 2020-21 season

By Ben Dickson | Jul 4, 2020

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 17: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after beating the Michigan Wolverines 65-60 in the championship game of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at United Center on March 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – MARCH 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Michigan State Basketball newcomer – AJ Hoggard

Wayne, PA – Combo Guard – 6’3″, 185 lbs

AJ Hoggard adds to what should be a very talented backcourt for Michigan State in the 2020-21 season. While playing for Huntington Prep in West Virginia, Hoggard picked up nearly twenty offers during his high school career.

While listed as a combo guard, the film shows Hoggard playing a lot of time at point guard. His flashy moves to the basket help create layup opportunities for not only himself but plenty for his teammates as well. His size at point guard also allows him to be a solid defender as well. Per RealGM, Hoggard averaged 1.2 steals per game on the Nike EYBL 17U AAU circuit.

Something about Hoggard that stood out to me specifically was his preference to create his own shots off the dribble. While Hoggard has a solid stroke and can shoot the ball well from three-point range, he seemed to love the pull-up jumper off the dribble compared to the in-rhythm looks.

It is to be determined how many minutes Hoggard will see off the bench for the Spartans, but he should be ready to play Big Ten minutes right away. With Rocket Watts and Joshua Langford likely making up the starting backcourt, Hoggard could potentially take the reins to the backup point guard role, and see major playing time right away.

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