Ager, Davis pick Spartans to win it all

There was no hesitation.

When former MSU standouts Maurice Ager and Paul Davis were asked to pick a winner in this year’s NCAA Tournament, both players instantly picked the Spartans. Maybe it was a homer pick, maybe it wasn’t. But both Ager and Davis were adamant that their former school will cut down the nets in Indy.

The State News spoke to Ager and Davis, currently with the Marine Red Claws of the NBA’s Development League, about their season and what is ahead for MSU in March.

Maurice Ager

The State News How’s your season going?
Maurice Ager The season’s been pretty good so far. Personally, I think I’m playing pretty well. Like every season we’ve had our ups and downs, but for the most part it’s really coming together.

SN Any word on if you’re going to get called up the NBA?
MA I honestly don’t really know. I’m just playing. Hopefully I get a call but right now I’m just focused on being the best player I can be right here, getting ready for best situation I can be in.

SN Did you fill out a bracket?
MA I’ve never filled out a bracket before in my life. Anyone who did is pretty much done already, looking at the games from (Thursday).

SN Which game surprised the most from Thursday?
MA Georgetown surprised me big time. That was a shocker.

SN How far do you think MSU is going to go?
MA I’ve got them going to the final game, just because of the nature of MSU. We kind of slow it down around the Big Ten Tournament and then pick it back up in the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully we can keep the tradition going.

SN Who’s your national champ?
MA I’ve gotta go with Michigan State. Spartan dawgs, baby.

Paul Davis

SN How’s your season going?
PD It’s a little tough, but it’s a good situation here with Mo. It seems like with all the D-League teams though that a lot of guards are getting called up. But it’s good having Mo here and we’re having a pretty good time.

SN Any word on when you might get called up?
PD You never know when anyone will get hurt, or if they need a guy or two for a playoff run. Usually it’s good for a big but it just doesn’t seem like anyone’s calling up bigs now, just guards. Just have to keep playing though.

SN That’s kind of weird. Is that something that usually happens or just a trend?
PD It’s just going on right now. Why, I’m not sure. It just seems like there’s a handful of teams that are just calling up guards.

SN You mentioned Mo. How nice has it been to play with him?
PD Yeah, we came out of MSU together and we were roommates our first year there, so we have a pretty good relationship. It’s been good playing with him. We know each other’s games and it’s definitely good to talk with him about some of the memories that we’ve had.

SN Did you fill out a bracket this year?
PD I did one just to do it, but I really don’t follow college basketball as much as I used to, obviously. My bracket’s already messed up, I’m sure.

SN What surprised you the most from Thursday’s games?
PD The Georgetown game. Any team can be beat this time of year, but they got beat by like 15 points, so something just wasn’t right. You’ve gotta give the underdogs credit. The teams that are ranked a little lower have the easier time. They have nothing to lose. Everyone thinks they can pull the upset.

SN How do you think MSU will do?
PD Sometimes there’s up and down points in the season, but through it all I’ve always said we’ve had the best coaching staff and preparation skills in the country, so I think they’re going to make another Final Four run. And, I’m sure after the Big Ten Tournament and how they played the last month of the season, coach will have them ready. It is potentially your last game every game.

SN Who do you having winning it all?
PD I’m gonna have to stick with the Spartans. We came in second place last year so in my mind they are the team to beat.

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