Maurice Ager
Encyclopedia
Maurice Darnell Ager is an American
professional basketball
player. He played collegiately
for the Michigan State Spartans
from 2002 until 2006. The 6' 5" (1.95 m) guard was best known for his athleticism and pure shooting.
by defeating the Kentucky Wildcats
in a classic 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 champions.
in the first round. (George Mason went on to the Final Four.)
, 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.
in the NBA Draft
with the 28th overall pick. He played his first game in a Mavs uniform on July 1, 2006, for the Mavericks Summer League Team against the Nigeria
n national team. He led the Mavs with 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and a steal. His 23 points included a huge three-pointer with 2:15 to go to put the Mavs up by 1 and ahead for the rest of the way. The Mavs won 89–85.
On July 6, 2006, the Mavericks' Summer League Team played their first game of the Toshiba Vegas Summer League, in which they fared extremely poorly against the Denver Nuggets Summer League Team, losing 85–113. Ager again led the way for the Mavs though, putting up a respectable team-high 17 points. On July 8, 2006, the Mavs faced off against the Boston Celtics Summer League Team, losing once again, 91–85. Ager led the team once again with 23 points and 2 assists. Despite a dislocated index finger, Ager continued to consistently lead the Mavericks through the end of the Toshiba Vegas Summer League and was named to First Team All-TVSL.
While with the Mavericks in 2006, Ager was assigned to the Fort Worth Flyers
of the D-League
. 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
.
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Dallas
| 32 || 1 || 6.7 || .314 || .333 || .606 || .7 || .2 || .1 || .1 || 2.2
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Dallas
| 12 || 3 || 6.4 || .185 || .000 || .833 || .3 || .3 || .0 || .1 || 1.3
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 14 || 0 || 6.3 || .421 || .273 || .167 || .6 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 2.6
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 20 || 0 || 4.9 || .349 || .000 || .500 || .5 || .2 || .1 || .1 || 1.7
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Minnesota
| 4 || 0 || 7.3 || .545 || .750 || .000 || .5 || .3 || .2 || .0 || 3.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 82 || 4 || 6.2 || .339 || .250 || .566 || .6 || .2 || .1 || .1 || 2.1
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Dallas
| 3 || 0 || 8.0 || .556 || .667 || .500 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 3 || 0 || 8.0 || .556 || .667 || .500 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 5.0
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He played collegiately
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
for the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
from 2002 until 2006. The 6' 5" (1.95 m) guard was best known for his athleticism and pure shooting.
2005 Tournament
In 2005, Ager was the top scorer for Michigan State, who reached the Final FourNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
by defeating the Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
in a classic double-overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
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
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in the Final Four, but the Spartans lost to the eventual champions.
Senior year
Even though Ager averaged a team-high 19.3 points a game, the Spartans did not live up to the expectations analysts gave them. Once ranked #5 in the country, they received a #6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to George MasonGeorge Mason Patriots
The George Mason Patriots are the athletic teams of George Mason University. The school's athletic program includes 22 NCAA Division I varsity sports, consisting of 11 men's and 11 women's teams...
in the first round. (George Mason went on to the Final Four.)
2005 Maui Invitational Tournament
On November 22, 2005, at the Maui Invitational TournamentMaui Invitational Tournament
The Maui Invitational Tournament is an annual early-season college basketball tournament that takes place Thanksgiving Week in Lahaina, Hawaii at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui. It is hosted by Chaminade University of Honolulu, which participates yearly along with a field of seven...
, Ager faced off against Gonzaga
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
's Adam Morrison
Adam Morrison
Adam John Morrison is an American basketball player who is currently free agent after being released from KK Crvena zvezda....
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.
Professional career
On June 28, 2006, Ager was selected by the Dallas MavericksDallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in the NBA Draft
2006 NBA Draft
The 2006 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2006 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players,...
with the 28th overall pick. He played his first game in a Mavs uniform on July 1, 2006, for the Mavericks Summer League Team against the Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n national team. He led the Mavs with 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and a steal. His 23 points included a huge three-pointer with 2:15 to go to put the Mavs up by 1 and ahead for the rest of the way. The Mavs won 89–85.
On July 6, 2006, the Mavericks' Summer League Team played their first game of the Toshiba Vegas Summer League, in which they fared extremely poorly against the Denver Nuggets Summer League Team, losing 85–113. Ager again led the way for the Mavs though, putting up a respectable team-high 17 points. On July 8, 2006, the Mavs faced off against the Boston Celtics Summer League Team, losing once again, 91–85. Ager led the team once again with 23 points and 2 assists. Despite a dislocated index finger, Ager continued to consistently lead the Mavericks through the end of the Toshiba Vegas Summer League and was named to First Team All-TVSL.
While with the Mavericks in 2006, Ager was assigned to the Fort Worth Flyers
Fort Worth Flyers
The Fort Worth Flyers is the name of a now defunct team of the NBA Development League minor league basketball expansion team based in Fort Worth, Texas. They began play in the 2005-06 season. The decision was made by the NBADL to not operate this team for the 2007-08 season.- Franchise history...
of the D-League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
. 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
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 32 || 1 || 6.7 || .314 || .333 || .606 || .7 || .2 || .1 || .1 || 2.2
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Dallas
| 12 || 3 || 6.4 || .185 || .000 || .833 || .3 || .3 || .0 || .1 || 1.3
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 14 || 0 || 6.3 || .421 || .273 || .167 || .6 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 2.6
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 20 || 0 || 4.9 || .349 || .000 || .500 || .5 || .2 || .1 || .1 || 1.7
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Minnesota
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
| 4 || 0 || 7.3 || .545 || .750 || .000 || .5 || .3 || .2 || .0 || 3.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 82 || 4 || 6.2 || .339 || .250 || .566 || .6 || .2 || .1 || .1 || 2.1
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 3 || 0 || 8.0 || .556 || .667 || .500 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 3 || 0 || 8.0 || .556 || .667 || .500 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 5.0