Pivotal Player: A.J. Granger
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Take Mateen Cleaves off the Spartans and Michigan State loses its playmaker.
Remove Morris Peterson and the Spartans don't have their go-to shooter. But
eliminate A.J. Granger from the equation and they lose their X factor.
|  | | A.J. Granger is just as dangerous shooting outside as he is banging inside. |
Granger is one of the toughest matchups for opposing teams. Here's
why: He can post up, rebound at both ends and pop a 3-pointer.
"He's our version, of you know, Reggie Jackson," Michigan State's
Tom Izzo said. "He's Mr. October and A.J. seems to have been Mr. March two
years in a row."
Granger is averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in five NCAA
Tournament games. He scored a game-high 18 points against Iowa State, one game after he hit for
a career-high 19 against Syracuse, making 7 of 11 shots from the field.
The 6-9, 230-pound forward may struggle to get off his shots against
Florida, but he's physical enough to drive off the smaller Gators and create
space. He's not your traditional spot-up shooter, but his quickness is underrated.
"I've been trying to get more open," Granger said. "They've done a
nice job of getting me open in the offense and Mateen's looking for me more.
When those things happen, you're naturally going to play better."
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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