Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Findlay, Ohio, U.S. | April 24, 1978
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Liberty-Benton (Findlay, Ohio) |
College | Michigan State (1996–2000) |
NBA draft | 2000: undrafted |
Playing career | 2000–2004 |
Position | Forward |
Career history | |
2000–2001 | Milon B.C. |
2001 | Adecco Milano |
2003–2004 | Artland Dragons |
Career highlights and awards | |
Aaron Joseph Granger (born April 24, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player.
Granger attended Liberty-Benton High School in his hometown of Findlay, Ohio, where he won the Division IV basketball championship in 1995 [1] and was an all-state selection in 1995 and 1996. [2] As a junior he averaged 15 points per game, and as a senior he posted averages of 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists per game. [3] He also competed in track and field, and he was Ohio State Champion in discus throw in 1996. [4]
He committed to Michigan State in 1996 and coach Tom Izzo played him consistently, giving him the starting nod in 7 games at the end of his freshman season. [5] His sophomore year saw him play all 30 games, averaging 12 minutes per game as a reserve, [6] and he averaged 2.6 points. He showed improvement in his shooting, especially his 3-point shooting: while he shot 0/1 in all his freshman season, he started to take more shots in his second year, attempting a total of 19 shots and scoring 5. [5] The 3-point shooting became one of the characteristics of Granger's game. [7] At the end of his sophomore year he received the Scholar-Athlete Award by his university, an award he would receive also in his senior season. [8]
His junior year saw an increased playing time and a further improvement in his stats, and he recorded a 53.2 field goal percentage. He also shot significantly better from the free throw line, going from 59% in his sophomore year to 71% in his junior year. Granger averaged 6.6 points and shot 50% from the 3-point line (62.1% during the NCAA Tournament). His performances during the 1999 NCAA Tournament earned him a selection in the 1999 All-Midwest team. [5]
Granger's senior season was his most successful: he was named team captain and he became one of the main players of the Spartans team. [5] [7] His combination of size, post game and 3-point shooting made him hard to guard for the opposing teams, [7] and despite starting the year as a reserve, he became a starter as the season progressed. [5] He started 35 out of 39 games, [9] and averaged 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds for the season, shooting 89.3% from the free throw line and 45% from 3. In the 2000 championship game against Florida won by Michigan State he played 34 minutes, scoring 19 points (a career high) along with 9 rebounds and 1 assist. [10] He was again selected in the NCAA All-Regional Team [11] and he also was part of the NCAA All-Tournament Team. [12] At the end of his career he was 4th in Michigan State history in 3-point field goal percentage with 44% of made shots. [5]
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | Michigan State | 22 | 7 | 8.3 | .344 | .000 | .455 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.2 |
1997–98 | Michigan State | 30 | 0 | 12.0 | .405 | .263 | .591 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.6 |
1998–99 | Michigan State | 38 | 5 | 20.7 | .532 | .500 | .714 | 3.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 6.6 |
1999–00 | Michigan State | 39 | 35 | 28.8 | .500 | .450 | .893 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 9.5 |
Career | 129 | 47 | 17.5 | .488 | .440 | .760 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 5.6 |
At the end of his senior year, Granger was automatically eligible for the 2000 NBA draft. At the 2000 NBA Draft Combine He was measured at 6 ft 7.5 in without shoes, with an 8 ft 7 in standing reach, a 6 ft 9.5 in wingspan and weighted 227 lbs. [13] He went undrafted and after briefly participating in a camp with the Vancouver Grizzlies, he signed for the Greek team Milon BC. [14] In 20 games in the 2000–01 Greek Basket League he averaged 17.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
He then transferred to Italy, where he signed for Adecco Milano. In 5 games played he averaged 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds. In 2003 he joined Artland Dragons in Germany. [15] During the 2003–04 season he averaged 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 25 games played. [16]
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