When you have a player as talented as Aerial Powers, it is natural to wonder what makes her so good.
After all, it’s not every day a program is blessed with an individual who becomes its first three-time first-team all-conference performer. The 6-foot junior forward leads the Michigan State women’s basketball team in scoring (21.9 points per game) and rebounding (9.2 per game) and is a finalist for some of the nation’s top honors, like the Wooden Award, and is on the watch list for the Wade Trophy.
Southeastern Conference basketball fans will get a chance to see Powers and the rest of No. 4 seed Michigan State (24-8) when they play No. 13 seed Belmont (24-8) at 11 a.m. Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Humphrey Coliseum.
The winner of that game will take on the winner of the game between No. 5 seed Mississippi State and No. 12 seed Chattanooga at a time to be determined Sunday at the Hump.
Mississippi State earned its first chance to play host to the NCAA tournament in program history due to a scheduling conflict with Michigan State’s home court.
Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant said Powers is so good because she can score in a lot of different ways, which is also what makes her team so good.
“(Aerial) affects the game in a lot of different ways,” said Merchant, who is in her ninth season as head coach at Michigan State. “Probably the biggest thing about her is she can affect a lot of different stats at both ends of the floor. There is no question she is a special talent.”
But don’t think the Spartans rely only on Powers because they have three other players — junior Tori Janoska (15.3 ppg.), sophomore Branndais Agee (11.6), and senior Jasmine Hines (10.3) — who also score in double figures. Janoska is a two-time second-team All-Big Ten Conference performer, while Agee and Hines earned honorable mention all-conference honorees.
Michigan State lost to Maryland 60-44 in the championship game of the Big Ten Conference tournament on March 6. They were ranked No. 16 in The Associated Press’ final rankings, which were released Monday.
Merchant said versatility is one of her team’s strengths. She said the Spartans have size, depth, and a balanced scoring attack that enables them to play different styles. Big Ten Conference opponents put that theory to the test, and Michigan State responded, scoring 107 points in a triple-overtime victory against Ohio State and 114 in a victory against Minnesota. It also scored 59 points in a victory against Rutgers.
Merchant also feels a non-conference schedule that includes a victory against Georgia and losses to Baylor and Louisville tested her squad and helped prepare it for the rigors of the Big Ten Conference, where it finished third (13-5) behind Maryland and Ohio State in the regular season.
Merchant isn’t sure what kind of game Michigan State will have against Belmont, but she knows coach Cameron Newbauer’s team will be well prepared.
“They have a very well-coached team and run some very, very good sets on offense that fit their personnel,” Merchant said. “Coach Newbauer does a good job of setting his team up on both sides of the ball.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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