Coatesville’s A.J. Hoggard is ‘living his dream’ in the Sweet 16 with Michigan State

By the time his son turned five years old, Anthony Hoggard knew Anthony Jr. (A.J.) might be special.

Hoggard was a preschooler with a short attention span so his father never stuck with one game for too long: 15 minutes of football, 15 minutes of baseball, 15 minutes of basketball.

“I would always do basketball last ... because I kind of had a feel for the game myself,” Anthony remembers. “But his physical ability made me feel like he would be a good football player.”

» READ MORE: Philly locals to watch in NCAA tournament

In middle school, Hoggard’s love for football faded. He’d put on his pads and and play running back and linebacker Saturday mornings, but he realized he was just waiting for the final whistle to blow so that he could trade his cleats for sneakers and the gridiron for the hardwood.

“I was having more fun with basketball because you get more games in a weekend, especially playing AAU,” Hoggard said.

On the court, the Coatesville native showed flashes of what he’d become. He was fearless, riding his older sister’s bike at just two and a half. He also had confidence, instilled in him by his city and his father, and quickly learned that hitting the road for an AAU tournament was a “business trip.” Hoggard always played up, competing against nine year olds even at five.

This weekend, Hoggard will play in the Sweet 16 with the chance to be the latest Michigan State point guard in a lineage that includes Magic Johnson to take the Spartans to the Final Four.

However, it’s not Johnson that Hoggard is hoping to follow, but instead, another kid from Coatesville.

“I think Rip Hamilton was the only one who got to play on a stage like this,” Hoggard said of the 1999 Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.

“And that was a long time ago.”

Then-Archbishop Carroll head coach Paul Romanczuk wasn’t looking for his future point guard when he walked into a preseason rules meeting in 2014, but through a conversation with Hoggard’s father, who refereed, he figured he might have found one.

“We started talking and he said, ‘Be on the lookout for my son,’” Romanczuk said. “... And I chuckled, and I said, ‘Well, if you live right near the R5, it stops off right at Archbishop Carroll.’ He laughed, too, and liked that line.”

Romanczuk had already seen the sixth grader play on a Camden AAU team sponsored by Jameer Nelson. That Camden team played in tournaments from Florida to California, but because of the nature of AAU, Hoggard also had opportunities to suit up for teams like West Coast Elite despite living 40 miles west of Philadelphia.

Going into high school, there were conversations about leaving the region, as his family thought he may be best served elsewhere. However, they talked it over and decided on Archbishop Carroll.

The freshman grabbed the starting point guard spot, almost from day one. Romanczuk remembers early disagreements between upperclassmen and the confident freshman with the ball in his hands. Hoggard earned their respect quickly, and was tested in Philadelphia’s top league, facing future NCAA stars like Collin Gillespie (Archbishop Wood), Quade Green (Neumann Goretti), and Bonner-Prendergast’s Isaiah Wong, who is currently in the Sweet 16 with Miami.

His freshman year ended with disappointment. In the Catholic League quarterfinals, Hoggard and the Patriots lost to Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Neumann Gorretti, falling one step short of playing at the Palestra.

» READ MORE: The Palestra still has nights when it comes to life thanks to Catholic League basketball

Hoggard was determined for his sophomore year to end differently. On a team that was more clearly his, he led Carroll to a 20-8 record, earning first-team All-Catholic League honors. In a quarterfinal matchup against Andrew Funk and Archbishop Wood, he scored 23 points, including 18 in the second half, to lead Carroll to the Palestra. There, Hoggard and Carroll suffered a heartbreaking semifinal defeat to Wong and Bonner-Prendergast, 48-45.

“To see my son play on those platforms, it was so surreal, it’s like ‘Wow, that’s my boy. That’s my son,’” Anthony Hoggard said. “Those days of us shooting in the gym, on the highway going to tournaments… It’s just so surreal to see him having this fun and living his dream.”

After the season, Hoggard transferred to national powerhouse Huntington Prep in West Virginia. The point guard sought increased competition and opportunities and found both, averaging 17 points as a junior before earning all-state recognition as a senior.

He was a four-star prospect with offers from the likes of Providence, Marquette, Oregon, and Temple. He chose Michigan State, even if both father and son knew that Hoggard needed legendary MSU coach Tom Izzo more than Izzo needed him.

Hoggard was mostly a bench piece for the first two seasons. While he didn’t play as much as he’d hoped, through all of it, Izzo preached patience, telling him he’d get his chance.

Izzo kept his promise, and this year, Hoggard has blossomed.

Hoggard had his coming-out party against Villanova in Michigan State’s fourth game of the season, finishing two rebounds short of a triple double with 13 points, 10 assists, and 8 boards. For the season, he’s averaging 12.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds for the Spartans, who under Izzo, are again playing their best basketball in March..

On February 13, tragedy struck East Lansing. Hoggard was safe inside texting in a family group chat when the first reports of an active shooter on Michigan State’s campus began to trickle out. In all, three students were killed and five others were injured.

The community was shaken. A game two days later against Minnesota was postponed. Izzo then delivered a speech to the university, wearing his emotions on his sleeve. Hoggard’s mother, Dionne, and his sister, Aaliyah, traveled to see him and watched MSU’s first game back, at Michigan. Anthony attended the following game at home against Indiana.

Hoggard’s been on a roll ever since. He scored 22 points with his dad in attendance against Indiana and tied his career-high with 23 against Ohio State on March 4. He’s scored in double figures in seven straight games, including a 13-point effort Sunday as MSU knocked off No. 2 seed Marquette.

“It’s bigger than us right now,” Hoggard said.

Now, Hoggard and his teammates are in New York City preparing for Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup with No. 3 seed Kansas State (6:30 p.m., TBS). He’ll be playing in his favorite arena, Madison Square Garden, which leads a top three of the Palestra and Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.

While Hoggard temporarily left his hometown, and Philadelphia as a whole to develop, he still sees himself as representing Coatesville.

“I’m the only one from Coatesville playing on the stage right now,” Hoggard said. “… Being able to go out here and play for my community back home [with] all the kids watching, and being able to be in reach with me when I’m home is something special to me.”

His roots are apparent in how he plays. His dad’s from Coatesville, and instilled the city in his son. There’s some Camden in his game, too, and definitely some Catholic League. Romanczuk saw it all at Carroll, and Hoggard’s only grown into it as he’s gotten older.

However, that’s not all Hoggard’s father has taught him. They’re both basketball fanatics, so much so that Anthony Sr. hasn’t missed a Final Four since 1990. He can list the year-by-year results from memory, and will be in Houston next weekend.

» READ MORE: The top-10 Philly moments in NCAA Tournament history

His son’s travel itinerary is less certain. Hoggard’s season could end Thursday night, or, with wins over Kansas State and either No. 4 Tennessee or No. 9 Florida Atlantic, the younger Hoggard could be headed to Houston as well, all expenses paid.

Hoggard’s not getting ahead of himself, but representing his city and playing in front of his dad in a Final Four? Man, that would be special for a kid from Coatesville.