J'mison Morgan '08

[NorrisHopper30]

I've recently heard that UC has moved back up on his list and that he actually may commit soon from a person, but I haven't seen this on rivals or scout. Does anyone have some insider information that i'm missing out on??

[CroninCrazy]

But would he really want to play behind McClain?

[shaunsimpson]

He is a different player than McClain. He is a big body opposed to a more athletic C. It would be good to have him in the fold.

Also, Rivals has news on this and others on the premium board, but due to it being premium I will respect Todd's wishes and not share until it is public. It has been up for a few days now.

[MikeInClifton]

Morgan is a "4" out of five on the recruiting page (http://bearcatnews.com/recruiting/list/active/interest) and has been for some time. The interest is still strong.

[Jtarchcincy]

He is a different player than McClain. He is a big body opposed to a more athletic C. It would be good to have him in the fold.

Also, Rivals has news on this and others on the premium board, but due to it being premium I will respect Todd's wishes and not share until it is public. It has been up for a few days now.

Shaun is correct, on both accounts.... It would be another great addition to the 08' class if it happens!

[waterhead]

But would he really want to play behind McClain?

I am sure Mick can convey to these kids if they are talented enough to start they will start. If we have two centers that are the best two players on the team we will play them both. Twin Towers. People get too tied up in position names and numbers. We need to have some big men on the court along with some that can handle the rock and shoot. Next year if Gates and Williams are the best two players on our team and they are both PF who cares. I will be glad to have a baseline of McClain, Gates, and Williams. Whether you call them 5,4,4 or call them 5,4,3 it doesn't really matter. Same goes for guys like Henry and Mitchell. If they are talented enough to be on the court and we already have a starting swing man...now we have two. If it proves more valuable to have two swing men than a swing man and shooting guard then Mick will do it.

Morgan will come to UC if Mick sells it that way. You don't tell a guy like that you will have to battle McClain for playing time and if you don't win you don't play. You tell them if they are good enough they will be on the court one way or another.

[levydl]

I am sure Mick can convey to these kids if they are talented enough to start they will start. If we have two centers that are the best two players on the team we will play them both. Twin Towers. People get too tied up in position names and numbers. We need to have some big men on the court along with some that can handle the rock and shoot. Next year if Gates and Williams are the best two players on our team and they are both PF who cares. I will be glad to have a baseline of McClain, Gates, and Williams. Whether you call them 5,4,4 or call them 5,4,3 it doesn't really matter. Same goes for guys like Henry and Mitchell. If they are talented enough to be on the court and we already have a starting swing man...now we have two. If it proves more valuable to have two swing men than a swing man and shooting guard then Mick will do it.

Morgan will come to UC if Mick sells it that way. You don't tell a guy like that you will have to battle McClain for playing time and if you don't win you don't play. You tell them if they are good enough they will be on the court one way or another.

It's not like Kansas, who I think is the other school he's looking at hard, can offer him the starting job right away either. ****, Sherron Collins was a top rated PG and may have been their best player last year and he didn't even start. If he wants to go somewhere and be able to start or get big minutes immediately, UC would be a better choice than KU.

I agree to a point that positions of a player are overrated, but you still have to match up on D with the other team. If the other team plays 3 guards or has a lot of outside shooters or has a very quick 3 man, Morgan, Gates, or McClain probably won't be able to cover the 3 (maybe Mike Williams could, but I'm not sure there either). It'd be nice to have those options though.

[waterhead]

Do we have to match up with them on D or do they have to match up with us on D? It's all in how you look at it. If they have a mismatch on us we probably have a mismatch on them. Yes, you have to play the other team but they also have to guard who we put on the floor and I would like to see the 5 best players out there within reason.

[bengals21]

I hear he is pretty big on Kansas because of his friend Darrell Arthur.

[Bearcat_DF]

People get too tied up in position names and numbers

I agree. I think more in terms of the whole rotation.

I like to see the starting point guard log 30 minutes.
The other 4 starters and the 6th man logging between 25-28 minutes
You still have minutes for 7-9/10.

This kind of depth and usage of minutes helps to keep players from being fatigued, especially late in the season, gives you coaching choices for in game adjustments (go big, small, offensive, defensive, press, etc), and it helps keep team chemistry going.

I always hate playing those teams that go 8-10 deep. You look at their bench and the reserves are on the edge of their seats ready to jump into the game. Even if they aren't on the court, its like playing against 6 or 7 players. There is just that added energy they bring to the court that wears on you.

I suspect one way that the top tier programs attract 8-10 top level players is the idea of competing. If you are one of our best 8 players, you are going to get your minutes, and if you can't be one of our best 8 players, does it really matter? Tony Bobbitt made it to the league and he was our 6th man as a senior.

Go Cats!
DF

Go Cats!
DF

[The Loot Ninja]

Reading the last update on him the TAMU report he mentions about 5 other schools but Cincinnati wasn't one of them so I don't see him coming to Clifton. If they were in the mix i believe he would have mentioned Cincinnati

[waterhead]

I agree. I think more in terms of the whole rotation.

I like to see the starting point guard log 30 minutes.
The other 4 starters and the 6th man logging between 25-28 minutes
You still have minutes for 7-9/10.

DF

I could see a minutes/game breakdown like this or some variation of it early in the season to see what everyone has got. 2 or 3 of them won't show enough in practice to play as freshman and if they do it will be negligible. Late in the season the best performers will start to get more time at #5, #3, and #2 with the starters getting 20-25 minutes and any emerging studs moving up to around 25-30 minutes.

#1 position 30/10 (Vaughn/Warren)
#4 position 30/10 (Williams/Sykes)
#5 position 20/20 (McClain/Hyranciuk).
#3 position 20/10/10 (Williamson/Henry/?)
#2 position 20/10/10 (Mitchell/Gentry/?)

The question marks will be filled in by a name already mentioned or from Davis, Belton or Bishop. I see a rotation of about ten guys throughout the year. I hope they all have what it takes to play Big East ball and that the competition drives a few of these new guys to rise to the top whoever they may be. May the hungriest guys play and may the weak transfer to Xavier or OSU:D

[Mick's Da Man]

I see whoever is playing the best defense, grabbing rebounds, hustling and making things happening offensively, getting most of the minutes. :>)

[waterhead]

It looks as though there is plenty of talent to pick from on the recruiting board at the PG poistion and the SG/WF position. Good chance it will be Bost and Mitchell from the sounds of things. After Morgan there isn't much on the board at C since Harris is off now. What is the contingency plan if we don't get Morgan at C? It certainly doesn't seem like a lock. Do we wait till 09 to address it or wait till late signing in 08' and hope for some late bloomers? Does Mick have decent talent behind Morgan that he is looking at because it's not on the board?

[Bearcat98]

It looks as though there is plenty of talent to pick from on the recruiting board at the PG poistion and the SG/WF position. Good chance it will be Bost and Mitchell from the sounds of things. After Morgan there isn't much on the board at C since Harris is off now. What is the contingency plan if we don't get Morgan at C? It certainly doesn't seem like a lock. Do we wait till 09 to address it or wait till late signing in 08' and hope for some late bloomers? Does Mick have decent talent behind Morgan that he is looking at because it's not on the board?

I am going to speculate (with no background information) that IF Mick misses out on Morgan, he will go the Juco rout for a solid center that will back up McClain for 2 years then graduate, thus freeing up a second scholarship besides Vaughn's in 2010 and help balance out the scholarship distribution. I have to guess he'll sign a couple of Juco players (or put a couple of scholarships in his pocket) in the coming years to help balance out the scholarship distribution year to year.

Good High school centers are only going to stay in school a year or 2. A solid Juco center may be just as good an option and be able to cotribute right away in the BE (like Adam H. or Hernol Hall would have been) if we can't land a "top" High School center like Morgan.

[waterhead]

I am going to speculate (with no background information) that IF Mick misses out on Morgan, he will go the Juco rout for a solid center that will back up McClain for 2 years then graduate, thus freeing up a second scholarship besides Vaughn's in 2010 and help balance out the scholarship distribution. I have to guess he'll sign a couple of Juco players (or put a couple of scholarships in his pocket) in the coming years to help balance out the scholarship distribution year to year.

Good High school centers are only going to stay in school a year or 2. A solid Juco center may be just as good an option and be able to cotribute right away in the BE (like Adam H. or Hernol Hall would have been) if we can't land a "top" High School center like Morgan.

I like that plan. With all the recent high school signings I forgot all about what juco can do for you. Experienced...quality (sometimes) help in a pinch. I would definitley prefer that route rather than settling for average high school talent. If we can't get Morgan or equivalent I think juco is a good contingency plan.

[slite]

I think Morgan goes to a Big 12 school. I would rather see Tony Woods who has UC listed and from what i have heard from a friend in Georgia, he is more athletic and more of a shot blocker.

[UCbball21]

I think Woods is a longshot, it'll be tough to get him out of the south. Morgan is our best bet IMO, if not a JUCO big man wouldn't hurt. I'd love to see us get another Hernol Hall, to bad he never got to wear red and black for us, he was a very good player.

[Bearcat98]

I think Morgan goes to a Big 12 school. I would rather see Tony Woods who has UC listed and from what i have heard from a friend in Georgia, he is more athletic and more of a shot blocker.

I'd love to have Tony Woods as well, but the chances of him ending up at UC are somewhere between slim and none from the sounds of it... My gut says it'll either be Morgan or a JUCO center in 08'. Juco center would bring instant experience backing up McClain and free up another scholarship for the class of 2010 if Morgan doesn't come to UC.

[IKnowMoreThanYou]

Tony has long had Florida at the top of his list and it would be very difficult to get him out of Georgia. If they do miss on Morgan and solid junior college player with size would not be a bad fallback option. I also agree it would be one way to better deal with the scholarship situation in future years. 2010 looks to be very very good talent wise locally and in the state.

[Mick's Da Man]

Tony has long had Florida at the top of his list and it would be very difficult to get him out of Georgia. If they do miss on Morgan and solid junior college player with size would not be a bad fallback option. I also agree it would be one way to better deal with the scholarship situation in future years. 2010 looks to be very very good talent wise locally and in the state.


I'll take your word for it because you know more than me.