Morgan Signs Grant-in-Aid With UCLA
By Bruin Basketball Report
(via UCLA press release)
UCLA has received a signed grant-in-aid form from high school senior J'Mison Morgan, Bruin head coach Ben Howland announced today.
I am very, very excited that J'Mison is going to be attending UCLA and be a part of our program," said Howland.
"He is a true center with excellent hands and outstanding overall skills. He is a fine passer, shot blocker and rebounder. J'Mison completes a five-player 2008 class that we believe gives us a great foundation for the future."
Morgan, from South Oak Cliff High in Dallas, TX, joins a UCLA freshman class ranked No. 1 nationally by virtually every recruiting service and website. It includes forward Drew Gordon and guards Jrue Holiday, Jerime Anderson and Malcolm Lee.
The 6-10, 248-pound senior was rated the nation's No. 2 center by Scout.com and the No. 4 player at his position by Rivals.com. He originally signed a letter of intent with LSU but was released from that commitment last month.
Morgan averaged 13.5 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots for South Oak Cliff.
(photo by Erkki Corpuz)
Labels: Recruiting Misc News
BBR :: Article Link :: 8:14 AM ::
39 comments
39 Comments:
High-Five to Coach BH and the staff....also Lee and Anderson for calling Mr. Morgan to join UCLA....
I'm toasting shots of the Captain to each of them right now!
But he isn't bound to us until he attends class right?
Morgan is expected to attend UCLA's first summer session along with the other incoming freshmen. Classes start in late June.
I realize worrying is part of the Bruin DNA, but you can relax now, Morgan is a Bruin.
- BBR
New fab five,
Our hopes revived
Big pressure to win,
So let us begin
One game at a time,
In our uphill climb
Don't jump far ahead,
And let it be said,
They proved their worth
with a Final Four birth
No tournament letdown,
Take us to higher ground
Bring us redemption,
As National Champions
.
BBR, let's host a party either at Westwood Brew Co. or Q's on Wilshire
U game?
Actually, Drew Gordon and Malcolm Lee will be starting summer school in the 2nd session. They are both trying out for the under-18 olympic team, and if they make it, they get to play in Argentina.
Good luck to the two of them on making the team!
Love the SI covers, keep 'em coming
i think the cover is way too much, way too soon. too much pressure
KLove is out of place with Kareem and Walton. Closer to Sven Nater.
Last I checked, neither Kareem nor Walton were "one and done" at UCLA. Oh yeah . . . I believe they won a National Championship or two as well. Love, although I loved watching him play, does not belong in the same sentence with either one of them.
The SI cover (not real) is courtesy of big time Bruin fan, Erkki Corpuz.
You have to admit the cover is at least a great recruiting story, tool for big man prospects!
UCLA = Big Man U
UCLA = Point Guard U, too
J
How about...
UCLA = National Championship U - 103 and counting!
Get rid of Kevin on that cover, it's an insult to the other guys.
If you are basing it on college legends, then there should be no one else pictured with Lew and Bill...period!
But I like the idea too of putting great UCLA big men out there for the attention.
But here we go again with the KLove bashing. GET OVER IT GUYS! KLove was first team All American. he deserves respect just on that alone!
If you had a cover of UCLA all time great guards, I would have no objection seeing Baron Davis and/or Arron Afflalo along side Hazzard, Goodrich, Hamilton, Allen, Lee...
First of all, hats off to Errki Corpuz. You have talent brother.
I also agree with Bare Gunner. Let's milk the great big man status for all it's worth. Don't knock it guys. You know the Buckeyes plaster Oden all over their propaganda. He doesn't really have much up on Love at this stage in life.
Here is an update on 2009 recruit Brendan Lane. I know he is going to play in the Pac-10 so we Bruins should get this guy! I don't want SUC to get a hold of him:
[Lane is one of the fastest rising juniors in the country. He is a hybrid four-man with solid perimeter skills. He has a long frame, quick feet, and soft hands. He is quite bouncy and has the quickness to take defenders off the dribble as well. He has the ability to fill the lane on the break and can either finish with an array of athletic moves or pull up for the three-point shot. His jump shot is solid with a fairly decent release and it should get better as he gets stronger. Lane has solid inside-out skills. He has a nice drop-step and a very good touch around the basket]
- from High School Boys Basketball Report -
Sounds like a perfect Ben Howland type player if his "D" is not suspect. Anybody have more info on Lane? Since the Bruins have made him an offer, I know we are interested.
Brew In -
Do you really want to try to live up to Ohio State? Why exactly do you think they put oden up all over the place? Who exactly would they put up? No one above is "bashing" KLove. People are simply commenting that to put him on the same page as Bill and Kareem is absolutely completely and all-encompassingly ridiculous ludicrous and asinine. That's all. No biggie.
I don't get the all the hating on Kevin Love. He played great, had a high GPA, didn't take money like OJ Mayo and gave UCLA tons of exposure. How many times did we read articles on Kevin Love or see him on ESPN? Attached to his name was always UCLA!!! J'mison Morgan said he liked UCLA because of the exposure he can get in Westwood. I'm sure Kevin had a lot to do with that. Your argument is he didn't bring a title? Well he sure didn't hurt their chances either. I love Mata, but he's no Kevin Love. Appreciate the fact that he came here and played hard, even if it was only for one year. J'mison Morgan wont have half the season that Love had! Maybe then you'll realize the talent that is Kevin Love. There will neve be another Walton or Kareem, the game has changed. I can't believe people would attack Kevin for being on the fake cover! There's a kid on there that didn't even pick UCLA as his first choice and hasn't even put on a UCLA practice jersey yet Kevin Love is the one that shouldn't be on there......
To the KLove bashers out there, you are fairweather fans, my friends.
Half of you were singing his praises as he hit crucial shot after shot to win key games for us. Luc somehow thought he was a jump shooter this year and continued to digress; Shipp lost his confidence so many times. Even Collison just gave up during the Final Four game. Many of Russell's easy dunks came off of KLove outlet passes.
If not for KLove, we do not win a school record 35 games, it's that simple. Yes we didn't win it all, but we got beaten by a better team. It's been known to happen sometimes...
I, for one, am sad to see him go. It will be hard for J'Mison to fill his shoes, but I love the potential of the class that's coming in, especially my man Jrue! He's a KILLER, you watch.
PS. Coach Ben, if you're reading this, PLEASE go get Orton!!! Lance Stephenson is the real deal, too!
LN23 - Where is this "hating on Kevin Love?" I don't read anything above about anyone "hating" on him. That is hysterical nonsense - you don't need to be so melodramatic. Further, you are damn right Mata is "no Kevin Love." Not once did Mata complain about his role on the team. Not once did he say "I don't get enough minutes ('touches')" He dug in and committed heart body soul and sweat to the team and only for the team for four full years. So, I agree with you - Mata is no Kevin Love.
Bee - where is the K Love "bashing?" That too is histrionic nonsense. Luc "thought he was a jump shooter" because coach asked him to work on his shot. Luc played in Coach's system. Shipp lost his confidence and still the fans loved him. Why? Because his heart, again, was with the team. Because he never gave up. Because he played within Coach's framework. Why exactly do YOU think BH has so much confidence in him? DC absolutely did not have his best game against Memphis. But why do us fans ("fairweather?" - I dare say YOU are the "fairweather fan" choosing KLove a "one and done" over Luc Josh and Darren who have committed years and redshirt and subjugated ego - DC first year - to the team)welcome DC back with open arms? Because of his heart and his love for the institution of UCLA.
BTW, we went to two final fours before KLove and have a great shot of going again without him yet again.
Oh, and one more thing, Ben, if you're reading this, you are doing just fine. You do not need to heed the "advice" of the "experts" on this site. Go get the players that YOU feel will help the Bruins perform for years to come. And thank you for all you have done.
LN23: are you suggesting that Walton and Kareem couldn't play in today's game? KLove was very good - they were (and are) great. Good artwork on the fake SI cover - but it's just fantasy.
I've been a fan for 44 years, come rain or shine.
My last comment was talking about all the "hating" on K Love ever since he declared not just on this article.
As for Mata not complaining about minutes or touches because he can't perform like Love.I'm a Mata fan, but let's get this straight, if he had K-Love skills he would be gone too. if you guarantee the other Bruins a high pick in the draft then they're gone too. Shipp and Luc tried! The Final 4 argument was bound to come up. Last years team had Afflalo, I doubt losing Afflalo and no Love would equal another final 4....what a joke
My last comment was talking about all the "hating" on K Love ever since he declared not just on this article.
As for Mata not complaining about minutes or touches because he can't perform like Love.I'm a Mata fan, but let's get this straight, if he had K-Love skills he would be gone too. if you guarantee the other Bruins a high pick in the draft then they're gone too. Shipp and Luc tried! The Final 4 argument was bound to come up. Last years team had Afflalo, I doubt losing Afflalo and no Love would equal another final 4....what a joke
ln23 - if you were a monkey you would be swinging by your tail from trees. Who the hell cares what YOU conjecture Mata would do IF he had "K-Love skills?" You can now stop with these ridiculous ad hominem circumstantial arguments. Shipp was at UCLA for four years before he "tried" to go to the draft. Luc has hustled sweated and bled for the team for three years operating within BH's system. These are facts, not your idiotic conjectures about what someone would or might do. Perhaps those expectations represent transference on your part because that is exactly what you would do in that situation. A clear example of your own ad hominem tu quoque style of asininity. So, you get this straight - you, my dear sir, are the "joke."
Bruin66,
I didn't mean Kareem and Walton couldn't play now, they're legends!! I just meant that the temptation to go pro and the money has changed the game.
George,
I know members of Lorenzo's family, not just some lame fan. He doesn't come from a wealthy family and would love to provide for his family. Trust me, if he had K-Loves skill he would have left a long time ago. Once again, they stay at UCLA because their draft position isn't high enough. You can say it's idiotic, but look at the pattern. Farmar is high so he leaves. Afflalo is high so he leaves. Love and Westbrook are high so they leave. Collison slips so he stays. When a player is projected to be a lottery pick and stays then come talk to me. Everytime they report a good Bruin has decided to stay they always add "to improve their draft stock" after their name. I hope a player comes along to prove me wrong, it would be nice. Have fun living in your fantasy of players with major NBA skills staying multiple years for the experience or the education.
george: Calm down. This is a board about Bruin basketball, not violence in the Middle east. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Let's keep this forum from getting nasty. I'm all for disagreements and debate, but not name calling and insults.
ln23 - Once again you utilize a logical fallacy known as ad hominem circumstance. That being said you are factually correct about the other players. However, Farmar has excellently represented UCLA speaking well of the institution and his time there. Afflalo has been a superb ambassador of the school and is strongly considering completely his degree. Westbrook has gone to each of his professors asking for incompletes so that he can come back in the summer to complete his coursework. Collison would have likely gone late in the first round but had "unfinished business" so announced his return. How did Love honor his time at UCLA? He dropped out of his classes TOO LATE to avoid penalties thus hurting the school's APR. His father bashes BH in the press stating that his pride and joy was not utilized correctly by the coach. During the season, while out of shape and unable to play defense, KL called out his team to give him more "touches." So, again, I will assert that there is a difference in character between KL and the rest of the players you mentioned above.
Rob - What the heck does the middle east have to do with anything?
George,
I'll agree, there are somethings that K-Love could have done differently to help out UCLA. It would have been nice to see him go the same route as Westbrook with the class situation. As for his comments, he's a kid. I believe he was right, he did deserve more touches. His only error was to say it to the media and not directly to his teammates. Once again, a mistake many kids make. I believe his dad was just trying to make NBA scouts believe that there's a lot that Kevin can do that wasn't displayed under Ben Howlands system. With that said, his dad should have kept his mouth shut. He wasn't able to clearly get his point across without bashing BH. K-Love was heavier during the season but did lose weight while at UCLA. He was much heavier during HS. Everybody seems to improve their fitness before the draft. If he wasn't making progress or wasn't trying to lose weight I don't think he would've been on the floor. I trust that Howland would bench him if he wasn't trying to get in better shape throughout the season. Overall, I think he's a good kid and I'm glad we had him.
ln23 - I absolutely agree that KLove is a good kid and I too am glad we got him. I went to every game with my kids and we LOVED watching him. My only objection to your posts is that, in my opinion, nowhere in this thread was there any KLove "bashing" or "hate." Again, in my opinion, stating that KLove is not in the same league with Kareen or Walton does not constitute bashing or hate. There are very few that are in that league. Further, pointing out the difference in attitude between the other bruin warriors (Mata, DC, JS, RW etc.) and KLove does not constitute "bashing" or "hate." Most likely, we agree on a lot of this. Looking forward to a great season.
@george:
You are only reading the above postings, not keeping track of what's been posted the last couple of weeks...
As for favoring the 'one-and-done' KLove over the other players, I don't, actually. I'm stating his impact on this team, and why people should NOT be hating on KLove.
You need to take a chill pill.
This is me chilled. You should read me when I get excited.
BTW, why don't you comment on the other posts that bug you rather than causing the miscommunication resulting from the impression that you were commenting on the posts on the post you were actually posting on?
@george:
reading you when you get excited? no thanks.
Hey George- why don't you creat your own site where you make up the rules? You could tell them what they can and can't comment on or even how to avoid miscommunication with yourself.
Either that or get a life
poster who won't create a name:
"get a life" - did you learn that dig while in the third grade or are you still?
BTW, "I know you are so what am I?"
Completely agree with George. Went to Ucla, played sports there and Darren Collison is honestly one of the greatest bruins ever. More heart, and guts than any man twice his size. He basically has willed the bruins to the final four the last two years regardless of K-Love. Also Mata is a stud and we did just fine with him before Love got there. Love was incredible that one year, but Mata would have done fine given more opportunties last year. Respect him a great deal and same with Luc and Josh. Also think Alfred is a stud if he can avoid fouling on the defensive end. Great points George.
Thanks Animal!!!
Just tell it like I see it. Really was disappointed with Kevin's father for saying Howland didn't live up to his promises. Honestly wanted to beat him. Ucla is one of the greatest schools academically and athletically, Love was Pac-10 player of the year, and putting Howland down to build up his son who is already a super star is pathetic. Especially when he knows it might effect the way blue-chip recuits think of our program. There was absolutely NO reason to do that and I promise anyone that Kevin will still be a millionaire and a successful pro regardless if his dad had said that. Just really bums me out that someone would be that classless.
P.S Go Bruins and sure proud of our program and the job Howland has done
I am not going to bash K-Love, but he doesn't belong in that pic with Kareem and Walton, give me a break. He didn't win a championship and he bounced after one year. And let's get this straight UCLA didn't need him for "exposure" that is a joke. Plus, it would have been nice if he was in shape, maybe we would have won that Memphis game. Love was what he was, a polished smooth talker with some game who was one and done.
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