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Raymar Morgan: The most frustrating player in the NCAA
-6'8"
-230 pounds
-Four-year starter
-Averaged double-figure points and around 6 board a game his entire career, along with shooting about 51 percent from the field
-The ability to score on the wing, combined with the skills to get buckets in the paint
-Can guard multiple positions
That looks like the resume of an NBA Lottery pick, right?
What about when you add this in:
-Looks lost on the court at times
-Sulks when things don't go his way
-No-shows entire games at times
-A bit of a whiner
That looks like the attributes of an athlete with the mental acumen of Ron Artest.
But that's been, for better or worse, what MSU has gotten from Raymar Morgan the last four years. Morgan shows flashes of brilliance at times - like averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds over State's final three regular season games. Those were all wins MSU HAD to have, and Raymar was easily the best player on the floor in each contest.
Then there's the other side of it, like when Morgan had a five-game stretch of 0, 8, 8, 6 and 4 points when MSU lost three of five, and the lead in the Big Ten, early last month.
That's what kills me. I get more upset when Ray has a great game (WHY THE #%$* CAN'T YOU PLAY THIS WAY ALL THE TIME?!?) than I do when he goes out and gives a performance that rivals the acting in "Homeboys From Outer Space." How weird is that? There's so much potential there, but he hasn't fully harnessed it. He's faced injuries and illness during his time in East Lansing, but more often than not, Morgan has played like Rasheed Wallace: great skills and talent, but no real desire to be The Man.
Look at Texas' Damion James. I've been telling my boys all season that he and Raymar are the exact same player: same size, skill set, everything. But James doesn't take nights off (he's scored in double figures in 28 of Texas' 31 games and has 15 double-doubles this season) and is projected as a top-15 pick in this summer's NBA Draft. Morgan - because of his inconsistent play and demeanor at times, not is level of skill - will be lucky to latch on with a team overseas.
But Ray can redeem himself if he carries his good play from the end of the regular season into the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
The most frustrating thing about that?
Nobody knows if he will.
-230 pounds
-Four-year starter
-Averaged double-figure points and around 6 board a game his entire career, along with shooting about 51 percent from the field
-The ability to score on the wing, combined with the skills to get buckets in the paint
-Can guard multiple positions
That looks like the resume of an NBA Lottery pick, right?
What about when you add this in:
-Looks lost on the court at times
-Sulks when things don't go his way
-No-shows entire games at times
-A bit of a whiner
That looks like the attributes of an athlete with the mental acumen of Ron Artest.
But that's been, for better or worse, what MSU has gotten from Raymar Morgan the last four years. Morgan shows flashes of brilliance at times - like averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds over State's final three regular season games. Those were all wins MSU HAD to have, and Raymar was easily the best player on the floor in each contest.
Then there's the other side of it, like when Morgan had a five-game stretch of 0, 8, 8, 6 and 4 points when MSU lost three of five, and the lead in the Big Ten, early last month.
That's what kills me. I get more upset when Ray has a great game (WHY THE #%$* CAN'T YOU PLAY THIS WAY ALL THE TIME?!?) than I do when he goes out and gives a performance that rivals the acting in "Homeboys From Outer Space." How weird is that? There's so much potential there, but he hasn't fully harnessed it. He's faced injuries and illness during his time in East Lansing, but more often than not, Morgan has played like Rasheed Wallace: great skills and talent, but no real desire to be The Man.
Look at Texas' Damion James. I've been telling my boys all season that he and Raymar are the exact same player: same size, skill set, everything. But James doesn't take nights off (he's scored in double figures in 28 of Texas' 31 games and has 15 double-doubles this season) and is projected as a top-15 pick in this summer's NBA Draft. Morgan - because of his inconsistent play and demeanor at times, not is level of skill - will be lucky to latch on with a team overseas.
But Ray can redeem himself if he carries his good play from the end of the regular season into the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
The most frustrating thing about that?
Nobody knows if he will.
Labels: Basketball, Michigan State University, MSU, Raymar Morgan
posted by Jason Carmel Davis at
2:42 PM
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