'06 OH SF Raymar Morgan (Michigan State Verbal)

[jenkinswoody]

I think that we are seeing why he has been so calm through the whole process........

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Its obvious to everyone who has followed his recruitment that he has really improved this summer, lets hope he verbals to OSU. He is a great kid who plays the game hard.

Lamb on BN feels that their is a possiblity he will verbal within a couple of weeks and if not may take visits in the fall and then decide.

[jwinslow]

Further confirmation of the great news about his offer (upon first glance I thought the tree was a fro)

He talks about waiting to decide until after he takes all of his visits in september. Choosing OSU will not be b/c of the Thad 5. And he admits he wishes OSU had offered months ago (let's hope that is not a hangup for him).

BN $

<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" width="98%"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="3">Morgan Discusses OSU Offer

</td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top">
Raymar Morgan

</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" width="3">
</td> <td valign="top"> By Dave Biddle
Date: Jul 13, 2005

Canton McKinley forward Raymar Morgan is the latest player to receive a scholarship offer from Ohio State, but will he accept it and become the next member of the OSU recruiting class? Dave Biddle caught up with Morgan, who has a timetable in mind for when he will make his decision.
</td></tr></tbody> </table>

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I don't think this is a good development for OSU. I think right now that Morgan was feeling a bit frustrated by OSU's lack of an offer until yesterday and I think that has had an effect.

I do not mean that in a negative way towards Morgan personally, I just mean that could be an influence on his decision making right now. I think he is a great kid, but the lateness of the offer may cost OSU in the end.

I have always thought they should have offered him earlier this year, the kid is a winner and plays the game the right way.

[jwinslow]

Agreed, I also got a negative vibe from reading his interview, and would also apply the blame to Thad not Raymar for the way things may be between them. Keep in mind that MSU is an elite school and has not had tons of recruiting success like us, so it's not hard to feel more loved by them (especially since they offered long ago).

Read this a few times and can't figure out if he's shaking his head excitedly about OSU or Mich/MSU...

Spartans Insider (Free)

... Raymar and Isaiah

The next game I witnessed involved two of the Spartans’ top recruits in the 2006 class, Team Iowa’s Raymar Morgan, and Team Michigan State’s Isaiah Dahlman. It was the first time I had seen these guys other than on film, so I was anxious to get a good look, as were Tom Izzo and Steve Alford, who had settled into courtside spots opposite the team benches.

Both players were impressive, and displayed good basketball IQ’s with a willingness to distribute the ball to open teammates. That is an unusual thing to see at these types of events, so when you see a kid do that it stands out.

Dahlman has a great looking shot from outside, hitting on a long range three from the left corner and later grabbing a rebound and taking it to the hoop, switching hands in mid-air before laying it in off the glass. The most impressive thing about his game offensively is how hard he works to get open without the ball.

Morgan is a bit more athletic than Dahlman, and a couple of times played some stifling defense on Dahlman, once blocking Isaiah’s shot in the lane on a drive to the hoop. Morgan, at 6’8”, has the skill to play both in the post and outside. He displayed a nice jump hook from about 8 ft on the right base line, then a series or two later got into the passing lane at the top of the circle to steal a pass, which he converted into a breakaway dunk on the opposite end.

Both Raymar and Isaiah have a quick first step and are not afraid to put the ball on the floor and create on their own. It was not surprising that they would be named to the Camp’s All Star rosters later Saturday afternoon.

The Interview Room


...


Raymar Morgan said that the possibly that Jamil Tucker could become the fifth member of the Thad Five in Columbus has no bearing on his decision on whether to attend OSU or not. When I follwed that question by asking him if his final three schools remained Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State, he smiled, shook his head vertically and said “Yes” (oops there’s a quote).

As for Deshawn, the race for his signature between Michigan and Michigan State maybe tighter than it was two months ago, then again it may not be. It all depends on who you believe. While he continues to say that Syracuse remains on his list of schools, I think he is saying that so as not to offend orange lovers.

...


The MHSAA and the All Star No-Shows

...


The games, as expected provided little defense and lots of scoring. Isaiah Dahlman and Raymar Morgan both played big in the second game, and Dahlman was named the Game II MVP.

[wadc45]

honestly, I see what you guys are saying, but I think part of it is the fact that Morgan is not much of talker when it comes to interviews. he is usually fairly modest and understated and does not give you a whole lot in any of his interviews. I think that may be part of what might be causing the perception that he is not as high on OSU as we all hope he is.

I still think he ends up in Columbus...

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

rivals.com$

7/19/05

From the Michigan site.........

Raymar intends to visit OSU, Michigan and Michigan State on official visits this fall before he makes a decision. When asked about the wether the offer from OSU came to late...he said he wasn't sure. Morgan says it would be a privilege to play with Oden and company at OSU. He says he will stay close to home.

(ALL SIGNS POINT TO OHIO STATE IN THE END)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

rivals.com$

7/21/05

From the Michigan State site......Morgan will be at the Main Event tournament in Vegas this week. The rumor going around was that Ohio State was in the lead but Morgan says that is not true and that he will take his visits and then decide between Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State.

[wadc45]

I think Raymar is just having a tough time figuring out a way to tell Tommy Amaker that it ain't gonna happen...

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

rivals.com$

7/23/05

Morgan now says he will take his official visits sooner. He would like to get the decision over before his season starts.

rivals.com$

7/23/05

Morgan had 18 points in a win on Friday at the Main Event tourney.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Reportedly, Morgan has told the media in Vegas that Michigan State is the leader at this point. Michigan State was the first to offer Morgan.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ScoutHoops.com$

7/25/05

On Saturday at the Main Event tournament.....Morgan had 17 points and 12 rebounds in a win. Described as a player who just gets it done and has a winning attitude.

Michigan State, Ohio State, Connecticut and Michigan are the only teams Raymar is looking at.


(Coach Matta watched Morgan's morning game on Saturday)

[strohs]

Originally Posted by bucknuts44820

Reportedly, Morgan has told the media in Vegas that Michigan State is the leader at this point. Michigan State was the first to offer Morgan.

This kids from Ohio, shouldn't matter who offered first, but thats just me (and most on this board) I guess!

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

RIVALS.COM (FREE)

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>Ohio's Morgan Finishes Red-Hot Summer <HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1></TD></TR><TR><TD>Paul Konyndyk
SpartanMag.com Staff </TD><TD noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Before Raymar Morgan left for Las Vegas late last week, he told Spartanmag.com that the only thing he desired to accomplish yet this summer was winning the NIKE Main Event. The Canton (OH) McKinley star nearly got his wish.

After sweeping through a talented group of opponents in pool play at the Main Event, the Morgan-led Shooting Stars won four consecutive games in bracket play to reach the tournament's Final Four. They then fell to eventual Main Event champion Friend of Hoop Seattle, 70-55, in the tournament semifinal.

"In every single game, at least one of our guys played as well I've seen them play this summer," said Shooting Stars coach Percy Robinson. "In a couple of games, we had all our guys play at that type of level. It was a great tournament, maybe the best we've played all summer."

Morgan continued to compete at an elite level, and played far above his Rivals.com ranking of the No. 85 player in the Class of 2006.

"Raymar was outstanding," Robinson said. "He was able to do pretty much whatever he wanted to do. If they played off him, he shot it well. If they played him tight, he would put it on the floor and drive to the basket. He had a great tournament."

<!--Start morgan, raymar 275 Image--><SCRIPT ********************>document.write(insertImage('ht tp://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/951/250176.jpg', '250176.jpg', 0, 361, 275, 1, 'Raymar Morgan offers versatility on offense and defense, and a habit of winning.', 'Jim Comparoni', 1122452215000, 'morgan, raymar 275', 951, 'Align=Left'));</SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=283 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=277></TD><TD width=6 rowSpan=4></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Jim Comparoni</TD></TR><TR><TD height=3></TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Raymar Morgan offers versatility on offense and defense, and a habit of winning.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End morgan, raymar 275 Image-->The tournament, which took place July 22-26, featured more than 270 of the nation's top summer basketball teams. And the Shooting Stars opened play against one the field's best teams in the Houston Hoops.

Morgan and teammate Marcus Johnson each scored 18 points in the tournament opener, as the Shooting Stars upended the Hoops, 78-74. "That was a game that could have gone either way, really," Robinson said. "Both teams really wanted that win, and I think it took a lot of both of our teams."

One of the nation's most highly-regarded programs, Houston features the potent inside-out combination of 5-foot-11 point guard Nic Wise and 6-foot-7 forward Gary Johnson. Ranked No. 142 in 2006, Wise is committed to Arizona and is widely considered the top senior point guard in Texas. Gary Johnson is the No. 28 ranked player and the top-ranked player in Texas for the Class of 2007.

After edging Houston, the Shooting Stars began to roll. Morgan and his crew next posted double-digit victories over Wisconsin Playground Warriors and Sam Rines Basketball White to emerge from pool play undefeated.

"From Houston until our last game, we dominated everybody we played," Robinson said. "I couldn't be happier with the way we played. Our game against Houston was the best, but we were very good until our last game."

Unscathed after pool play, the Shooting Stars opened bracket play with a 70-45 victory over Massachusetts Premier Gold. They then dispatched the Minnesota Swoosh and sliced up the Cuttino Mobley Philadelphia Studs to reach the Elite Eight.

In the Elite Eight, the Shooting Stars faced their toughest competition outside of Houston in the Portland Elite Legends, which feature two Top 5 standouts from '07 in Lake Oswego's Kevin Love and South Medford's Kyle Singer.

The Shooting Stars eclipsed Portland, 76-69, to advance to the Final Four, before falling 70-55 to eventual champion Friend of Hoop.

Robinson and his team were disappointed to see their run end in the Final Four. The Shooting Stars coach felt his team had all the necessary components to knock off the Spencer Hawes-led Friend of Hoop.

"That is a team that I think we beat on most days," he said. "That's not to take anything away from those guys because they played well. But I think we just ran out of gas. We had tough games against Houston and Portland, and I think we got tired."

The Main Event marked the last game of the summer for the Shooting Stars, who made the Elite Eight or Final Four in most of the tournaments they played.

"The success of our team is built on our defense," Robinson said. "We build everything around that. I don't believe in playing zone, either. We play hard-nosed man defense and that's how we win games."

What Lies Ahead

No more games will be played this summer, but Robinson plans on holding meetings with his players from time to time to discuss their progress and their upcoming college choices.

Morgan - a 6-8 athlete with the ability to slash, lead the break with the dribble, and play defense at a variety of positions - still lists Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan as his three leaders.

Robinson is certain that Morgan is going to have a difficult with his decision. "Right now, Raymar isn't saying no to anybody. He is letting them all come to the table," he said. "But I think that will change fairly soon. Things are going to pick up quickly."

Michigan State remains in very good standing with Morgan and his family. "Raymar isn't naming a leader, so it's not fair for me to say what I think," Robinson said. "Michigan is recruiting him very hard right now, and I know he'll look at Ohio State. But no matter how hard those guys work, they can't outwork Tom Izzo. When other teams send assistants, Izzo is there in person. I have to believe makes an impression."

According to his coach, Morgan still plans on taking his visits in September. Michigan State, Michigan, and Ohio State could all get visits from Morgan, who may also take a visit to UConn.

The Huskies have talked about offering soon, and Robinson expects them to do so in the next week or two. When they do offer, UConn will likely move up Morgan's list.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Per Lamb on BN........he feels Morgan will decide between Ohio State and Michigan State in the next few months. He believes he will choose OSU in the end.