'06 OH SF Raymar Morgan (Michigan State Verbal)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

RIVALS

SCOUT

McKinley HS (Canton, OH)
Ht: 6-7
Wt: 210

Ranked #28 Small Forward by Rivals.com and #111 overall. Raymar has visited tOSU and enjoyed his visit.

"I do plan to take all five official visits," he added. "I don't have any favorites right now and I am really wide-open. Connecticut is a school that I will probably visit, but I don't know what other schools I will visit after that."

He is listing Arizona, Michigan State, tOSU, Connecticut and Syracuse

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

RIVALS

2/17/05

Raymar is averaging 19.9 ppg and 9.9 rebounds a game for 18-1 McKinley who are ranked #1 in Division 1.

Coaches from Connecticut, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State have been in to see him play this season. The junior added that Arizona, Georgia Tech, Miami, Florida and Texas are all corresponding via letters. None have offered yet.

Raymar says he will trim his list down to five after the season.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

SCOUT


3/6/05

Morgan, scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Bulldogs, the state’s #1 ranked boys basketball team stunned #3 ranked Warren Harding, 84-41, Iin the District Final. McKinley ran its record to 22-1.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

3/14/05

BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL FINALCANTON McKINLEY 64HUDSON 48

McKinley nets Final Four return


Sunday, March 13, 2005 Eddie Dwyer
Plain Dealer Reporter
Canton McKinley's Raymar Morgan smiled as he looked at the piece of the net he had just cut away from the rim.

As enjoyable as Saturday night's celebration was, the Bulldogs' all-district junior post plans to make one more trip up the ladder this month.

<SCRIPT ********************1.1 src="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s/shbab/@StoryAd"></SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=383></TD><TD width=85></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT ********************></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>http://[img]http://ads.cleveland...Ad?x[/img]</NOSCRIPT>
For Morgan and the rest of Ohio's top-ranked Division I boys basketball team, this weekend is all about taking care of "unfinished business."

McKinley, disappointed in its performance in a loss to Hamilton in last year's state semifinals, earned another trip to the Final Four by pulling away from a gritty Hudson team, 64-48, in a regional championship game at the University of Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena. The game attracted a sellout crowd of 5,256.

The Bulldogs (24-1), who will be making the school's 24th Final Four appearance, will face eighth-ranked Mansfield Senior (24-1) Friday at 5:15 p.m. in a semifinal matchup at Value City Arena in Columbus.

"This year, we're looking to take it home," Morgan said. "We have to be physical and mentally ready. Last year, I didn't think we were there, mentally."

Hudson (19-6), which completed the most successful postseason run in the history of its boys basketball program, moved to a 12-4 lead on a 3-pointer and a driving one-hander by all-district senior point guard Brian Guerin with 2:03 remaining in the first quarter.

With Hudson leading, 16-13, early in the second quarter, the game turned when Morgan was intentionally fouled on a breakaway.

Morgan converted both free throws and then scored on a putback, fueling an 11-0 run by McKinley.

"They were pretty good, better than we expected," said Morgan of a Hudson team that earned the school's first trip to boys regional basketball competition since 1962 and became the first Explorers boys team to play in the Elite Eight.

"Their point guard had great ball concentration," Morgan said. "And their big men, they were real physical."

With Hudson trailing by 10 points, Guerin, the Explorers' catalyst, picked up his fourth foul with 5:05 left in the third quarter and sat out the remainder of the quarter.

Although he would come back to score 11 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, Guerin watched with frustration as McKinley, on the strength of two soft jumpers and a 3-pointer by reserve guard Sedelle Broyles, went on a 9-2 run.

After junior guard Kyrk Freeman scored on a buzzer-beating layup off a picture-perfect assist from junior forward Todd Brown, the Bulldogs led, 45-26, entering the final eight minutes.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

edwyer@plaind.com, 216-999-4677

Morgan's team moves on to the final four.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

3/15/05

Morgan was named Second Team All-Ohio in Division I.

SECOND TEAM: Ben Howlett, Marietta, 6-0, sr., 30.1; Raymar Morgan, Canton McKinley, 6-7, jr., 18.3; Zach Hillesland, Tol. St. John's, 6-7, sr., 15.3; James Dews, Lakota E., 6-4, jr., 20.3; Dennis Santiago, Midpark, 5-10, sr., 21.0; Cordaryl Ballard, Cols. Mifflin, 6-3, sr., 22.3; Kyle Madsen, Dublin Coffman, 6-9, sr., 17.3.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

3/20/05

Second-team All-Ohioan Raymar Morgan made three clutch free throws in the final minute to help top-ranked Canton McKinley beat Cincinnati St. Xavier 51-42 for the school's long-awaited second big-school state championship on Saturday.

Canton McKinley 51, Cin. St. Xavier 42
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=470 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=20></TD><TD width=105><NOBR>Email to a Friend</NOBR></TD><TD align=middle width=20></TD><TD width=140><NOBR>Printer Friendly Version </NOBR></TD><TD width=185> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width=180 align=left bgColor=#ffffff border=0 NAME="D20"><!--AD 180x150 LOCAL--><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle><IFRAME id=wnsz_20 style="DISPLAY: none; VISIBILITY: hidden" border=1 name=wnsz_20 marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 frameBorder=0 width=180 scrolling=no height=150 allowTransparency><SCRIPT **********'**********1.1'>if (document.layers) {document.write('<SCR' + 'IPT ********************1.1 SRC=""/Global/ad.asp?type=single&cls1=Sport&src1=loc&spct1=100&s z1=wnsz_20&callType=script></SCR\\' + \\'IPT>\\'); document.close();}</SCRIPT></IFRAME><SCRIPT ********************1.1>coreAdsCreate('wnsz_20', 'loc', '100');</SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



<!-- -->COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Canton McKinley hex is dead.

Second-team All-Ohioan Raymar Morgan made three clutch free throws in the final minute to help top-ranked Canton McKinley beat Cincinnati St. Xavier 51-42 for the school's long-awaited second big-school state championship on Saturday.


Before a loud crowd at Value City Arena, the Bulldogs buried a lot of old ghosts.


"I think they (the players) understand what it takes and they were focused on what they had to do," coach Dave Hoover said.


Morgan scored 18 points and third-team all-stater Ricky Jackson and Todd Brown each added 10 for the Bulldogs (26-1).


Johnny Wolf, a first-team All-Ohioan, carried the load for the Bombers (21-6), scoring 25 points and adding four assists.


"They're as good as any team we've played," St. X coach Scott Martin said. "You hate to come to the state title game and leave as the runners-up. It hurts really bad. We lost to a great basketball team. We had an opportunity to beat them but McKinley did what they had to do."


It was a sweet, sweet victory for a Bulldogs program whose fans have had their hearts broken again and again each March.


McKinley was making its record 27th trip to the state's final four, and was appearing in the title game for the 10th time _ something else no school has ever done. Unfortunately for the Pups _ as they are called by their fans _ no school has ever failed to win 25 times, either. McKinley's only previous title came with Gary Grant at point guard back in 1984.


The Bulldogs are renowned as the winningest basketball program in Ohio with 1,686 wins, but they're also known as the school that always seems to find trouble at the state tournament.


Not this year.


"It's huge right now," a smiling Morgan said. "There's no better feeling."


Brown hit a 10-foot pull-up jumper and Marcus Parker had a fortuitous layup _ after a loose ball was inadvertently kicked down the court directly on his path to the basket by St. X's Rob Schoenhoft, who will play quarterback at Ohio State this fall _ to give McKinley a 44-39 lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.


Wolf hit three free throws over the next 65 seconds, but they were offset by three McKinley foul shots.


With McKinley gripping a 47-42 lead, Xavier turned the ball over and then missed a shot. Morgan, who had hit a big free throw with 53.2 seconds left, stepped to the line with 22.9 seconds on the clock and hit both.


After another miss by the Bombers, Parker hit a layup right in front of the McKinley cheering section. The celebration had already begun.


"Once we started moving the ball better, we found some seams and we were able to get to the basket without having bodies on us," Hoover said.


Almost an hour before the opening tip, the all-boys cheering section for St. Xavier was already chanting, "Over-rated! Over-rated!"


McKinley also was involved in the gamesmanship, huddling in front of the St. Xavier bench and locking arms while chanting before the game, forcing St. X's players and coaches to stand and watch.


With the score tied at 27 at the half, McKinley slowly began taking control. Jackson hit a short jumper and a layup sandwiched around a Morgan basket for a 33-27 lead. Jackson's 12-foot jumper made it 37-31 with 2 minutes left in the quarter, with the Pups settling for a 37-32 lead at the third-quarter break.


A Wolf jumper and a foul shot by Greg Sweeney cut the lead to 37-35 early in the fourth quarter.


But in a physical matchup between two hustling, pressing defenses, McKinley made enough big plays to hold onto the lead. A foul shot by Morgan and Jackson's driving bucket made it 40-35 with 3:46 left before Nick Wolf came right back to hit a 3-pointer for the Bombers.


McKinley then hit free throws _ the Bulldogs ended up 11-of-14 at the line _ to hold off St. X.


"We don't mind scoring a lot of points if the other team will let us," Martin said. "But they played great defense."


The Bombers were making their third trip to the state's final four, taking their only title in 2000.


McKinley's victory meant that the voters in the regular-season Associated Press poll correctly picked all four No. 1 teams. The other top-ranked teams to capture championships included Upper Sandusky in Division II, Cincinnati North College Hill in III and Columbus Africentric in Division IV. It was the first time that the poll winners all went on to capture tournament titles.


<!-- -->Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LINK

3/20/05

Bulldogs' Morgan leads Division I all-tournament
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=470 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=20></TD><TD width=105><NOBR>Email to a Friend</NOBR></TD><TD align=middle width=20></TD><TD width=140><NOBR>Printer Friendly Version </NOBR></TD><TD width=185> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width=180 align=left bgColor=#ffffff border=0 NAME="D20"><!--AD 180x150 LOCAL--><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle><IFRAME id=wnsz_20 style="DISPLAY: none; VISIBILITY: hidden" border=1 name=wnsz_20 marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 frameBorder=0 width=180 scrolling=no height=150 allowTransparency><SCRIPT **********'**********1.1'>if (document.layers) {document.write('<SCR' + 'IPT ********************1.1 SRC=""/Global/ad.asp?type=single&cls1=Sport&src1=loc&spct1=100&s z1=wnsz_20&callType=script></SCR\\' + \\'IPT>\\'); document.close();}</SCRIPT></IFRAME><SCRIPT ********************1.1>coreAdsCreate('wnsz_20', 'loc', '100');</SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



<!-- -->COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Raymar Morgan, who saved his best for last for state champion Canton McKinley, is the most outstanding player on the 2005 Associated Press Division I boys all-tournament team.

Morgan, a 6-foot-7 junior, had 18 points, two assists and six rebounds _ and hit three huge free throws in the final minute _ as the top-ranked Bulldogs beat Cincinnati St. Xavier 51-42 in the title game.


Morgan also had nine points, seven rebounds and four assists in a semifinal victory over Mansfield Senior.


Joining him on the division's all-tournament team are: teammate Todd Brown (26 points, 13 rebounds in two games); Cincinnati St. Xavier's Johnny Wolf (44 points, five assists, six rebounds in two games); Mansfield Senior's Jon Avery (a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and 12 points in a semifinal loss); and Cincinnati Moeller's Troy Tabler (12 points, four assists, four rebounds) in a semifinal defeat.


<!-- -->Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

3/21/05

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Raymar Morgan, who saved his best for last for state champion Canton McKinley, is the most outstanding player on the 2005 Associated Press Division I boys all-tournament team.

Morgan, a 6-foot-7 junior, had 18 points, two assists and six rebounds - and hit three huge free throws in the final minute - as the top-ranked Bulldogs beat Cincinnati St. Xavier 51-42 in Saturday's title game.

Morgan also had nine points, seven rebounds and four assists in a semifinal victory over Mansfield Senior.

Joining him on the division's all-tournament team are: teammate Todd Brown (26 points, 13 rebounds in two games); Cincinnati St. Xavier's Johnny Wolf (44 points, five assists, six rebounds in two games); Mansfield Senior's Jon Avery (a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and 12 points in a semifinal loss); and Cincinnati Moeller's Troy Tabler (12 points, four assists, four rebounds) in a semifinal defeat.

[crazybuckfan40]

http://ohiostate.scout.com/2/362804.html

Man I really thought we were a long shot for him but this article has some good things.

We are a favorite along with MSU and Arizona.

He has family in Arizona.

He was with Cook at the ILL. came and they hit it off and he said the place was an amazing atmosphere.

He says he really likes Matta.

I think it is between MSU and tOSU.(IMHO)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

crazybuckfan40......thought I would post the free article.

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>Raymar Morgan Update & Championship Video
By Bill Greene Ohio High Scout/Contributor
Date: Mar 24, 2005

Ohio State landed a verbal commitment from Ohio's No. 1 junior basketball prospect yesterday, and it should have an effect on OSU's recruiting success from this point on. Bill Greene caught up with another of Ohio's top juniors yesterday -- Canton McKinley forward Raymar Morgan -- and found out his thoughts on the new commitment. Also, we have special video clips of Morgan for you today (premium access) from this year's D-I state title game.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
I had a chance to sit down with Canton McKinley junior forward Raymar Morgan Wednesday night at Malone College. Morgan, 6' 7" and 215 pounds, led McKinley to the state title in Columbus last weekend, and was named MVP of the tournament. Morgan, an All-Ohio 2nd team selection, is already planning for a return trip to the state tournament next year.

"My goal is to make it to my third final four, and win it all again," said Morgan. " I need to get stronger and I'm working on extending my shooting range. This summer, I'll be playing for the King James All-Stars again. LeBron James is my idol. We talk a lot in the summer and I respect him a lot."

When asked if Ohio State receiving a verbal commitment from fellow junior Daequan Cook of Dayton Dunbar might influence his college choice, Morgan smiled and said, "Yes it might. I've met him and like him a lot. He's a great player. We were together when Ohio State beat Illinois. The atmosphere was amazing that day."

As one of the top juniors in Ohio, Raymar has drawn interest from most of the big time programs in America. He admitted he's having a hard time narrowing his list of favorites.

"My list would be Ohio State, Michigan State, Connecticut, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Arizona, in no particular order," said Morgan. "I've been to Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Arizona. I have family in Arizona."

Raymar quickly denied rumors that he's decided on Michigan State.

"No, I haven't decided on Michigan State. I'm not close to making a decision. I like Michigan State a lot, but I like Ohio State a lot, too. I really like Coach Matta a lot. We've talked and he's a good guy. I like their style of play," said Morgan.

"Ohio State plays a lot like we do at McKinley. After we won the championship Saturday Night, I was thinking to myself that it would be neat to play here all the time."

Raymar Morgan isn't just a great basketball player. As a sophomore, he was listed in Ohio High magazine as one of the top wide receivers in the state. As his basketball career took off, he gave up football, but not without a few regrets.

"Oh yes, I really miss playing football. I think I could have been a Randy Moss-type player, but I know I made the right choice," said Morgan.

Raymar Morgan is as nice a young man as he is a great basketball player. This is typical of this Bulldog team, coached by Dave Hoover. With only one senior starter, Sean Weatherspoon, the Bulldogs are clearly the favorite to win the title again next year. Hoover, one of the top coaches in the state, will be looking to win his third state title. He coached Westerville North to the championship in 1994.

<HR>We also have a special look at Morgan's fine performance in this year's state championship game, courtesy of the Ohio News Network. Morgan plays forward for McKinley and wears No. 5. He shows an array of skills in these clips, including his inside and outside game as well as some nifty defensive plays and passing.

To watch these videos, you will need Microsoft Media Player. Click here to here download the most recent version of Media Player.

Click below for a video:

Video 1 (Premium Link)

Video 2 (Prem. Link)

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I like our chances with Raymar at this point, it sounds like a tight race between OSU and MSU.

[crazybuckfan40]

Originally Posted by bucknuts44820

crazybuckfan40......thought I would post the free article.


I like our chances with Raymar at this point, it sounds like a tight race between OSU and MSU.

All that work for nothin' . Didnt know it was free. But I still like our chances.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

pics of Raymar in action.....

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

SCOUT.COM

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>Q&A With Raymar Morgan
By Kyle Lamb
Date: Apr 1, 2005

After falling short in 2004, Raymar Morgan was able to take home a state championship this year when his Canton McKinley Bulldogs defeated Cincinnati St. Xavier in the state finals. But there's never an offseason for a player like Morgan, and Kyle Lamb had a chance to talk with him to find out the latest.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
Wednesday afternoon, we spoke with Raymar Morgan of the recently crowned Division I state champion Canton McKinley Bulldogs. We caught Morgan on spring break in between weightlifting and AAU practice.

Morgan spoke freely on a number of subjects including how happy he was to win the state championship, his thoughts on Ohio State and the rest of his recruitment, and other basketball-related subjects.

This season, Morgan averaged 18.3 points and 9.9 rebounds a game in helping lead Canton McKinley (26-1) to a state title in the big-school division by beating Mansfield Senior in the state semifinals and then Cincinnati St. Xavier in the state championship.

Here’s a transcript of the interview:

BN: “Since the last time I’ve talked to you, you have pulled in a state championship. What was that like for you?”

“It was really exciting.”

BN: “Was it nice to finally get it? Last year you were close.”

“Yes, of course. We thought we could win it last year but we came up short. It was nice to finally get it this year.”

BN: “They say it’s a lot harder to stay at the top than to get to the top. Do you guys think you will have a big target on your back next year and everyone circling Canton McKinley next year and wanting to beat you because you’re the defending state champs?”

“Yes. We feel like that every year though. We feel like we’ve always got a target on our backs because we’re McKinley.”

BN: “What was the most exciting part of your season for you beyond winning the state championship?”

“I would say the whole season was really exciting. The whole season was a lot of fun. We had some great times together.”

BN: “You guys get done with the state championship and now you’re getting right into AAU practices. Is it kind of overwhelming your season never seems to end?”

“Yeah, but I guess you kind of get used to it after a while.”

BN: “What are you going to be working on the most this spring and summer as far as your game?”

“Mostly working on my left hand weaknesses and my shooting.”

BN: “As far as recruiting goes, what teams are involved with you right now?”

“Ohio State, Michigan State, Connecticut, Miami (Fla.), Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Syracuse. There are a lot of them.”

BN: “What teams out of those schools have offered you a scholarship thus far?”

“Well, none of them actually. They have been waiting on me because I’ve not yet taken any tests.”

BN: “I know you went to the Ohio State-Illinois game, and I know Daequan Cook talked to you as well – something you seemed to appreciate, is that an indication you are showing a lot more interest in Ohio State recently?”

“I had always liked Ohio State but now that Daequan has committed, my interest has grown even more.”

BN: “Daequan kind of said that Ohio State had a lot of kids within the state interested in them, but everyone was kind of waiting for that first kid to commit to them to get the ball rolling. Do you think that’s the case with him being committed that more kids are interested?”

“Yeah, probably so. I think that’s very true.”

BN: “Talk about some of your other favorites like Michigan State and Connecticut and some of the things you like about them.”

“With Michigan State, I really like their facilities and their coaches. I really like their guys. Their guys are real cool.”

BN: “Do you plan on taking any visits this spring?”

“Hopefully so. I still have to wait and see if I get any time.”

BN: “What kind of timeframe now are you looking at for your decision?”

“Probably the middle of next year sometime.”

BN: “By middle of next year, do you hope to sign in November or wait until next spring?”

“I’m planning to sign in November.”

BN: “So basically, you will probably be decided by late this fall?”

“Yes.”

</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

You have to like the remarks he makes about OSU, I think if OSU offers, he is ours. Its important to keep the top kids in Ohio.

[wadc45]

I think we offer once we see some test scores.

Cook, Morgan, Lighty, Bassett/Conley...could be a heck of a haul for the '06 class.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

wadc45....your right those kids would be a great class, but I would love for us to land Luke Harangody from Indiana to go along with Morgan, Cook and Conley.

[Worm02]

I was very impressed with Morgan this year. He makes things look so easy and you never see him lose his composer on the court. He is surrounded by a roster full of serious talent and even as dominant as McKinley was this season, they may be better next year with all of the players they return. It will be interesting to see where Morgan ends up because he is definitely a great talent..