Morrison signs with Middle Tennessee
MURFREESBORO — Marcus Morrison says he did not have one of his better days the first time Middle Tennessee basketball coach Kermit Davis watched him play.
Didn’t matter.
Davis knew Morrison was his type of player from the beginning and offered the 6-foot-6 guard from Garden City Community College a scholarship on the spot. That assurance went a long way with Morrison, who has signed a letter-of-intent to continue his basketball career at Middle Tennessee.
“I really didn’t play well the first time the coaches saw me,” Morrison said. “I knew I could do better, but even though I did not play very well that day they still made me an offer. It let me know right away that the head coach has confidence in me as a player, and that was very important.”
A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., Morrison originally signed with South Carolina after averaging 18 points and leading Lakewood High School to the Florida Class 4A state championship in 2002, the school’s first state title ever. Morrison played one season at South Carolina before transferring to Garden City for one season.
“Marcus won a state championship at the high school level in Florida, and he really helped turn around a Garden City program this year,” Davis said. “Ryan Swanson, who is one of the better junior college coaches in the country, did an outstanding job with Marcus. He is a long, athletic 6-foot-6 athlete who reminds me of the (Louisiana) Lafayette athletic guys who can run, jump and play the ‘1’ through ‘4.’ We think Marcus will be outstanding in our full-court and 3/4-court trapping defenses.”
Swanson, who is in his first season at Garden City, said Middle Tennessee is getting a talent capable of being a game-breaker.
“I’ve had about 25 kids that I’ve coached that have gone on to Division I, every level, and I think Marcus is the best all-around athlete I have ever coached,” Swanson said. “Defensively, he is the best I’ve ever coached. They are getting as good of an athlete as you will find. He is 6-6 and is a guard.”
He’s a guard who can guard. Morrison says he takes as much pride in his defense as anything, and describes himself as a tough, hard-nosed player.
“I bring a defensive presence, toughness and an attitude,” Morrison said. “I can score the ball pretty well, too. I believe I bring the complete package. I felt very comfortable with the team when I made my visit and, as far as winning next year and putting a winning team on the court, I see it at Middle Tennessee. I want to make the NCAA Tournament, and I feel we have a chance to do that at Middle Tennessee.”
Morrison realized the dream of winning a championship at Lakewood High School when he led the squad to a 33-2 mark and a No. 14 national-ranking in the final USA Today prep poll. Morrison, who helped lead Lakewood to a pair of Class 4A state semifinal appearances, was a unanimous first-team All-State selection and a McDonald’s All-American nominee in 2002. He was also the 2000-01 Times Pineallas County Player of the Year as a junior. Lakewood High School won 104 games during Morrison’s four seasons.
According to Swanson, Morrison drew interest from several Big 12 and Big East schools, but the talented guard narrowed his three choices to Middle Tennessee, South Alabama and Georgia State.
“Marcus had a great visit, and Middle Tennessee showed him they have a chance to be very good, and a chance to be in the NCAA Tournament next year,” Swanson said. “They also said they had a definite need for him if he could come in and produce. When all the high major people came in on him late, (associate head coach) Donnie Tyndall had already established such a good relationship that it was pretty much done. Kermit and Donnie did a great job recruiting Marcus, and Marcus liked the fit.”
Morrison joins 6-foot guard Francis “Fats” Cuyler, 6-foot-9 Tim Blue from Indian River Junior College, and 6-foot-9 Steve Thomas, who transferred from the University of Georgia last fall, as part of the Blue Raiders’ 2004 signing class.