J'mison Morgan Commits to UCLA

by Achilles on May 23, 2008 10:42 AM PDT in Basketball Comment 21 comments

J'mison Morgan, the 6-10 center from Dallas, Texas who originally committed to Louisiana State University announced at a press conference today that he will attend UCLA and play for the Bruins in the upcoming season.

Brian Dohn in the Daily News has the scoop:

I just got off the phone with J'mison Morgan, and he told me he just announced he is going to attend UCLA.

Because Morgan signed a national letter of intent with LSU, he will not be signing an LOI with UCLA. He may sign a scholarship agreement which binds the school, but not the player.

Morgan won't officially become a Bruin until he starts class, mostly likely in one of UCLA's summer sessions. Morgan's change of heart regarding the Tigers came after LSU fired John Brady and hired former Stanford coach Trent Johnson. LSU released him from his commitment and he is eligible to play this season.

UPDATE: This is a fairly amazing turn of events for the program. Six months ago, Morgan was committed to LSU and Bruin fans were already bracing themselves for life without Kevin Love -- who was a near-certainty to leave Westwood after only one season.

While Ben Howland was locking down the nation's top recruiting class -- Jrue Holiday, Jerime Anderson, Malcolm Lee and Drew Gordon -- the search for a center continued. With no real prospects in the Class of 2008, the 2008-2009 season looked like it would be center-by-committee, with James Keefe and Alfred Aboya forming the committee in the absence of Love and Lorenzo Mata-Real.

Somehow, someway, Howland has hit the lottery with Morgan. Not in the sense that he's a savior-type player. No one is expecting a Love/Greg Oden-type impact. But in the sense that he beat the odds in landing Morgan. Morgan is a legit, five-star prospect at center and adding him to the Aboya/Keefe group and center and adding him to the nation's top recruiting class both solidifies UCLA's hopes for 2008-09 as the future.

Now, watch Howland add University of North Carolina transfer Alec Stepheson. Stepheson would not play in 08-09 due to the transfer rules, but he would assume the senior Aboya's spot in the rotation.

Stepheson is not a done deal yet, he hasn't signed or said anything yet. But to think that six months ago Morgan was Tiger and Stepheson was a Tar Heel and now the odds are on for them to become Bruin teammates.

If you had told me six months ago this was going to happen, I would have called you crazy.

UPDATE II - N: Here is the latest depth chart:

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	DC	JH	ML	JK	JM
	JA	MR	ND		DG

I am not penciling in JS yet notwithstanding Mom's comment in today's paper. I will wait till the official announcement. I will also wait for the official announcement re. AA2 even though recent reports indicate that he is leaning towards come back. What is clear now is that once again Coach Howland has a roster that will make a serious run towards a fourth straight Pac-10 championship. Again I will patiently wait till June 16th when the NBA draft picture in terms of who is staying or leaving will clear up. In Howland we trust. Oh ... and welcome to BN Bobo. GO BRUINS. - N

0 recs | Comment 21 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Oops

I guess my fanpost was too late. I’ll delete it, if I can.

by Tetelestai on May 23, 2008 10:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Woo hoo

Welcome aboard Bobo

by Ajax on May 23, 2008 10:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Fab Five

No longer the fab four. Ben Howland just landed a full squad for next season, each player capable of starting.

C – Morgan
PF – Gordon
SF – Lee (although a bit small for the position)
SG – Holiday/Anderson
PG – Anderson/Holiday

And this isn't even including our returning warriors!  We can probably use an additional true center, but we are STACKED.

by UCLAbruin920 on May 23, 2008 11:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Stepheson

He could get a waiver and play right away. He may not have to sit out one year.

by LA Seitz on May 23, 2008 11:15 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Rebuilding? Not under Howland

Just 2 months ago we were getting mentally prepared for a rebuilding year, but Howland would have none of that. He will have UCLA ready for another NC run.

by bluegold on May 23, 2008 11:25 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

UCLA Basketball

You know, I just don’t worry about anything with BH as coach. Even if we had not landed JM and even if things with AS don’t materialize, we’d still have been in good shape. It’s just amazing how, in the relatively short time that BH has been on campus, this program is now (w/o question) the top program in the country. C’mon…who else would you put above the Bruins?? And with Lute losing players, we know AZ is done…......put a fork in it Lute. Give it one more year and then say good-by! SUC…get serious…what a joke (and a mess) things are at South Central. Why bother….You know who will be tough next year, Oregon…look out for the Quackers!

GO BRUINS

by jraucla on May 23, 2008 11:52 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Welcome

to the best school in the nation, Bobo. Glad to have you aboard.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on May 23, 2008 11:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Looks like I may have to do another "FAITH-BASED PREVIEW."

If, if, if, IF!!!!! JS comes back, amd LMRAM comes back, AND AA2 comes back…

oh my stars and garters.

WOW.

CBH does not rebuild.

HE RELOADS.

MIM

"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008

by Meriones on May 23, 2008 12:09 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Welcome to Westwood, Bobo

It’s going to be a fun ride for everybody.

by Tydides on May 23, 2008 12:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Most certainly

It will be ” Holiday Time ” this coming basketball season, if Jrue does play like Dwayne Wade as pundits claimed.

by Htse005 on May 23, 2008 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pretty good chance

Luc will be back as well (at least he should come back IMO).

So that’s 6 of our top 9 returning, plus add the Fab Five Version 2.0.

I think we’re in pretty good shape.

by godblesstyus95 on May 23, 2008 12:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This class reminds me a lot of

the class that Kansas had with Chalmers, Rush, and co. that just won the National Championship. They had I think four players who were all 5 star recruits and you gotta believe this will lead us to #12 sooner than later. If somehow the only two players we lose are Love and Westbrook then we will have one of the few things lacking during the three Final Four runs-incredible depth at every position.

by turs12 on May 23, 2008 12:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Stanback ...

We’re losing Stanback, Love and Westbrook for sure.

I guess, technically, Love and/or Westbrook could pull out of the draft, but they won’t …

The point I’m making is that you are forgetting Stanback.

If this were a pro franchise, the trade would be Love, Westbrook, Stanback and Mata-Real for Gordon, Holiday, Lee, Anderson, Morgan and a player-to-be-named-later (Stepheson).

Go Bruins

by Achilles on May 23, 2008 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

With a deep bench this time around

we should make it four in a row, and a possible banner#12

by Htse005 on May 23, 2008 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

just wondering

How many of these new recruits are expected to be one-and-dones? I know it’s probably too early to worry about this, but I’m just wondering. I hope at least some of these guys are like DC and really develop their game at UCLA.

I just had a thought… i bet lil’ romeo is staying for 4 years… he doesn’t need the money from going pro and even if he did, he certainly won’t be drafted.

by UCLAbruin920 on May 23, 2008 2:15 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It really is pretty early to tell...

...but ESPN has an article projecting Jrue Holiday as the only “maybe”, out of our whole 2008 recruiting class, with no mention of the other four having the chance to leave after their freshman year. Of course, it depends on what kind of season each one of them has next year – just enjoy next season and let the whole thing play out. Coach Howland has got it covered, I’m sure!

by Tetelestai on May 23, 2008 2:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nowadays

basically anyone that has a really good to stellar year has a good chance of leaving. A year ago if someone had said Westbrook would be leaving, it would really be hard to believe. Yet, Westbrook had a stellar year (as did Love), and the rest is history. Basically, any one of these recruits could potentially be one and done if they have a great year.

by godblesstyus95 on May 23, 2008 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs