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'06 OH SF Raymar Morgan (Michigan State Verbal)

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Michigan State
Morgan will face difficult matchup
Tonight he'll square off against Texas forward Durant, one of the nation's top freshmen.
Dave Dye / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- Raymar Morgan already has been in the spotlight in East Lansing.
Tonight, he moves into the national spotlight.
It will be a freshman-freshman matchup when Michigan State plays No. 19 Texas in a semifinal of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
Kevin Durant, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward for Texas, was the nation's second-ranked high school player last season behind Ohio State's Greg Oden.
Durant, who played at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md., is averaging 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.
Morgan is averaging 10 points and 5.3 rebounds, and could become the only Michigan State player to score in double figures each of his first four games.
The two freshmen have been matched against each other before during AAU games and the Nike camp.
"I know this is a chance of a lifetime," said Morgan, who is 6-7, 225. "There's been a little pressure on me. That's just something I need to overcome."
Spartans coach Tom Izzo said he plans to put Morgan, a top-40 player in high school, on Durant much of the game.
"I don't think we have much choice because of size and speed," Izzo said. "He's (Durant) the real deal. He just can do so many different things. He's skinny. He probably has to improve on his strength.
"But he can shoot it. That's what makes him different from a lot of guys 6-9. This kid can shoot the ball from range and he has a little pizzazz with his ball-handling skills, too."
Asked how he plans to defend Durant, Morgan said, "I don't think he really likes a lot of contact so I'm going to try to be aggressive.
"It should be a pretty good matchup throughout the whole game."
The Longhorns start three freshmen and two sophomores. The Spartans are expected to start a freshman, three sophomores and a junior.
"This will be a big game," Izzo said. "I'm kind of looking forward to see how he (Morgan) responds to playing against a player of this caliber."
You can reach Dave Dye at [email protected].
 
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Canton

Shin injury has Morgan on sidelines
Thursday, December 7, 2006
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

EAST LANSING, Mich. Former McKinley High School star Raymar Morgan missed Michigan State's game with IPFW on Wednesday night and could be sidelined for close to a month with a stress reaction of the right shin. Morgan, a 6-foot-7 freshman power forward, has a third-degree injury. A fourth-degree injury is a fracture.
He won't feel as bad if his teammates play the way they did in an 80-43 win over IPFW on Wednesday night.
"I think the guys filling in did well," Morgan said. "A lot of guys did. But it's still a strange feeling. I've never been injured before. And I have to take it slow."
With an estimated recovery of two to four weeks, Morgan could be back for the Spartans' Big Ten opener on Jan. 4 at Iowa. Sophomore Goran Suton got the first crack at filling in at the four spot against IPFW.
Morgan scored 10 or more points in Michigan State's first six games this season, doubling Sam Vincent's school record for double-figure games in a collegiate debut.
Morgan's 11.7-point average ranked second for the Spartans, who were 7-2 heading into Wednesday's game. He scored 18 points in an upset of Texas and 18 against Bradley.
Besides his eight games with 10 or more points, Morgan's 5.6 rebounds per game rank second on a team that leads the Big Ten in rebounding margin at plus-11.4.
 
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Canton

Morgan must play wait game
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER



EAST LANSING, Mich. - Only an injury slowed Raymar Morgan?s transition from high school star at McKinley to impact freshman at Michigan State.
In his opening month as a Spartan, he put together a record-setting scoring streak, led his team to an upset at Madison Square Garden and established himself as a playmaker at one of the nation?s top programs.
An injured right shin, though, derailed Morgan?s fast start and has him eager to get back on the court. ?For the first time, I have to admit I miss practice a little bit,? Morgan said with a laugh.

Continued.....
 
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Dispatch

Early contact sold Morgan on Spartans
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

20070127-Pc-E6-0800.jpg

Raymar Morgan, a 6-foot-7 freshman from Canton McKinley, is averaging 10.8 points and 5.1 rebounds.


Raymar Morgan said it will be a "statement game" for him when he and his Michigan State teammates take on fifth-ranked Ohio State tonight in Value City Arena. "Coming back home, playing in front of friends and family, they?re nationally ranked, playing on TV ? it?s a very exciting game," he said. "I?m looking forward to it."

Continued....
 
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ABJ

Ex-McKinley star Morgan impresses coach

Michigan State's Izzo sees `special player,' credits family, Bulldogs' coaches

By Michael Beaven

Special to the Beacon Journal

Michigan State University has a tradition of building winning basketball teams and developing NBA players.
Canton McKinley graduate Raymar Morgan might be the next in line, though the Spartans' 6-foot-7, 220-pound freshman forward still has much to accomplish.

Continued....
 
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Canton

Morgan gives Spartans spark against archrival
Friday, February 16, 2007

Former McKinley High School basketball star Raymar Morgan made quite an impression in his debut in the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry earlier this week.

The Michigan State freshman scored 18 points, 14 in the second half, to help the Spartans beat their in-state rival, 59-44, Tuesday.

Continued....
 
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I'm going out on a limb here...

Morgan is an excellent player, but I'm glad he's not a Buckeye. He is the whiniest player ever when calls don't go his way. I know many of you think Izzo is whiny and maybe it's rubbing off on Morgan, I don't know. I just know I don't like his attitude when a call doesn't go his way.
 
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Canton

McKinley's Morgan helps Team USA
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
By Chris Beaven
repository sports writer
m_03mn_c1_morgan_0703.jpg
PLAYING FOR THE U.S. Michigan State sophomore-to-be Raymar Morgan, a McKinley High School graduate, had 11 points in his Team USA debut Sunday during a 91-75 victory over the China Senior National Team in Dallas.


New teammates. New coaches. New opponents.

Raymar Morgan, though, remains the same as he makes his USA Basketball debut.

The McKinley High School graduate is looking to bring ?energy? and anything else that?s needed to help the USA Men?s Under-19 World Championship team.

?It?s a chance of a lifetime,? Morgan said.

Cont...
 
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Canton

Morgan, U.S. teammates head for Serbia
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
By Chris Beaven
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

No one needs to tell Raymar Morgan to make the most of an opportunity.

He did it throughout his record-setting basketball career at McKinley High School. He did it during last season as a freshman at Michigan State.

Morgan also is making the most of his first chance to play for USA Basketball. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward has become a key player for the USA Under-19 World Championship Team. He is in Serbia and eager for the start of the FIBA Under-19 World Championships on Thursday. The U.S. plays Mali in its opener at noon.

?It?s been wonderful, and I?ve never experienced anything like it,? Morgan said last week from the team?s training camp in Dallas. ?Anytime you get a chance to represent your country, it?s always a great thing to do, and you want to try to take full advantage of it.?

Continued...
 
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Canton

Under-19 world basketball: Morgan helps U.S. rip Brazil
Wednesday, July 18, 2007

NOVI SAD, SERBIA McKinley High School graduate Raymar Morgan put together a solid game in helping USA Basketball to a 104-65 rout of Brazil in the FIBA Under-19 World Championships on Tuesday.

The U.S. improves to 5-0 after winning its second game of group play in the second round.

Morgan, who will be a sophomore at Michigan State, scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and made two steals. The 6-foot-7 forward did much of his damage at the foul line, going 8-for-9 at the stripe. He was 1-for-4 from the floor.

Continued.....
 
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Canton

Morgan takes mom's advice to heart

[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Ex-McKinley player plays more aggressive at Michigan State

[/FONT]
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
BY Mike Popovich
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

Michigan State?s Raymar Morgan quickly established himself as one of college basketball?s best freshmen last season.

But the Canton native, who led McKinley High School to back-to-back state titles, was far from a finished product. More was expected from Morgan this year.

He was all ears when his mother Carole, a former basketball player, gave him some valuable advice.

?Just be more aggressive, have more confidence in my overall game and just stay positive,? Morgan recalled. ?Just play and have fun.?

Thanks to mom, Morgan has taken steps forward and is having fun this season. He enters tonight?s home game against Ohio State averaging a team-best 17.6 points, and is the Spartans? second-leading rebounder at 7.1 a game.

Cont...
 
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Canton

Laurinaitis will return for senior year at Ohio State
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Boone also staying[/FONT]
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
By Todd Porter
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS Ohio State kept a two-time All-American and a mountain of a left tackle on the offensive line. Butkus Award winning linebacker James Laurinaitis announced Monday he will play his senior season at Ohio State. A day earlier, offensive lineman Alex Boone decided to stay as well.

But the Buckeyes are losing one other player. Backup quarterback Rob Schoenhoft, who became a scout team tight end for bowl practices, told the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer that he is transferring to Delaware.

Laurinaitis and Boone followed the lead of cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, another junior with first-round potential, to stay at Ohio State. All three said there were some things money couldn?t buy, including finality and a senior season.

Those were the same words Kirk Barton used a year ago. The fifth-year senior was a co-captain this past season as the Buckeyes lost a second-straight national title game.

Cont...
 
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