Between suspensions and a season-ending injury, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has had a rough couple of years. However, he just got bestowed with the highest possible honor by his alma mater, a welcome moment of positivity for the young star.
Murray State announced on Saturday that Morant has been inducted into their Hall of Fame, via their X account. The Racers even dubbed him “the best to ever do it.” It's been awhile since the South Carolina native lit the NCAA world on fire with electric highlights day in and day out, so it's understandable if fans forgot about that stage of his journey. However, this is a good opportunity to dive into the archives.
Is Morant really the greatest Murray State player of all time, or is his former school just being nice to him?
Grizzlies' Ja Morant deserves all praise for his Murray State efforts
Morant's collegiate career is the type of content worthy of a documentary. While it sounds crazy now, the two-time NBA All-Star was an afterthought on the college recruiting trail. The Grizzlies' leader wasn't a ranked recruit by ESPN, 247 Sports or Rivals, and his only high-major offer was from South Carolina. Sometimes, though, the diamonds in the rough are the most special.
In a twist reminiscent of a Hollywood script, Morant was discovered by Murray State accidentally. Racers assistant coach James Kane noticed him standing out in a three-on-three game while grabbing a snack at a basketball camp. Kane contacted head coach Matt McMahon, who then offered Morant a scholarship. The rest is history.
Morant made his presence known immediately, recording the second triple-double in school history on December 28th, 2017 in a win over Eastern Illinois. He finished the regular season averaging 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, earning first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and OVC All-Newcomer Team honors. The Racers got bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but they were simply laying the groundwork for a truly special season to come.
Morant took it to a different level in his sophomore campaign, winning OVC Player of the Year and leading the NCAA in assists. He also became the first player in NCAA to average 20 points and 10 assists a game in a season. As if that weren't enough, the dynamic slasher also earned first-team All-OVC honors as well as first-team All-American honors from the United States Basketball Writers Association. After bowing out to Florida State in the Round of 32, Morant finished with the most career assists in school history, despite playing just two seasons, via Goracers.com.
“When you think of the all-time greats that have played basketball at Murray State, Ja Morant will always be one of the first names to come up,” Murray State AD Nico Yantko said. “What Ja was able to do in his two years in Murray, and now in the NBA, has been simply incredible and his style of play and production has brought an invaluable amount of exposure to our University and our entire department. We knew that Ja was a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famer, and we are thrilled that we will finally have the opportunity to forever enshrine one of the best to ever represent the Racers into our Hall of Fame.”
Not only is Morant clearly the school's GOAT, but his Murray State career is a reminder to all recruits nationwide that the only thing stopping them is the person in the mirror. Being slept on is not a death sentence, it's simply an opportunity to prove people wrong.
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