Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was fired up about Murray State eliminating Duke and reaching the College World Series. The former Racers guard had a decorated college career. During Ja's sophomore year, he racked up several accolades, including winning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, the Bob Cousy Award, the Lute Olson Award, and being named a First-team All-American.

Murray State went on to earn an NCAA Tournament bid and won its first-round matchup against fifth-seeded Marquette that season. Clearly, the two-time All-Star has a special place in his heart for his school, and he was hyped for the Racers, making school history with their first College World Series. Ja gave a fitting reaction over social media to this terrific result.

The Grizzlies' star point guard and his franchise are in need a bounce-back season

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts after a dunk during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game three for the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at FedExForum.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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Memphis went through a roller coaster 2024-25 season. After a year where practically everyone got injured, the Grizzlies looked primed to establish themselves as a contender in the Western Conference again. This group was a top-four seed in the conference for a large part of the season. Still, unfortunately, the face of the franchise could only play 50 games as the ailments continued to rack up.

As the season came down the home stretch, the Grizzlies started to slide in the West, leading to the drastic decision to fire head coach Taylor Jenkins. Memphis subsequently clinched the No. 8 seed through the Play-In and faced the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder. Unfortunately, Morant and company were no match for OKC, especially after the former No. 2 overall pick exited Game 3 with a hip injury.

Now, Memphis' core trio of Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. will enter an offseason with a lot of doubters to prove wrong. A few years ago, this core looked like the future of the NBA and the West, but with teams like OKC, Houston, and several others ascending, it's hard to imagine the Grizzlies evolving into a true title contender in the near future. Still, there is plenty of talent and depth on this roster, and if Morant can return to the form he was in a few years ago, Memphis can be a legitimate threat again.

Overall, it's always great to see Morant's strong connection with Murray State remain. Ja still should have his best basketball ahead of him, but he's already a success story with the long path he's taken to get to this level. It's time to continue this upward journey and cement himself as the greatest Grizzlies player of all time.