MORGAN COUNTY
Morgan County senior Shawn Morgan Jr. recently signed his letter of intent to play basketball at the next level for Montreat College in North Carolina.
Morgan, who signed with the Cavaliers last Friday, is a 6-foot-5 forward with raw athleticism and a great work ethic. He told the Lake Oconee News t his mother helped get him in contact with the Montreat coaching staff and set things up.
“It was actually my mom who initially reached out to coach Anthony [Barringer], who is the head coach there, and showed him some of my film,” Morgan said. “After a little bit of communication, he told me he liked what he saw, and that he wanted me to come up at some point to check me out, so I went on a visit then.”
The graduating senior was one of the only Bulldogs to consistently see the court during a year Morgan County lost multiple players due to injury.
In his time under head coach Cody Anderson, Morgan’s focus was under the basket, especially at the defensive end. He led the Bulldogs in blocked shots last season and also managed to pull in a handful of rebounds per game.
Morgan is also a recent transfer to Morgan County high school after spending his first three years of high school at Eagles Landing Christian Academy. Morgan attributed the change in schools to the opportunities presented to him.
“Going into the summer after my junior year, it was around the AAU season when I made the decision to transfer to Morgan County,” Morgan said. “I really wanted to show what I could do, and I felt like Morgan County presented a better opportunity to do so.”
The Montreat signee also acknowledged how much Bulldog head coach Cody Anderson helped with his development and college recruitment.
“Coach Anderson made me a better basketball player, and taught me the importance of being on time and hard work,” Morgan said. “He was a really good coach with a lot of playing experience, so he helped us on the court, but he also helped us off the court by making sure we were on top of our school work. It didn’t feel like it was his first year here, because he just seemed to fit in with all the guys.”
Morgan now prepares to head to a competitive NAIA program that finished 18-11 last season under coach Barringer.
Montreat College has a lot of basketball history behind it as well, which bodes well for Morgan’s development. The Cavaliers have won five national championships at the NAIA level and haven’t had a losing record since the 2015-16 season.
Looking ahead, Morgan is excited to get started at the next level but acknowledged that he couldn’t have made it this far without the help of his teammates.
“My teammates were good and fun to be around. You have to think, every one of my highlights, whether it be a lob or me making a shot, came because of a pass from my teammates,” Morgan said. “If I ever messed up, they would be there to pick me up, and Coach Anderson was making sure we were always communicating with each other. I’ll miss them, but we’re all doing our own thing now, and I’m excited to see where everyone ends up.”