Colleges need to get in more on this young man. Here we go:
AJ MORGAN, 6'5" COMBO GUARD, VERNON HILLS:
Twitter: @AJMorgan007
I do not have him in my Top 50 in the class. Reason is I've seen him play in small sample sizes, enough to know the potential he has, but not quite enough to put him in my Top 50.....YET!!!! I feel he will quickly earn a spot on the list, and as I've said I feel at some point he'll be at a division one school.
STRENGTHS: Athleticism, three level scoring, rebounding, defensive ability at multiple positions, rim protecting.
He's a King of Bounce athlete, an ability to put players on posters. He did it regularly in the Fundamental U Fall League at Waukegan Fieldhouse. Can dunk two handed, one handed, off the bounce, in the dunkers spot, running the wing, and finsihing at the rim. He has a nice three point shot, whether off the catch or off the bounce. Has the ball handling ability to get to his spots in the mid range and get his shot off. Of course finishing at the rim with authority, hanging athletic finishes, or Euro step arounds to finish with either hand. Gets high on his jump shot making it hard to block. Good smooth release on his jump shot. Hits the glass on the defensive end because he has to. His high school team is height challenged, so he has the ability to get double digit rebounds. Has shown the ability to guard all five positions on the high school level, on the ball, and off the ball. He rim protects very well for a wing player. Leaping ability helps him block (wipe) pin shots on the backboard, or knock them out of the sky.
WEAKNESSES: Lack of competition, can get lost at times off the ball, too unselfish at times, not as aggressive on taking over games.
Most of these are nitpciking as he's not too bad at most. Lack of compeition his high school team plays in the Central Suburban North. That's the weaker side of the Central Suburban, so this is not really on him. He doesn't control who they play, or the schedule. School has to abide by the schedule given them in confernce. Hopefully Vernon Hills has some games outside the division where Morgan can show his abilties. Sometimes he gets caught looking at the ball and can get caught with back door cuts. His athleticism allowd him to recover and block the shot, but could also get him into foul trouble. His junior year I saw him at the same Fundamental U Fall League and he deferred to senior teammates. He's the man this year and will need that takeovr mentality. It's always good to be the good teammate, set picks, and run sets his coach wants. This goes to being aggressive to take over games, and know when to. This is a common problem when you're used to deferring. His travel team Next Up Hoops which (I think) is on the Pro 16 League Circuit. Not sure how many college coaches saw him in the Spring/Summer.
CONCLUSION: College coaches this is one that slipped through the cracks. The other strength I did not mention is he's very coachable. Good attitude on the court and will give you his all on the court. How many guys his size do you know that do everything on both ends? Someone could get a diamond in the rough here. He plays for a school that is under the radar as was his travel team. The weaknesses as I said are nitpicking. Check out his video highlights. The athleticism should jump out at you,and how many of those guys can consistently knock down three point shots, and mid range jumpers? He has some small college offers and might have to start out that way in college. He's a division one athlete THAT CAN SHOOT THE BALL!!!! I suggest you guys get out to his games this winter. Oh and once again HE DEFENDS MULTIPLE POSITIONS!!!! Yes I'm putting caps because I feel he's the ultimate sleeper. One of the biggests one in Illinois in years. He's starting to find his voice on the court as a leader of his high school team. I look for him to explode this season, and if he doesn't sign with a small college in the early signing period, should be in demand in the Spring. If division ones pass, he'll be a star at the division two level. I'll probably look back and say I should have had him in my initial Top 50. Played at the Chitown Showcase run by Xpsoureruns, and made the most of every opportunity he had, at least ones you can get at a showcase. One to watch this winter.
https://youtu.be/GlLS_EE76-c. Some of his highlights
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/18807899/65d9207cbed6870a88408620. Junior year highlights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlLS_EE76-c. Summer league highlights.
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