Randolph Morris
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| Position | Power forward/Center |
|---|---|
| League | NBA |
| Height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Weight | 259 lb (118 kg) |
| Team | New York Knicks |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | January 2, 1986 (age 21) Houston, Texas |
| College | Kentucky |
| Draft | Not drafted |
| Pro career | 2007–present |
Randolph Morris (born January 2, 1986 in Houston, Texas) is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's New York Knicks.
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[edit] High school
Morris averaged 23.0 ppg, 16.0 rpg and 8.0 bpg as a senior for Atlanta’s Landmark Christian High School, earning him McDonald’s All-American status. Randolph Morris was the #2 rated center and #10 overall prospect by Rivals.com in a year when a record eight high schoolers went directly to the NBA draft.[citation needed] Morris strongly considered a jump straight to the NBA as well, but decided to spend at least a year in school. Kentucky won a late recruiting battle, after drawing Morris away from early favorite Georgia Tech. Morris, along with All-Americans Joe Crawford and Rajon Rondo, gave Kentucky the top-rated recruiting class in the nation.[1]
[edit] College
After a solid debut in his first year at Kentucky, Morris decided to declare for the NBA draft but not hire an agent. He averaged 8.8 points per game and 4.2 rebounds. Despite playing well for Kentucky and starting every game but one, he did not prove himself NBA ready and often got in foul trouble. Morris went undrafted and decided to attempt a return to Kentucky. The NCAA agreed to reinstate him, but not before sitting out the first half of the 2005-2006 season. Morris returned to Kentucky in January 2006, but could not help the team get out of its season-long slump. Nevertheless, he improved in almost every statistical category from his freshman year and was very impressive at times. As a sophomore, he averaged 13.3 points and 6 rebounds per game. In his junior season Morris made further progress, averaging 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, earning first team All-SEC honors.
[edit] Pro career
Due to a loophole in the NBA and NCAA rules, Morris, who declared for the draft, was permitted by the NCAA to return to the college game, but the NBA's collective bargaining agreement prohibited his re-entry into a future draft, which legally made Morris an NBA free agent, who could be signed at any time by any team, and he could leave Kentucky in the middle of the season if he so desired.[2]
Morris took advantage of being an NBA free agent, and signed a two-year, $1.6 million contract with the New York Knicks on March 23, 2007, 5 days after Kentucky's elimination from the NCAA Tournament.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Rivals.com Top 25 for 2004. Rivals.com. Retrieved on March 12, 2007.
- ^ Wojnarowski, Adrian (2006-12-11). The Problematic Prospect. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
- ^ Knicks sign Kentucky center Morris to 2-year deal. ESPN.com. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
[edit] External links
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1986 births | African American basketball players | American basketball players | Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players | Living people | McDonald's High School All-Americans | People from Atlanta | People from Houston | New York Knicks players
