9:52 AM Wed, Apr 09, 2008 | Permalink
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Posted by: Jeff Eisenberg
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LSU reportedly will hire Stanford's Trent Johnson as its new basketball coach today, which could open the door for UCLA to pry coveted high school center J'Mison Morgan away from the Tigers.
The 6-foot-11 Dallas South Oak Cliff High prospect will evaluate the new coach and decide whether to ask for a release from his letter of intent, according to his AAU coach Jazzy Hartwell. Had LSU selected interim coach Butch Pierre, Hartwell said Morgan would have definitely stayed with the Tigers to play for the man that recruited him.
UCLA was originally one of four finalists for Morgan, who chose LSU over the Bruins, Alabama and Kansas last November. Assistant coach Donny Daniels left a message for Morgan via Hartwell hours after longtime LSU coach John Brady's firing in early February, and members of the UCLA staff continue to pursue Morgan tenaciously.
"They call a lot," Hartwell said. "I've been at the Final Four watching another one of my former players (Kansas' Darrell Arthur), so I haven't been able to answer all their calls lately."
If Morgan decides not to enroll at LSU, Hartwell said UCLA would definitely be one of the programs he considers. Numerous other schools have inquired about Morgan, but Hartwell wasn't sure who else Morgan might look at.
South Oak Cliff coach James Mays had not spoken with Morgan since receiving word of Johnson's hiring this morning, but said that it would probably be important to Morgan that Pierre is retained as an assistant.
"He's pretty comfortable with LSU, but it's going to depend on what happens with Coach Pierre," Mays said. "That would probably weigh heavily on his decision."
Landing Morgan would be a huge coup for UCLA, which could be in desperate need of an interior presence next season if freshman Kevin Love opts to turn pro. A fierce shot-blocker and rebounder with a deft touch around the basket, Morgan is considered the sixth-best center in the class of 2008, according to Scout.com.
The basic penalty for not fulfilling the terms of his letter of intent to LSU would require Morgan to sit out the 2008-09 season and forfeit a year of eligibility. That penalty could be eliminated, however, if Morgan asks for and receives a release from LSU.
If LSU doesn't grant the release, it could be difficult for him to avoid a one-year penalty. A player can petition for a complete release from his letter of intent, but the document specifically states that a coaching change is insufficient reason for such a request to be granted.
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Okay, so I'm a UCLA fan and a bit biased, but the NCAA rules are nothing but BS! They have the system rigged against kids and make MILLON$ off them. Why should a coach be able to break his contract and go right to another school and coach, but require a kid changing his mind to give up a year of eligibility AND sit out a year?!?! I know that's not the exact case here because Brady was fired. Still, this kid committed to LSU under the premise that Brady was going to be his coach. Since that has changed, the kid should NOT be locked into his commitment. ANYTIME a school changed coaches, any kid on the team should be allowed to change their decision to be at that school WITHOUT penalty. Period!
I agree with you that LSU should release Morgan if he doesn't want to be at the school, but what's happening right now is Trent Johnson is taking a few more days to try to convince him that LSU is the right school for him. If Morgan remains firm that he wants out, I expect LSU to release him.
To play the devil's advocate, however, the letter of intent Morgan signed does include the following clause:
Coaching Changes. I understand I have signed this NLI with the institution and not for a particular sport or individual. If the coach leaves the institution or the sports program (or is not retained), I remain bound by the provisions of this NLI. I understand it is not uncommon for a coach to leave his or her coaching position.
As I said, I believe LSU will release him because of the PR implications, but certainly the school has every legal right to hold him to the document he signed.