Bo Bo Morgan didn’t mince any words when asked why he selected UCLA as his college destination.
“It’s probably the quickest route for me to get to the NBA,” said the talented 6-foot-10-inch, 250-pounder out of Dallas Oak Cliff High School.
Morgan will be the tallest player on the floor at tonight’s (7:35) Faith 7 basketball game between Texas and Oklahoma at Oklahoma Baptist University’s Noble Complex.
He will also be this year’s most touted Faith 7 player, along with teammate Willie Warren.
Morgan was ranked as the No 1 player in Texas by TexasHoops.com. His Dallas Oak Cliff squad won four consecutive state titles in Class 4A, the second-largest class in the Lone Star State.
Morgan, who averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, originally committed to LSU but backed out after the Bengal Tigers fired their head coach.
That put UCLA at the top of the list, although Morgan also made official visits to Alabama, Kansas and Cincinnati.
“The media market is so big in Los Angeles,” Morgan said. Asked if he would likely be one-year-and-done as a Bruin, Morgan said, “I would leave after one year only if I was a lottery pick.
“My strength right now is my low-post game. I have pretty good moves and I block shots and rebound well. I have to work on my conditioning and ballhandling.”
It marks the second straight year one of the Faith 7 squads is blessed with a high-profile big man.
Texas had absolutely no answer for Oklahoma’s much-publicized Blake Griffin in 2007 and the score reflected it — Oklahoma 137, Texas 102. That was the widest point differential in Faith 7 history.
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Oklahoma’s tallest player is 6-9 James Watson of Stringtown. Watson is also one of three Oklahoma Faith 7 players headed for big-time NCAA Division I status.
The 210-pounder from Southeastern Oklahoma committed in the fall to Washington State of the Pac-10 Conference.
“They first saw me in a tryout in Denton during the summer before my senior year,” Watson said. “I loved the coaching staff and players when I took my visit there. I can’t wait to get there. I leave June 16.”
Watson took just one other official college recruiting trip — to Missouri State. He was also recruited by Baylor.
An All-State selection, Watson led Stringtown’s Tigers to two Class B state championships. He averaged 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds. He also canned 61.8 percent of his field-goal efforts.
Washington State liked my blocking skills, rebounding skills and dribbling skills,” Watson said. “I’m going to have to work on my scoring.”
•••
Oklahoma leads the Faith 7 series 30-17 and has won the last two years after Texas prevailed in 2004 and 2005. Oklahoma’s 137-point outburst was the most points scored by either team since the inaugural matchup, a 140-133, four-overtime victory by Oklahoma in 1966.
•••
While all 10 of Oklahoma’s players made it to Shawnee, Texas had just eight show up. Andrew Davis, 6-8 of Garland Christian, was ruled out Thursday because of a broken hand. Myles Walker, 6-8 out of San Antonio, was supposed to arrive Friday but didn’t make it. Texas coaches Brian Burton, Collin County Community College, and Jon Felmet, Richland College, opted not to replace either player.
•••
For those spectators purchasing Faith 7 programs tonight, make note of a correction in the Oklahoma player profiles on page 11. Tulsa Victory Christian’s Robert W. Crawford is headed to the University of Central Arkansas, not Central Oklahoma. Tulsa East Central’s Ken Holdman, Jr. is going to attend Midland Junior College, not Oklahoma. Midwest City’s 6-6 Chuck Sanders, an all-district and All-State selection, had previously indicated he was undetermined about his college destination. Thursday, Sanders said he will play at Northern at Tonkawa.
•••
Tulsa Memorial’s Blaise Voskuhl Stabb was Salutatorian of his graduating class. The 6-6, 205-pounder will attend Columbia University of the Ivy League.
•••
Doors for tonight’s game will open at 6 p.m. General admission tickets will be $6 with reserved tickets priced at $8.
•••
Tonight’s slam-dunk contest is set for 7 p.m.
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Bo Bo Morgan didn’t mince any words when asked why he selected UCLA as his college destination.
“It’s probably the quickest route for me to get to the NBA,” said the talented 6-foot-10-inch, 250-pounder out of Dallas Oak Cliff High School.
Morgan will be the tallest player on the floor at tonight’s (7:35) Faith 7 basketball game between Texas and Oklahoma at Oklahoma Baptist University’s Noble Complex.
He will also be this year’s most touted Faith 7 player, along with teammate Willie Warren.
Morgan was ranked as the No 1 player in Texas by TexasHoops.com. His Dallas Oak Cliff squad won four consecutive state titles in Class 4A, the second-largest class in the Lone Star State.
Morgan, who averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, originally committed to LSU but backed out after the Bengal Tigers fired their head coach.
That put UCLA at the top of the list, although Morgan also made official visits to Alabama, Kansas and Cincinnati.
“The media market is so big in Los Angeles,” Morgan said. Asked if he would likely be one-year-and-done as a Bruin, Morgan said, “I would leave after one year only if I was a lottery pick.
“My strength right now is my low-post game. I have pretty good moves and I block shots and rebound well. I have to work on my conditioning and ballhandling.”
It marks the second straight year one of the Faith 7 squads is blessed with a high-profile big man.
Texas had absolutely no answer for Oklahoma’s much-publicized Blake Griffin in 2007 and the score reflected it — Oklahoma 137, Texas 102. That was the widest point differential in Faith 7 history.
•••
Oklahoma’s tallest player is 6-9 James Watson of Stringtown. Watson is also one of three Oklahoma Faith 7 players headed for big-time NCAA Division I status.
The 210-pounder from Southeastern Oklahoma committed in the fall to Washington State of the Pac-10 Conference.
“They first saw me in a tryout in Denton during the summer before my senior year,” Watson said. “I loved the coaching staff and players when I took my visit there. I can’t wait to get there. I leave June 16.”
Watson took just one other official college recruiting trip — to Missouri State. He was also recruited by Baylor.
An All-State selection, Watson led Stringtown’s Tigers to two Class B state championships. He averaged 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds. He also canned 61.8 percent of his field-goal efforts.
Washington State liked my blocking skills, rebounding skills and dribbling skills,” Watson said. “I’m going to have to work on my scoring.”
•••
Oklahoma leads the Faith 7 series 30-17 and has won the last two years after Texas prevailed in 2004 and 2005. Oklahoma’s 137-point outburst was the most points scored by either team since the inaugural matchup, a 140-133, four-overtime victory by Oklahoma in 1966.
•••
While all 10 of Oklahoma’s players made it to Shawnee, Texas had just eight show up. Andrew Davis, 6-8 of Garland Christian, was ruled out Thursday because of a broken hand. Myles Walker, 6-8 out of San Antonio, was supposed to arrive Friday but didn’t make it. Texas coaches Brian Burton, Collin County Community College, and Jon Felmet, Richland College, opted not to replace either player.
•••
For those spectators purchasing Faith 7 programs tonight, make note of a correction in the Oklahoma player profiles on page 11. Tulsa Victory Christian’s Robert W. Crawford is headed to the University of Central Arkansas, not Central Oklahoma. Tulsa East Central’s Ken Holdman, Jr. is going to attend Midland Junior College, not Oklahoma. Midwest City’s 6-6 Chuck Sanders, an all-district and All-State selection, had previously indicated he was undetermined about his college destination. Thursday, Sanders said he will play at Northern at Tonkawa.
•••
Tulsa Memorial’s Blaise Voskuhl Stabb was Salutatorian of his graduating class. The 6-6, 205-pounder will attend Columbia University of the Ivy League.
•••
Doors for tonight’s game will open at 6 p.m. General admission tickets will be $6 with reserved tickets priced at $8.
•••
Tonight’s slam-dunk contest is set for 7 p.m.
