Dewanye Morris jr. currently plays professionally in Germany and is the older brother of Darius. Dewanye has helped to shape his younger brother into a tough persevering player and can be credited for his passionate pursuit of the game. As a child Darius always followed and learned from his older brother.
“I would always tag along and always played with the old guys. We played At the park, gyms, everywhere”.
“Tough 1 on 1 games against my brother on my fisher price 7ft hoop really made me better. It developed my skills to the point where when I played with kids my age at an early age I was dominating them. Fisher price sounds funny but it helped me a lot.”
Two short years ago, Darius Morris was the kid giving it his all and still getting drubbed up and down the court by hoops sensation, Jrue Holiday. Darius did draw some attention but, has been the tag along, the second fiddle if you will. To an extent, one can understand why Morris was somewhat of an unknown commodity. His AAU team, Belmont Shore is host to 2 of the top players in the nation, Demar Derozen and Brandon Jennings. In 2007, recruiting analyst Garret Nakagawa’s breakdown of a Belmont Shore game is a testament to his promise. When Morris was asked to step up, he responded.
“Belmont Shore was loaded with talent but was without the services of Demar DeRozan who decided to play with the P. Miller Ballers in the Nike Main Event. That proved not to matter because former USC verbal and current Arizona verbal Brandon Jennings constantly stepped up his game in the fourth quarter at the Reebok Summer Championships and the GBOA Challenge of Champions. Jennings who is known for his slick ball handling, exceptional athletic ability and his swagger on the court was primarily a scorer in Las Vegas. He can take anyone off the dribble and has a lethal left-handed jump shot. His jumper can get inconsistent when he shoots off balance but he makes the shots when they count.”
“With Jennings stepping up as the primary scorer, junior to be Darius Morris of Los Angels Winward High School took over the point guard duties. He distributed the ball very well, played solid defense and finished when he got to the basket. He still needs to refine his jump shot but he is a very talented point guard.”
Today, Darius is a high major prospect. Standing 6′3 and 175 pounds, silky smooth, an ideal slashing/distributing guard. He has a more than reliable jumper and doesn’t get rattled by contact when driving to the hole. Morris is a smart player and has worked hard this off-season to prove that he is among the best point guards in the nation.
“Ya, well I’ve always had a good feel for the game to go along with good moves but a self identified weakness for me was strength. Ever since I got into high school I dedicated my self to improving my strength and my hops. The game vs jrue holiday Was good for me because even though we lost I was able to identify my strengths, weaknesses and what I needed to improve on. It showed me that I had a chance to be an elite player in my class as long as I put in the work. That was some of the fuel to the fire in the off season workouts and in training”.
“My goal at the end of this summer to establish myself as the elite point guard in my class and eliminate all questions about my game. To put myself in a good position for awards and recognition for elite players.”
Darius appears to be well on his way to his goal, bursting onto the scene at last weekends Pagnos All American camp. Morris performed well showing off his much improved jump shot and decision making. Darius is also entrenched in the books and is stepping up to his schools academic demands.
“My school is hard academically and I have a 3.6 avg every since attending, it takes a lot of studying and focus”.
Morris currently sits at #64 in the class of 2009 ranking, according to rivals.com. The leader for his services appear to be Michigan at this time, as he is scheduled to visit the Wolverine’s campus sometime this month. Kentucky has offered a scholarship, along with USC, Stanford and Washington State. Rick Barnes is also very interested in the kid but has not extended an offer. Morris is in a class that includes Jon Wall and Dexter Strickland, but is now having his name mentioned among the elite.
All in all this kid has a large arsenal of moves and a high basketball IQ. His brother is a student of the game and has instilled great instincts into this promising young talent. If the Cat’s miss on Jon Wall, and Darius Morris accepts, the immediate reaction might be one of disappointment, but after one season of watching Morris (who is likely to be at least a 3 year player) the Wildcat nation might be saying, John Who?
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