Indiana University Athletics
Morgan Going For The 'Gold'
10/22/2018 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the initial gold jersey for the 2018-19 Indiana basketball season went to Juwan Morgan.
IU meticulously quantifies virtually all aspects of every practice and, at the conclusion of each practice week, awards a gold jersey to the player with the best composite number.
And Morgan is accustomed to garnering good numbers.
He isn't simply the returning Hoosier with the best stats from last season – 16.5 points, 7.4 boards and 1.5 assists per game, up from the previous campaign's corresponding 7.7, 5.6 and 1.1.
Morgan is also the guy that a youngish team will look to for primary leadership.
"He's a senior now," IU coach Archie Miller said of his standout 6-foot-8 frontliner during the Hoosiers' media day. "He went through a career-best year last year on the floor, and I think he gained a ton of confidence.
"I think he's carried that confidence into the off-season, in his actions and his leadership ability. I think everyone on the team kind of understands where he's at right now at this stage of his career compared to even 12 months ago."
Morgan had already previously impressed everybody in terms of the 12-month period stretching from his sophomore to junior seasons.
Big Ten Network analyst and former Northwestern standout Shon Morris put it this way during last week's Big Ten basketball media days:
"Juwan Morgan, probably the most improved player – not just in the conference, but among the most improved players in the country a year ago, (going) from his sophomore to junior seasons. And he was able to show his versatility."
(The versatility to which Morris alluded apparently did not include Morgan's reported ability to wiggle his ears without use of hands.)
"He can run the floor," Morris continued. "He can set up at the high post. Can knock down the 3 when the opportunity presents itself. Can play through contact. Very good at rebounding the basketball. Became a much better defender."
Morgan feels that last observation applies to the entire Hoosier team, which had to adjust over time to Miller's pack-line defensive approach during the coach's debut campaign in Bloomington.
"I just think that on the defensive end … we started playing more together, playing for one another, not so much just trying to stop your own guy," Morgan said. "Also being aware of the other four (guys) on the court.
"As the season went on, we became a more together, more close-knit group, on that (end of the court)."
After last season, Morgan tested the NBA Draft waters. He got feedback on how to create or enhance a professional future in the game while indulging his ultimate decision to utilize his final year of eligibility at IU.
Morgan said his primary takeaway was "still stick to what I've been doing, but just try and add a few other things to it, and then also changing my body. That was a big thing that each (NBA) place had told me, and I think I took the steps as far as doing those things correctly.
" … Lost some fat, added some strength."
Indiana junior center De'Ron Davis, still getting back in the swing of things after rehabilitating an Achilles tear this past off-season, noted one major broadening of Morgan's capacities over that same span: " 'J-Mo' has actually expanded his game way to the three-point line," Davis said, "so he's kind of a do-it-all player."
Morgan was already headed that direction. He improved his overall field goal percentage from .528 as a sophomore to .579 as a junior, including upping his 3-point percentage from .250 to .302 – and, as Davis implies, that latter number could be expected to rise again during Morgan's senior season.
Miller has his own set of expectations of Morgan.
"My expectation for Juwan really, to be honest with you, is to be about the team and be about his senior season," Miller said. "Be about his two-year legacy with (the coaching) transition, and find an opportunity, find a way for him to be the driving force behind a team that reaches its maximum potential, has an opportunity to compete for the top of the Big Ten, has an opportunity to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid.
"But none of that's possible unless he does it every single day the right way, like he did a year ago, where he really didn't have any concerns about the outside world (such as the NBA). If he can do that again as a senior, I think that he'll show some of the dimensions that he's added, without stress, and I also think he'll be able to carry our team in big games here early in the season because I do think he has a confidence level."
Miller said that Sept. 26 at Indiana's annual media day.
Last week in Chicago, Miller could report that Morgan is already delivering on those expectations.
"I think Juwan has really stood out as being dominant," Miller said of the first couple of practice weeks. "… (He) really hasn't changed as a guy who came last year every day. If he continues to be that every-day guy, I think he's seeing great results.
"It shows in practice right now how advanced he is in terms of how he knows how to play the game. That has been one thing that has been impressive to see at the start. It's just his consistency all the way across the board. He's not trying to do anything he's not been asked to do. When you watch practice or film you see a guy with an edge about him. He's there for a purpose."
Morgan's classmate and fellow IU co-captain Zach McRoberts is seeing the same thing.
"Yeah, he's a competitor every day, I'd say," McRoberts said of Morgan. "There's no specific practice I can really point to where it's like he's amped it up, because he's always amped up.
"I think he's coming in every day working hard, and he's on a mission. So it's been -- he's obviously a good leader, vocally and then by example. So he's been good for us."
Morgan is indeed trying to be more vocal with his leadership, but also still sometimes leads by direct demonstration.
If Morgan feels a teammate isn't properly on top of things, for example, Morgan will request to guard that player in practice. Or to have that player guard Morgan.
"If somebody's not going hard (enough), then I try to make it a direct point to go make them guard me," Morgan said. "That way they have to go hard.
" … I just challenge them to be the best they can be every day. And whether I have to do that myself and tell them that they have to guard me personally, or if I just guard them and I'm in(to) them the whole practice, then I just think that will go from top to bottom (through the roster). I think it'll be a domino effect and everybody will just want to bring it each and every day."
That includes a justly celebrated five-man class of true freshmen, the most celebrated of whom coming into the season is 2018 Indiana Mr. Basketball and McDonald's All-American Romeo Langford of New Albany.
Langford already has some distinct impressions of Morgan.
"He's probably one of the strongest people I know I (ever) went against," Langford said. "It may not look like it, but he's real strong. So just his physicality.
"And … I don't know if this makes sense or not, but just his ability just to make broken plays look good, and also his ability just to drive at his size and kick. His passing ability is probably one of his best aspects of his game."
Morgan sees a roster with at least a dozen players, freshmen included, who could rightfully hope to earn some significant playing time this season. So he knows sorting out roles while maintaining good team chemistry is especially crucial.
Langford, Morgan feels, will help set the proper tone in that regard.
"He's been a great teammate – just not what is usually portrayed of a five-star (recruit) going in, being pretty much like a savior of a team or anything like that," Morgan said of Langford. "But he's just a real down-to-earth guy.
"He's always making the extra pass. We all know he can score, and he shows that ability, but he also is able to see passes and plays before it even happens, and I think that is just something that you build over time, and I think he's really put in the extra work. As good as he is, he's only getting better."
Morgan extends that to the freshman class as a whole – with Rob Phinisee, Jerome Hunter, Jake Forrester and Damezi Anderson coming in alongside Langford.
"I think, just first off, their willingness to learn and get better," Morgan said of the newcomers. "I think, for the previous (freshman) classes, they kind of was a little timid coming in, didn't really want to ask questions. But (these guys) are not afraid to ask questions.
"I think that's the best compliment I can give them because they're all willing learners, they're all ready to attack –- none of them have taken a back seat."
"They'll do things wrong, but they'll do it going as hard as they can, and I think that's just a good … mentality to have, especially on the defensive end. If you're just going hard, sometimes just going hard will be the right play to do."
Going hard helps earn those practice points.
And Langford has already served notice he intends to contest Morgan and anybody else for gold-jersey status.
"He fit right in … especially when it comes to competing," Morgan said of Langford. "He's always trying to get after somebody. I think it was very evident the past couple of practices.
"We (tabulate) practice points, and he heard his name, and he had a really high score. Then he heard mine, and mine was higher than his. So right after practice, he was like, 'I have to beat you. That's all I want for this week. I have to beat you.' "
If anybody's going to beat Morgan, they'll have to attain the gold standard.
IU meticulously quantifies virtually all aspects of every practice and, at the conclusion of each practice week, awards a gold jersey to the player with the best composite number.
And Morgan is accustomed to garnering good numbers.
He isn't simply the returning Hoosier with the best stats from last season – 16.5 points, 7.4 boards and 1.5 assists per game, up from the previous campaign's corresponding 7.7, 5.6 and 1.1.
Morgan is also the guy that a youngish team will look to for primary leadership.
"He's a senior now," IU coach Archie Miller said of his standout 6-foot-8 frontliner during the Hoosiers' media day. "He went through a career-best year last year on the floor, and I think he gained a ton of confidence.
"I think he's carried that confidence into the off-season, in his actions and his leadership ability. I think everyone on the team kind of understands where he's at right now at this stage of his career compared to even 12 months ago."
Morgan had already previously impressed everybody in terms of the 12-month period stretching from his sophomore to junior seasons.
Big Ten Network analyst and former Northwestern standout Shon Morris put it this way during last week's Big Ten basketball media days:
"Juwan Morgan, probably the most improved player – not just in the conference, but among the most improved players in the country a year ago, (going) from his sophomore to junior seasons. And he was able to show his versatility."
(The versatility to which Morris alluded apparently did not include Morgan's reported ability to wiggle his ears without use of hands.)
"He can run the floor," Morris continued. "He can set up at the high post. Can knock down the 3 when the opportunity presents itself. Can play through contact. Very good at rebounding the basketball. Became a much better defender."
Morgan feels that last observation applies to the entire Hoosier team, which had to adjust over time to Miller's pack-line defensive approach during the coach's debut campaign in Bloomington.
"I just think that on the defensive end … we started playing more together, playing for one another, not so much just trying to stop your own guy," Morgan said. "Also being aware of the other four (guys) on the court.
"As the season went on, we became a more together, more close-knit group, on that (end of the court)."
After last season, Morgan tested the NBA Draft waters. He got feedback on how to create or enhance a professional future in the game while indulging his ultimate decision to utilize his final year of eligibility at IU.
Morgan said his primary takeaway was "still stick to what I've been doing, but just try and add a few other things to it, and then also changing my body. That was a big thing that each (NBA) place had told me, and I think I took the steps as far as doing those things correctly.
" … Lost some fat, added some strength."
Indiana junior center De'Ron Davis, still getting back in the swing of things after rehabilitating an Achilles tear this past off-season, noted one major broadening of Morgan's capacities over that same span: " 'J-Mo' has actually expanded his game way to the three-point line," Davis said, "so he's kind of a do-it-all player."
Morgan was already headed that direction. He improved his overall field goal percentage from .528 as a sophomore to .579 as a junior, including upping his 3-point percentage from .250 to .302 – and, as Davis implies, that latter number could be expected to rise again during Morgan's senior season.
Miller has his own set of expectations of Morgan.
"My expectation for Juwan really, to be honest with you, is to be about the team and be about his senior season," Miller said. "Be about his two-year legacy with (the coaching) transition, and find an opportunity, find a way for him to be the driving force behind a team that reaches its maximum potential, has an opportunity to compete for the top of the Big Ten, has an opportunity to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid.
"But none of that's possible unless he does it every single day the right way, like he did a year ago, where he really didn't have any concerns about the outside world (such as the NBA). If he can do that again as a senior, I think that he'll show some of the dimensions that he's added, without stress, and I also think he'll be able to carry our team in big games here early in the season because I do think he has a confidence level."
Miller said that Sept. 26 at Indiana's annual media day.
Last week in Chicago, Miller could report that Morgan is already delivering on those expectations.
"I think Juwan has really stood out as being dominant," Miller said of the first couple of practice weeks. "… (He) really hasn't changed as a guy who came last year every day. If he continues to be that every-day guy, I think he's seeing great results.
"It shows in practice right now how advanced he is in terms of how he knows how to play the game. That has been one thing that has been impressive to see at the start. It's just his consistency all the way across the board. He's not trying to do anything he's not been asked to do. When you watch practice or film you see a guy with an edge about him. He's there for a purpose."
Morgan's classmate and fellow IU co-captain Zach McRoberts is seeing the same thing.
"Yeah, he's a competitor every day, I'd say," McRoberts said of Morgan. "There's no specific practice I can really point to where it's like he's amped it up, because he's always amped up.
"I think he's coming in every day working hard, and he's on a mission. So it's been -- he's obviously a good leader, vocally and then by example. So he's been good for us."
Morgan is indeed trying to be more vocal with his leadership, but also still sometimes leads by direct demonstration.
If Morgan feels a teammate isn't properly on top of things, for example, Morgan will request to guard that player in practice. Or to have that player guard Morgan.
"If somebody's not going hard (enough), then I try to make it a direct point to go make them guard me," Morgan said. "That way they have to go hard.
" … I just challenge them to be the best they can be every day. And whether I have to do that myself and tell them that they have to guard me personally, or if I just guard them and I'm in(to) them the whole practice, then I just think that will go from top to bottom (through the roster). I think it'll be a domino effect and everybody will just want to bring it each and every day."
That includes a justly celebrated five-man class of true freshmen, the most celebrated of whom coming into the season is 2018 Indiana Mr. Basketball and McDonald's All-American Romeo Langford of New Albany.
Langford already has some distinct impressions of Morgan.
"He's probably one of the strongest people I know I (ever) went against," Langford said. "It may not look like it, but he's real strong. So just his physicality.
"And … I don't know if this makes sense or not, but just his ability just to make broken plays look good, and also his ability just to drive at his size and kick. His passing ability is probably one of his best aspects of his game."
Morgan sees a roster with at least a dozen players, freshmen included, who could rightfully hope to earn some significant playing time this season. So he knows sorting out roles while maintaining good team chemistry is especially crucial.
Langford, Morgan feels, will help set the proper tone in that regard.
"He's been a great teammate – just not what is usually portrayed of a five-star (recruit) going in, being pretty much like a savior of a team or anything like that," Morgan said of Langford. "But he's just a real down-to-earth guy.
"He's always making the extra pass. We all know he can score, and he shows that ability, but he also is able to see passes and plays before it even happens, and I think that is just something that you build over time, and I think he's really put in the extra work. As good as he is, he's only getting better."
Morgan extends that to the freshman class as a whole – with Rob Phinisee, Jerome Hunter, Jake Forrester and Damezi Anderson coming in alongside Langford.
"I think, just first off, their willingness to learn and get better," Morgan said of the newcomers. "I think, for the previous (freshman) classes, they kind of was a little timid coming in, didn't really want to ask questions. But (these guys) are not afraid to ask questions.
"I think that's the best compliment I can give them because they're all willing learners, they're all ready to attack –- none of them have taken a back seat."
"They'll do things wrong, but they'll do it going as hard as they can, and I think that's just a good … mentality to have, especially on the defensive end. If you're just going hard, sometimes just going hard will be the right play to do."
Going hard helps earn those practice points.
And Langford has already served notice he intends to contest Morgan and anybody else for gold-jersey status.
"He fit right in … especially when it comes to competing," Morgan said of Langford. "He's always trying to get after somebody. I think it was very evident the past couple of practices.
"We (tabulate) practice points, and he heard his name, and he had a really high score. Then he heard mine, and mine was higher than his. So right after practice, he was like, 'I have to beat you. That's all I want for this week. I have to beat you.' "
If anybody's going to beat Morgan, they'll have to attain the gold standard.
Players Mentioned
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