ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell sophomore guard
Matt Morgan has declared his intention to put his name into consideration for the NBA Draft. Morgan will not sign with an agent and is expected to retain his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility.
The leading scorer in the Ivy League in each of his first two seasons, Morgan is a two-time second-team All-Ivy League selection who has posted career averages of 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He has made 156 career 3-pointers, shooting a career-best .376 from beyond the arc as a sophomore. The 6-2 guard from Concord, N.C. is a career 83 percent free-throw shooter.
"I would like to thank my parents first off for allowing me to attend this great school that gives me the opportunity to reach my dreams on and off the court," Morgan said. "Next, the coaching staff for also allowing me to pursue what has been a dream of mine. And lastly, to everyone who has been a part of this journey I would like to say thank you. With that I am ready to take the next step and declare for the NBA draft without signing an agent in order to retain my eligibility to return to school. I am truly blessed and excited for the process."
Morgan averaged 18.1 points and career highs of 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as a sophomore, becoming the first Cornell sophomore to reach 1,000 career points. He ended his sophomore season as one of just four players to rank among the top 20 in the Ancient Eight in scoring, rebounding and assists. Morgan was chosen to the all-tournament team at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational and set a Newman Arena record with seven 3-pointers as part of a 34-point night in a win over defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Northeastern. It was one of 11 games this season with at least 20 points, and one of 27 games that he reached double figures.
A five-time Ivy League and one-time national Rookie of the Week, Morgan set school and league freshman scoring records in 2015-16. He averaged 22.6 points per game in conference play with 12 contests of at least 20 points, including a school freshman record 33 points in a win at Harvard. His 18.9 points per game overall was the fifth-highest of any freshman in Division I.
Players may declare for the draft multiple times without losing college eligibility, as long as they withdraw before the NCAA's deadline (May 24) without hiring an agent. Players are allowed to attend the draft combine, if invited, and one tryout per year for each NBA team without losing college eligibility. The combine will be held in Chicago from May 9-14, with the draft occurring June 22. Players had to file paperwork with the NBA by April 23 at 11:59 p.m.
Morgan is the third Ivy League student-athlete in recent years to utilize the NBA Draft process, joining Yale's Greg Mangano (2011) and Makai Mason (2016). A total of 12 Cornellians have been selected in the NBA Draft, the last being Ken Bantum '85 in the seventh round by the New York Knicks in 1985. Four players who have suited up for the Big Red have appeared in the NBA, including Jeff Foote '10, who played for the New Orleans Hornets in 2012.
