Michael Wenye Li / Sun Photography Editor

Senior Matt Morgan withdrew from the NBA Draft and will look to defend his Ivy League scoring title.

January 11, 2018

Morgan Named to Shortlist for Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award

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Cornell men’s basketball junior guard Matt Morgan has been named to the watch list for the eighth annual Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award.

The midseason watch list, which was disclosed on Thursday, includes 30 standout NCAA Division I players who have played at least two seasons. Past winners have included Kemba Walker, then with Connecticut and now with the Charlotte Hornets, as well as Creighton product Doug McDermott now with the New York Knicks.

By making the shortlist, Morgan helps his potential NBA bid after an offseason in which he declared for the NBA draft. Morgan also joins the likes of top NBA prospects in Villanova’s Mikal Bridges, Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, and Duke’s Grayson Allen in making the watch list. Morgan is the only Ivy Leaguer named to the list of 30.

Morgan is currently ranked fourth in the nation in scoring at 24.9 points per game, up from 18.1 last year, while maintaining efficient shooting at 51 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. The guard is coming off his second consecutive Ivy League scoring title and is looking to lead this year’s Red to its first Ivy League title since the 2009-2010 season.

The winner of the 2017-2018 Lute National Player of the Year Award will be announced on March 31 at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Event in San Antonio.