Matt Morgan is quite the record holder at Cornell. The Concord, North Carolina native set program career records in points, field goals and free throws and ranks in the top 10 in several other statistical categories.
Arguably the best basketball player in Cornell history, Morgan built his legacy as an offensive force to be reckoned with over his four-year career, wreaking havoc on the Ivy League and providing Cornell with some of its most memorable moments since its famed Sweet Sixteen run in 2010.
Morgan was an integral part of helping the Red reach its first-ever Ivy League tournament in Philadelphia last season. But even after a conference playoff berth and setting the program scoring record in January, Morgan said that one of his most memorable moments came at the very end.
“Senior night was one of the best moments I’ve had in a Cornell uniform,” Morgan said that night after Cornell closed out the 2018-19 season with a 66-51 win over Dartmouth. “Being able to play for the last time in Newman Arena will be a moment I will never forget.”
But Morgan is not just a Cornell legend. He led the Ivy League in scoring in all four of his seasons and earned all-Ivy honors in each campaign as well, capping off his senior season with a unanimous first-team selection. Morgan closed out his career ranked second in the Ancient Eight in career points and is just the sixth Ivy player to surpass 2,000 career points.
“Matt Morgan is a gifted offensive player. He makes you pay for every mistake,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said of Morgan in April. “His shotmaking, his confidence that he has, gives everybody else on their team confidence.”
After each of the last three seasons, Morgan declared for the NBA draft, seeking elevation to the highest level of basketball before withdrawing twice to retain his college eligibility.
“You learn a little bit more each year,” Morgan said after withdrawing from the draft last year. “I learned the stuff I need to improve on to get to that next level. It was great feedback and I’m ready to get in the gym and work on improving those things and [continue to expand] my game.”
In the process, he signed with the agency Klutch Sports Group, which represents NBA stars like LeBron James, Ben Simmons and Draymond Green, among others, as he now seeks entry into either a European or the G-League, the NBA’s developmental level, along with the small chance of being selected in the upcoming NBA draft.
“They represent more than just [star players]; they have some overseas people, some people in the G-League, so they have the experience in all facets of professional basketball,” Morgan told The Sun in April.
With his college years now in the rearview mirror, Morgan hopes that there is more to his future in the sport of basketball. With a new agency and a slew of records to guide him to the next level, he may just stand a chance. Whatever the outcome, Morgan can rest assured that his name will stand strong in the annals of Cornell men’s basketball and Cornell Athletics history for decades to come.