Dayton, Illinois, Southern Cal and Minnesota sent coaches to watch the 6-foot-10 junior in an open gym Monday. He remains the UD Flyers’ primary recruiting target in the 2013 class, but the competition keeps growing.
Morgan said he most recently has gotten a scholarship offer from Minnesota to go along with offers from UD, Xavier, West Virginia, Iowa State and USC.
An NCAA rule change has allowed coaches to evaluate players at AAU events the next two weekends, and Ohio State almost certainly will be taking notes on Morgan. The Buckeyes haven’t offered a scholarship yet, but they’ve hosted him on visits and have four full rides for the senior class and haven’t signed anyone yet.
They’ll probably bank a couple for next year, and the extra openings may mean Morgan could end up in their plans.
He clearly would find an OSU offer enticing.
“That’s a big deal,” he said. “I’ve been rooting for Ohio State my entire life. Growing up in Ohio, I’m a Buckeye.”
He’s been to numerous UD games, is close to the coaches and said he’ll keep the Flyers high on his list. But he’s seriously considering rival Xavier, too.
“They’ll always be up there, schools I’ve grown up watching — such great tradition. Them and Xavier will always be there,” he said.
Guard help: Dayton has been recruiting Cincinnati Aiken senior guard Willie Moore since he backed out of his commitment to Duquesne after coach Ron Everhart was fired.
He’s gotten scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, South Carolina and Miami University. The Flyers have three full rides available for the senior class and desperately need guard help. They appear to be waiting until the upcoming evaluation period before deciding to make an offer.
“He’s going to be a steal for wherever he ends up at,” Aiken coach Leon Ellison said. “He’s actually a high-major Division I player. He just really flew under the radar for a while. He’s probably one of those kids who could end up in the top-100 kids in America, but he just flew under the radar for so long he didn’t get the notoriety he deserved.”
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Moore plunged into the AAU circuit later than most.
“He’s athletic, he sees the floor really well, he’s unselfish and he can flat out put the ball in the bucket,” Ellison said. “When the kid’s got it going, no one can guard him — I don’t care who you are.”
As for the Flyers, Ellison said: “He really likes the staff, he really likes the players. It’d be a good fit for him if Dayton actually put an offer on the table.”
Top recruit: Middletown's Vincent Edwards, a 6-7 sophomore forward, has become one of the most highly recruited players in southwest Ohio in the 2014 class.
Michigan coach John Beilein watched him in an open gym Tuesday. Tennessee invited him down for an unofficial visit. And he has scholarship offers from Dayton, Xavier and Purdue.
He visited the Flyers when they beat nationally ranked Alabama last season and could see himself fitting in at UD.
“Dayton is close to home. It feels like home as soon as you step in (the arena). It’s almost a sellout crowd every night. Dayton is a good place,” he said.
The son of former Wright State star Bill Edwards grew an inch during the season and is looking to add some beef to his 210-pound frame.
“Getting quicker and stronger — that’s my main two goals,” he said. “Hopefully, I can keep lifting and put on my weight. That will help me out.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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