We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Tennessee assistant coach Amorrow Morgan, who talked about joining the Vols last spring and his expectations for this season.
You were born/raised in Memphis: what made you choose Idaho State for college? I was just looking for an opportunity. 1 of their assistant coaches had recruited me hard when he was at FIU, so once he moved to Idaho State I went to play for him.
In January of 2010 you scored 30 PTS in a career-high 54 minutes in a 2-PT 3-OT loss at Weber State: could you tell at the time that Damian Lillard (28 PTS in 50 minutes) was going to become a superstar? Yes. I remember vividly a play in the 1st OT. I had been guarding someone else and during a timeout I said that we needed to switch up the matchup on Lillard because he had scored 8 PTS in a row. He ended up making the game-winning layup with his left hand in the final second: it was Dame Time before it became DAME TIME! Even in warmups he was doing things that made me realize he should not be in our conference.
Your FG%/3P% increased during each year you were in college: how were you able to keep improving every single year? I am a firm believer that retention anywhere enhances your chance for success. Our staff did a very good job with development, which stuck with me during my entire coaching career. Assistants put in unseen hours to help their players get 1-2% better each day, and it can do so much for someone’s confidence.
You were named all-conference as both a junior/senior: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was great! I was honorable mention as a sophomore but was 1st-team as a junior. I put in a lot of hours in the gym so to get that notoriety/respect is something I keep with me to this day. I do not know if I would have stayed 4 years had I played in this climate due to the transfer portal: the landscape has completely changed.
You were a 3-time captain: what is the secret to being a good leader? Caring about others, which is still a strength of mine today. I enjoy mentoring people and learning from others, which allows me to give whatever I got every single day to help the team win. I have been in the game for more than a decade. I built great relationship with my teammates and learned how they tick, so I was able to bring the most out of them and motivate them.
You were reportedly headed to Florida State last spring: what made you choose Tennessee instead? I landed at Florida State and was there for about 6 weeks: we went from just 2 players when I arrived to putting together an entire roster. I would never want to jump ship after getting an opportunity…but I have always looked at Tennessee as the cream of the crop. It was a no-brainer for me and I could not turn it down so it made complete sense for me and my family, as my beautiful wife can finally see her family in Arkansas without having to fly back in the middle of the night. It is perfect for me because it is not about me. I get to help the program sustain its success, which has always been my mindset.
You work for Coach Rick Barnes: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? I am super-excited to learn from him and be part of his very experienced staff. He loves the game and studies it to keep learning/growing. He is dialed in on the NBA and practice film and individual workouts. His tunnel vision to bring the university a championship has not changed: he might even be hungrier now after back-to-back Elite 8s. He is secure in himself and how he wants to do things: he believes in his own formula because he has seen it work time and time again, but sprinkles in a few new things each year to keep up with the times. He is also a great person: he spent time with me to make sure I was comfortable with the move. He is the entire package and has no holes in his coaching game.
Last year as an assistant at Cal you helped Jeremiah Wilkinson become ACC 6th Man of the Year: what will be it like to face him this year in conference play since he is at Georgia? It is crazy: we will also play another guy I recruited in Andrej Stojakovic, who transferred to Illinois. I have a great relationship with Jeremiah’s family so he is my guy: he had an incredible freshman year and now he is closer to home. I know some of his strengths and some of his weaknesses so we will try to make it a nightmare for him!
1 of your incoming freshmen this year is McDonald’s All-American Nate Ament, who is also a projected lottery pick next summer: how is he looking so far? He is special and keeps improving/learning. Coach is pushing him hard every day to make sure he is prepared to play in the best conference in the sport. He is a coach’s dream: there is no entitlement there and he is not making it about him. He is trying to become the best version of himself and will have a great year for us.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We want to win a national title and get over the hump to make the Final 4 and play in Indianapolis this season. We have great kids who are working hard every single day to reach the standard that has been set before them by the guys who laid the foundation. We will try to make Coach Barnes proud.
