Florida won the NCAA tourney in April and Oklahoma City won the NBA Finals in June but there is still 1 more basketball champion to be crowned this summer. The Basketball Tournament (aka the TBT) kicks off on July 18th with 8 regions of 8 teams playing at Indianapolis/JMU/Kansas City/Lexington/Louisville/Syracuse/West Virginia/Wichita. Each region will send 1 team to the quarterfinals, with the championship game taking place during the 1st week of August, and the winning team walking away with $1 million in prize money. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the weeks ahead interviewing as many TBT participants as possible. We continue our coverage with Darryl Morsell, who will be playing for Shell Shock after being named Big 10 DPOY in 2021.
1 of your teammates at Mount Saint Joseph High School was your eventual college teammate Jalen Smith: could you tell back then that he was good enough to become a lottery pick just a couple of years later? Not initially. I 1st saw him when he was in the 7th grade: he was tall/long and played hard, but got more skills as he got older. By his junior/senior year I thought that he could make the lottery.
You were a top-100 recruit coming out of high school: what made you choose Maryland? I just wanted to stay home. My recruitment by the big schools picked up late, but I had a great connection with Coach Mark Turgeon and his staff. I also saw local guys like Melo Trimble/Anthony Cowan stay in the area and have success.
You played in all 32 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? Just finding ways to contribute to winning. I played 4 different positions from PG to PF: we had some injuries and I was 1 of the most versatile guys on the team.
In the 2019 NCAA tourney you had a 2-PT win over Belmont and a 2-PT loss to LSU: what is the key to winning games in March that go down to the wire? Executing your assignment and harping on the little things: boxing out, talking on ball screens, being in the right spot on offense, etc.
In 2020 your team won a share of the conference title: what was your reaction when you learned that the postseason was being canceled due to COVID? I was very sad for the seniors who would not get another chance: that team was very talented. It still has not completely hit me.
In 2021 you were named conference DPOY: what is the secret to being a great defender? You just need to have the right mindset. I was 1 of the older guys in the conference and took pride in setting the example and not letting any younger guys come into the league and have success.
You were a 2-time Academic All-Big 10 selection and earned your bachelor’s degree in just 3 years: how were you able to balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It is hard for athletes, but going to Mount Saint Joseph helped. I got to declare my major early, managed my time well, and took classes year-round.
Your parents Duane/Carolyn attended almost all your college games (both home and away): how close is your family? Very close. I am an only child, so I depended on them, and they had high expectations for me.
After graduating you spent the past several years playing in the G League and overseas: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in other countries? In the US we have more athletes and there is a faster style of play. Overseas it is more IQ-based: some guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo can get out in transition, but most of them play a slower style.
You are playing for Shell Shock in the TBT: how is the team looking, and what will you do with your share of the $1 million prize money if you win it all? We are coming together and having a lot of meetings to be prepared for the TBT. I would probably invest my share: I am still young so I want to get as much as I can while I am playing.
