Dallas Morgan finds patience, becomes Chippewas sixth man
Junior guard Dallas Morgan takes a free throw on Oct. 14 at McGuirk Arena.
Most players who come off the bench will tell you that waiting for their number to be called is the something they always have to be ready for.
The first man off the bench for the Central Michigan men's basketball team agrees, but he believes the time he is waiting to play makes him better.
Observing. Listening. Learning.
These are all things that CMU junior guard Dallas Morgan has started to do, even though he didn't expect it when he arrived on campus this past summer.
"I want to be the sixth-man of the year," Morgan said. "(My goal) has changed as the season progressed because I wasn't always the first man off the bench. But I kept working and now I am.
"I had some struggles getting to (CMU), even at this level I play like I never got this offer."
This is something that Morgan says has drove him to stay in the gym and get better since he attended Metamora High School in Illinois. He didn't receive a Division I call from any school, but he never gave up on that dream.
So, Morgan found himself in a town called Moberly in Missouri with a current population of 13,783. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard attended Moberly Area Community College to play basketball while getting an education.
Patience was hard to find at times for Morgan. Even after shooting 40 percent from 3-point distance and averaging 10.3 points per game as a sophomore, no one seemed on the radar to pick up the sharp shooter.
Late after the 2017-18 season where he helped the Greyhounds to a No. 11 ranking in the National Junior College Athletic Association poll, he received a text message he didn't expect with an offer for a visit.
It was to CMU. While Morgan had no idea he was on CMU's radar, the Chippewas assistant coach Kyle Gerdeman had been watching for some time. Morgan said he had to jump on the offer and committed shortly after it.
"It was a blessing," Morgan said. "This has always been the goal and once I came up (to CMU) I loved it, they treat you like a family man. That's a feeling you don't get everywhere.
"However, I needed the time I had playing JUCO ball. Without it, I'm not sure I'd be as good as I have been with the role I'm doing for us."
After a pair of seasons with the Greyhounds, the patience Morgan once struggled with grew stronger with maturity on the court. Training was more intense with every level Morgan advanced to. He said he had to listen to the coaches and his teammates at the Division I level, otherwise he wouldn't be playing for long.
Coming in and making shots is much easier said than done, according to Morgan, but it's a role he has been able to embrace for the Chippewas and provide insurance off the bench. The NJCAA transfer leads CMU's bench with 13.9 minutes per game. His numbers from beyond the arc are nearly identical to when he played at MACC at 40.5 percent for CMU. He averages 7.3 points per game to lead the reserves as well.
"(Morgan) is someone who creates instant offense and is becoming a really good defender," said head coach Keno Davis. "He gives us a lift off the bench and we want him to keep growing into a complete player by the time he leaves here."
One player who has worked closely with Morgan is senior guard Shawn Roundtree Jr. Both growing up in Illinois, so the two connected instantly and became roommates for the year. According to Roundtree, the pair have a lot of similarities such as music and their families.
On the court, that bond has only grown stronger. Roundtree said it has helped the guard play immensely.
"Dallas has great energy and is always focused and locked in, he's the life of the locker room," Roundtree said. "He's always making jokes and laughing. He is a great spark to this team when he comes in."
Senior guard Larry Austin Jr. agreed with Roundtree, stating Morgan is a player the Chippewas need.
"He doesn't just make shots early in the game but he does late when we need them to keep things close," Austin said. "He plays with an emotion that everyone knows is special."
Morgan hasn't always been the first man up. He didn't get Division I offers out of high school, but he didn't quit. It took two years of wondering and waiting until he had an offer from CMU in junior college.
Now, in a different light, Morgan still views his role with the Chippewas as something he has to earn everyday.
In his case, Morgan has found that good things come to those who wait.
"I'm just trying to be the best I can be with this team," Morgan said. "After all, it's got me this far."
