Brock Morton 6'5" Combo Guard "Steady & Heady" Class of 2010

Another Ali Farokhmanesh? March 22, 2010

Posted by ibsm in Uncategorized.
Tags: Ali Farokhmanesh, Bill Self, Brock Morton, Derrick Favors, Doug Wojcik, Drake, Farokhmanesh, Georgia Tech, Illinois State, Iowa State, Jeff Capel, Jerome Jordan, McDonald All-Americans, Mercer University, NBA, NCAA, NCAA Final Four, Northern Iowa, State, Team Oklahoma, Ted Owens, three point shooter, Tiny Gallon, TMZ, Tommy Mason-Griffin, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, University of Tulsa
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By B.S. Cohen   bscohen.writer@gmail.com

All Ali Farokhmanesh wanted coming out of high school was the chance to play Division I basketball.

NONE of the Division I schools wanted him. Farokhmanesh probably would have settled for a Division II offer, but no takers there , either.

Four years and three schools later, the 6 footer from Northern Iowa is the toast of this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Like Farokhmanesh, Brock Morton was also overlooked coming out of high school.  Although Division III schools were all over Morton and his 28 ACT score, the Division I’s had no scholarships to offer.

Morton played for a small private high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Although 5 inches taller than Farokhmanesh,  Morton was overlooked like Ali, despite starting at point guard as a scronny 15 yr old sophomore.

He played whatever position necessary for his school, and was used strictly as a #2 guard [shooting guard like Farokhmanesh] for his national touring AAU squad.   He wrapped up his high school career as his school’s ALL-TIME leading scorer despite having a “pass first” attitude.  [2nd All time in Assists!]

Ali – Fa-ROUK!

Despite being overlooked out of high school,  Ali is the #2 [shooting] guard on Northern Iowa who began his college career at Indian Hills Community College in southeastern Iowa, has made Northern Iowa’s head coach, Ben Jacobson, look brilliant so far in this year’s NCAA March Madness.

All Ali Farokhmanesh [Fah-ROHK-ma-NESH] has done is lead the Missouri Valley Champ Panthers to two upsets and into next week’s SWEET 16.  Two more victories and they’ll be in the FINAL FOUR.

In the first round game against UNLV, Farokhmanesh drained a game winning 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left

Then he  and his teammates faced the mighty Kansas Jayhawks,  who happened to be the pre-tournament favorite and the Top #1 Seed.  Nursing a one point lead, he found himself wide open behind the 3 pt line  on a fast break with 34 seconds left in the game.

Instead of milking the clock, Farokhmanesh calmly pulled the trigger and the ball touched “nothin but net.”  It was the final dagger into the heart of Coach Bill Self’s  Jayhawk squad.   Not to shabby for the 6 foot Farokhmanesh, who toiled at two junior colleges before being given a chance by Panther Coach Ben Jacobson.

After not hardly playing at Indian Hills Community College, Farokhmanesh transferred to Kirkwood Community College for his sophomore season. Thanks to supportive coaches, Ali’s game soon took off.

He averaged 17 points and five assists in his season there and attracted the attention of Jacobson.

“I loved his demeanor,” Jacobson said.

“His presence, the confidence he carries himself with.  Those were the things that I really felt like our team needed.”

Those words sound very similar to how coaches view Morton’s on-court demeanor.

Hall of Fame Coach Ted Owens, who now resides in Tulsa, led the Kansas Jayhawks to two NCAA Final Four appearances.   Is it a co-incidence that Owens may have spotted another Farokhmanesh while scouring the basketball world for players?

Here is  how Owen’s descries 6’5″ shooting guard Brock Morton.

“I’ve had an opportunity to watch Brock Morton play over the last 4 years and he’s a very fine player,” Owens said.

“He has a great feel for the game, excellent decision maker, handles the ball well, is a very good 3-point shooter and driver with an uncanny ability to get offensive rebounds.”

“He just has really good basketball savvy,” Owens added.

When Owens learned that Morton had enrolled at the University of Oklahoma instead of accepting walk-on invitations from the University of Tulsa, Lafayette, and Mercer University among others, the recently inducted Hall of Fame member already had a meeting scheduled with Coach Capel and some of his staff.

At the meeting, Owens urged OU SOONER head coach Jeff Capel & his staff to take a look at Morton and invite him to walk-on the OU Sooner squad.   For some unknown reason, they didn’t.

Capel’s OU squad should have welcomed another body on their very short bench.   As most know, this season was an utter disappointment for all the Sooner fans, Capel included.  You wonder what is going on in Norman and if their two McDonald All Americans will even be back for a 2nd year.  [Note: At press time, it is rumored that Tommy Mason-Griffin will not return from Spring Break.]

Recently, TMZ came out with a Tiny Gallon story that makes you wonder what the chances he has of returning to play a 2nd year under Capel.

Basketball Hall of Fame coach Ted Owens told the Sooners coaching staff:   “I would have LOVED to have a player the caliber  of Brock show up to walk on when I coached at Kansas.”

But the Sooners wouldn’t take a look.  Not even one practice.

So Morton,  still 18 with 4 years of eligibility,  withdrew from OU [w/ a 3.5 GPA] and has been visiting colleges from California to Boston looking for the right fit.  Besides basketball, Morton aspires to study Entrepreneurship & business, which has led to looking seriously at Chapman University and Babson College, two Division III schools.

Hometown school Tulsa University didn’t think the former Golden Hurricane ball-boy was worthy of a scholarship.  Morton was a Hurricane ball-boy for 5 years including Bill Self’s surprising 2000 squad that took North Carolina to the wire in an ELITE 8 game.

Ex-Navy pt guard  [w/ teammate David Robinson] and current Tulsa head coach Doug Wojcik said he knew Brock could play for Tulsa, but “just didn’t think he was good enough to lift the program” higher than it is.

It was obvious when you watched how teams defended Tulsa University late in the season that the Hurricane would have benefitted by having another 3 pt shooter on the court.

Many times opponents would leave a Hurricane wing wide open at the 3 pt arc to drop inside and double down on NBA prospect, but “soft” 7-footer  Jerome Jordan.   It didn’t take long for the scouting reports to circulate before everyone was defending Tulsa the same on the wing.

Recruiting is an art form. There are so many variables.   And, we must remember we’re dealing with 17,18, 19 year old kids.  Sometimes they do stupid things.  The players who “fit the mold” athletically, can jump like they have springs in their legs, and are sought after because of their physical attributes, become hot commodities.

And the flocks of recruiters who may watch 40 games in a weekend learn that a certain school is interested in player “xyz”, then all of a sudden, that players shows up on the recruiting lists of 40 schools. Amazing!

I hear coaches espouse that they “can teach a player how to shoot the ball.”    Yes, sometimes it can happen.  But more often than not, it doesn’t happen that way.

By the time you’re 18, 19 years old, you’re either a shooter or you’re not.    Farokhmanesh & Morton, are shooters.  End of that story.

Farokhmanesh could empathize with Morton’s situation.  But perseverance has a knack for paying off, and it sure has for Ali.

And don’t think Farokhmanesh’s 2 NCAA heroic performances were his first.   He seems to thrive on drama.

He made a 3-pointer to help Northern Iowa outlast Illinois State in overtime in the 2009 Missouri Valley title game.  Then this season,  he knocked down a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to lift the Panthers to a come from behind victory at in state rival IOWA STATE.

He hit two 3′s from over 25 feet away late in the 2nd half to lead Northern Iowa past Drake.

Will he be another Farokhmanesh?

Morton’s high school coach has his mind made up.

“Brock is a terrific all around basketball player. He is a long and skilled guard who shoots the three with accuracy. He is one of those kids that when he misses a shot, you are actually surprised,” Coach Brad Shelley said.

“He’s an excellent passer and a has a great feel for the game. This year, Brock became our schools all-time scoring leader. This feat is amazing especially because of his pass first mentality,” he added.

Holland Hall head coach Shelley continued, “He makes players around him better by getting them involved early and often. He has great practice habits and is always looking to improve his skills.”

“Brock is a terrific player but he is an even better person. He is an exceptional captain and team leader. In my opinion, he is a cant miss for any college coach,” Shelley concluded.

The then 16 yr old Morton gave some indication of what he is capable of during the 2008 Adidas 64 National Tourney in Las Vegas.   Current Georgia Tech freshmen Derrick Favors was playing for the Atlanta Celtics while Morton was the starting 2-guard for Team Oklahoma.

Morton knocked down a sizzling 15 of 23   3- pointers in the tourney to lead his team in scoring each game. Recruiters from several D-1 colleges including American University immediately connected with Morton via his AAU coach and added him to their “watch” list.

But 25 or 30 American University update letters never included the “scholarship” offer.

Now 18 yrs old,  Morton is 20 lbs heavier and a lot stronger,  and more ready for the physicality of the college came.

If the past can show us the future, it’s pretty good odds that  Coach Jacobson will be snatched up by a “name” school in the next year or two.    And being able to recognize correct pieces to building a TEAM puzzle is one of the reasons.

Hardly any of Northern Iowa’s players were heavily recruited, yet there was Bill Self on Saturday night, complaining the Panthers presented a “matchup problem” for a Jayhawks team that featured five NBA players in its starting lineup.

“The kids never let the hoopla affect them,” former Panther head coach Norm Berry said, “and that’s because of [Jacobson]. I learn something in practice from him every day.

“He’s never too high or too low. He knows what he wants to do and how to go about doing it, but his emotions are in control at all times.”

Jacobson, 39, is a North Dakota native who played and coached for his home state school before joining Greg McDermott’s Northern Iowa staff in 2001. He was named head coach after McDermott left for Iowa State following the 2005-06 season.

“Coach Jacobson isn’t a screamer or a yeller,” a voice close to the program said. “In some ways he exemplifies what the Midwest is all about. Even though he didn’t go to school here, he loves the tradition of UNI.  He’s embraced it and he’s proud to coach here.”

“His players see that and they act the same way.”

One thing is for certain.   If Morton finds an opportunity down the road to be another Farokhmanesh, it won’t be a surprise to Ted Owens.  The question remains, will some D-I coach realize the treasure that is available, or will Morton show his game at the secluded D-III level.

~B.S. Cohen

bscohen.writer@gmail.com