Louisiana State men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson confirmed Tuesday that star recruit J’Mison Morgan will be released from his commitment to the school.
The decision allows Morgan, a 6-foot-11-inch center from Dallas, to choose a new school. He reportedly hopes to attend UCLA in the fall.
“The bottom line with me will always be that I want players here who want to play for LSU,” Johnson said in a statement released by LSU Tuesday. “No player will ever be bigger than the program.”
After seriously considering UCLA, Morgan originally committed to play at LSU for coach John Brady in November. But the school fired Brady on Feb. 8 and hired Johnson on April 10.
Morgan told The Dallas Morning News that he was uncomfortable with Johnson and wants to attend UCLA.
The Bruins can finally contact Morgan now that LSU has released him from his letter of intent.
UCLA is in desperate need of a big man after the departure of freshman phenom Kevin Love. Morgan averaged 13.5 points and 11 rebounds in his senior season for South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas. Scout.com rates him as the No. 29 player in the nation and sixth-best center overall.
If Morgan does come to UCLA, as his brother and mother have told multiple media outlets he will, the Bruins will boast a class that is easily the best in the nation if not the best coach Ben Howland has recruited in his time at UCLA.
The Bruins have already received commitments from four top prospects in California. The most highly touted of the group is Jrue Holiday, a guard from Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood. UCLA will add two other guards, Malcolm Lee and Jerime Anderson, who are both rated among the top 30 players in the country.
Drew Gordon, a 6-foot-9-inch forward from San Jose, is the only big man the Bruins have received a commitment from.
Gordon, and potentially Morgan, would receive ample opportunity to start next season as the Bruins must replace Love and center Lorenzo Mata-Real. Junior forward Alfred Aboya may also leave the team to focus on academics, which would open another spot on the roster for the incoming post players.