Nov. 10, 2005

Columbia, Mo. - Head Coach Quin Snyder and the University of Missouri men's basketball program hauled in one of the nation's most coveted prospects on Thursday when they announced the signing of Redlands Community College star Ty Morrison (Phoenix, Ariz. / Trevor Browne HS) to a national letter-of-intent.

Morrison will enter Mizzou as a junior eligibility-wise upon his transfer from Redlands C.C., which is located in El Reno, Okla.

A 6-7, 220-pound forward from Phoenix, Ariz., Morrison comes to Columbia, Mo., as one of the nation's most highly-sought after junior college performers. Ranked No. 1 among two-year players by Van Coleman's Hoopmasters.com and No. 3 nationally by Rivals.com, Morrison gives the Tigers a skilled front-court player that can not only break down opponents with his offensive versatility, but his rebounding and passing skills as well. As a freshman, Morrison helped lead head coach Steve Eck's club to a 27-4 overall mark and a berth to the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan. The first-year performer averaged 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds for Redland's sophomore-dominated group and finished the year as the club's most efficient scorer, shooting 58.7 percent (101-of-172) from the floor, 50.0 percent (8-of-16) from three-point range and 70.0 percent (56-of-80) from the free throw line. His 5.6 boards per game were tops on the club, while his 3.2 assists per game ranked third.

"We are excited to have Ty (Morrison) join our program," Snyder said. "He is really a complete player. He's is prepared to be an impact player in our league as he has received terrific coaching from Steve Eck at Redlands Community College. Ty brings a great deal of competitiveness to the floor and that is contagious to his teammates around him. He's skilled for his size (6-7, 220) and is a very good passer. He also brings the defensive mentality that we want at Mizzou. We are extremely pleased that Ty Morrison is a Tiger."

So far this season Morrison has led Redlands to a 3-0 start, which included a 97-60 win over Mountain View College in Dallas, Texas. In that 37-point win, Morrison paced the Cougars with 21 points and eight assists.

"First of all, Missouri is getting a quality individual," Redlands Head Coach Steve Eck said. "Ty (Morrison) truly cares about the people around him. On the basketball court, he brings very good athleticism. He's a player who can guard an opposing team's `1-man' all the way down to their `4-man'. He's got a nice shot and is a good passer for his size. He just brings great versatility to the team.

"Ty started for us last season and played a big role," Eck continued. "We relied heavily on Sylvester Mayes, who is now at Ohio State, but Ty played an important role for this club and that role will increase this year. In one of our games I think he had 21 points and eight assists, so he is a fine player."

A four-year standout at Phoenix's Trevor Browne High School, Morrison was a four-time All-State honoree and led Browne to a 22-7 mark as a senior (2003-04) after averaging 21.1 points, 15.3 rebounds, 7.9 blocks and 4.8 assists per game. The Arizona Player of the Year, Morrison was nominated for the McDonald's High School All-America game in 2004 and was ranked among the nation's Top 100 prep players before signing with Redlands following his high school tenure.

The November Early Signing Period continues until Nov. 16, 2005.

Following a pair of exhibition victories, Mizzou opens regular-season play Nov. 14 in the opening round of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament (NIT) against Sam Houston State at 8 p.m.