Hey Brad, I hope we see an article from Bossi or Evans on Morsell's performance at the FIBA U-19 tryouts. Sounds like we may have 3 players in those games at the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Brad is not the only one that is high on Morsell. I've copied and pasted a free, public article from another sight written by a guy that has seen Morsell a lot. Because it's a competitor to Rivals, I eliminated the author's name and the site it came from, but it's some pretty high praise for Casey and I thought you all might like to read it (if you haven't seen it already):
Casey Morsell is my 2019 DMV Player of the Year,
Casey Morsell (6-3 CG) Washington, DC. St. John’s College HS. Grassroots/AAU : Team Takeover
Committed to the University of Virginia.
For the 2018-19 season, I have awarded Casey Morsell the DMV Player of the Year.
Casey is ranked #48 in the nation by 24-7 Sports, #53 in nation by 24-7 Sports Composite, # 63 by Rivals and # by ESPN. However, I rank Casey in the top 35.
Casey is one of the most complete players I have seen in the last decade. He thrives on competition and shines against the best teams and players. Casey can light up the scoreboard from anywhere in every possible manner. However, what takes his game to another level is that he impacts the game without scoring. Casey is an elite defender who guarded 1 thru 3 last season and at times the 4. He never stays down, is always prepared and possesses a tremendous IQ. Casey is one of the toughest players in the nation and gives maximum effort every second of play. I have watched Casey the last 4 seasons at St. Johns and the 1st time I scouted him as a freshmen, I immediately realized he possessed the coveted " IT" factor. Casey is all about winning, performs every intangible and makes his teammates better. His work ethic and determination on and off the court are amazing.
Casey is a great leader and when the chips are down he will battle to the final buzzer, He continuously encourages his teammates on the floor and when he is resting on the bench. He is engaged the entire game and brings maximum effort in practices and workouts which I have attended. Casey is mature well beyond his years and is a very special young man.
This past season Casey led SJC to a 27-12 record. The Cadets play in the WCAC, which is established as the best HS basketball conference in that nation. This past season DeMatha was ranked #10 while Paul VI finished at #52, and Gonzaga # 60. In my firm opinion St. Johns was a top 100 caliber team. Playing in the powerful WCAC, the Cadets lost 7 games in the regular season and 2 games in the post season vs WCAC teams. However, SJC defeated DeMatha in the coveted WCAC semifinals, but lost to Gonzaga by 4 in a fierce Championship final before a packed house at American University.
St. Johns recorded marquee wins over Rock Creek Christian, Bullis, Bishop O'Connell, DeMatha, and Gonzaga. The Cadets suffered numerous heartbreaking losses, but Casey, his teammates and Coaches always bounced back.
SJC lost 5 games to power teams by a total of 9 points which were:
Nicolet who finished the season ranked #9 in the nation. SJC faced the Gladiators less than 20 hours after defeating McNamara who defeated Gonzaga 3 games earlier. The Cadets lost to Nicolet by 2 points who suffered their only loss of the season the next day to Paul VI.
SJC lost heart-breakers to Gonzaga (3 pts), Baltimore Poly, who won the MD 3A State Championship by 1 in OT, O'Connell in OT, and PVI by 1.
Throughout his St. Johns and Team Takeover career, Casey has been a model of great consistency. This past season he averaged over 16 points per game for the Cadets. His ppg average was lowered by some blowout wins. SJC was loaded with 12 D1 caliber players and Casey was able to get every teammate involved when they entered the game.
In every big / key game Casey delivered:
scoring 24 vs Nicolet, 23 vs. Gonzaga, 20 vs. Poly, 20 vs. O'Connell, 29 vs. Paul VI, 17 vs. Paul VI, 29 vs DeMatha,16 vs. O'Connell, 17 vs, Paul VI, 34 vs. Gonzaga, 20 vs. O'Connell, 16 vs. DeMatha, 20 vs. O'Connell, 19 and 20 vs. Gonzaga, 22 vs. DeMatha and 26 vs. Mt. St. Joseph. In every game Casey would guard the opponents top scorer and on many occasions go head to head against much taller players. 6-8 plus, Nicolet star 2020 PG/CG Jalen Johnson (#3 in the nation for 2020) gave SJC fits in the 1st half until Casey guarded him in the 2nd playing stellar defense. Casey fueled a courageous 2nd half comeback, but the Cadets lost at the buzzer to the #8 team in the nation.
Nicolet (WI) Holds on to Defeat St. John's at Hoop Fest 2018
St. John's staged a big 4th quarter comeback behind Casey Morsell but it wasn't enough as Nicolet won a close one on day two.
www.youtube.com
In every game I have watched, Casey impacted the game on defense, rebounding, facilitation, IQ, clutch play leadership, hustle, energy and every intangible.
Casey has developed one the best 3 point pull jump shots I have ever seen. He has great rise, form and NBA range. He has proven he can run the point at a high level and is an elite defender who can guard and lock-down 1 thru 3. Casey is an excellent athlete with explosion and strength, a leader on and off the court with a great IQ and motor. His reads and progressions are amazing and he sees plays before they develop. Casey has no real weakness, can score from anywhere and excels in both transition and the half court.
In addition to his brilliant career at St John’s, Casey was magnificent playing for Team Takeover during his career on his Grassroots/AAU circuit. Last season TTO won the coveted Peach Jam and Vegas 48 and in my opinion TTO was the best team in the nation. They were the most talented and cohesive (chemistry) team I have ever watched. Casey played alongside Justin Moore (DeMatha / Villanova), and Anthony Harris (Paul VI / North Carolina), Jeremy Roach ( 2020, Paul VI / Duke ) and Jahmir Young (DeMatha / Charlotte) to form one the best back-courts in Grassroots history. Other teammates included 5 star, 6-10 center Armando Bacot (North Carolina), 5 star 2020 center Hunter Dickinson, 6-7 F Terrance Williams (Gonzaga, 4 star 2020), (DeMatha), 6-8 PF EJ Jarvis (Maret / Yale), 6-7 F Charles Thompson (SSSAS / Towson State), 6-4 G Josh Watts (Gonzaga / Brown), 6-8 F Josh Oduro (Paul VI / George Mason), and 6-7 G Carsten Kogelnik (DeMatha / Brown).
Casey adds, "Playing for Team Takeover was a huge factor in my player development. I improved in practices and every-time we stepped on the court. I have never seen so much talent on one team. We were and are very close teammates. Everybody was all about winning and our coaching was great. I will never forget my teammates and we will always remain in contact."
Casey grew up in Fort Washington, MD which required a 5 AM rise and shine to make the commute to SJC from southern Prince Georges County. The academic requirements and study time needed at St. Johns and the WCAC takes a great commitment. Additionally, the practices, games for HS and Grassroots, plus individual workouts lead to very little, if any spare time. Casey was a superb student at St. Johns,
Casey is very close to his family and credits his father and older brother Mike Morsell Jr., for his basketball development as a youngster and thru the current. Casey followed Mike Jr. to St.John’s where he starred and graduated in 2013-14. Casey says, "Mike toughened me up and took me under his wing. He is getting ready to sign a professional contract to play in the Dominican Republic. I am very proud of Mike as a person and my family, they are my role models."
Below is Mike Morsell Jr. career snapshot at Towson State:
From Towson State site: Finished seventh in program history with 1,523 points … Also ended ranked second in 3-point field goal attempts (459), third in 3-pointers made (150), fourth in starts (103) fifth in made free throws (335), sixth in free throw attempts (457) and sixth in program history in field goal attempts (1,218) … One of seven players in program history to score over 1,500 career points and one of five players in program history to start at least 100 games … Scored in double figures 77 times … Had four games in which he scored 30 or more points including a career best 34 against William & Mary on Feb. 13, 2016 … Three-time All-CAA honoree … Made four game-winning baskets including one against Manhattan with 1.5 seconds remaining to win the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic on Dec. 2, 2017.
Casey is a very intelligent, charismatic, humble, focused and polite young man.
The last time I spoke to Casey this spring he was not sure of his major at U VA, but added. "I am very interested in Law Enforcement and Forensic Science. I asked him what player he likes to study and he said Gilbert Arenas , Klay Thompson, but emulates parts of other players games. He added, "When I arrive at Virginia U want to be in peak condition. I have been working on becoming more of a threat coming off ball screens as well my overall game."
Casey is set to graduate from St. Johns today and will leave for the University of Virginia on Sunday June 9. He will begin summer
school in July. Before summer school he will be training, running pickups and working some summer camps.
Casey added that he knows the entire team from last season and remained in contact with them this season and still is, in
addition to the incoming class.
After Virginia's National Championship, Deandre Hunter, Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy have each opted for the NBA draft. Casey is
penciled in as a starter, but even if the trio returned, Casey would have been a high rotation player or 6th man. This season the Cavaliers return:
Mamadi Diakite (6-9 F, SR.), Braxton Key (6-8 W, SR.), Jay Huff (,7-1 C/F, JR.), and Kihei Clark (5-9 PG. FR.) Their 2019 Recruiting class is ranked #22 in the nation by 24-7 Sports and includes 6-11 Kadin Shedrick (#64. NC), 6-8 Justin McKoy (#214, NC) and 6-5 JUCO transfer
Tomas Woldetensae. Additionally. former 6-8 4 star F Joey Hauser is transferring in from Marquette, but must sit out a season
Despite losing 3 key starters and 6-11 Jack Salt to graduation, many experts rank Virginia on the way too early Preseason
Top 25 for 2019-20.
I firmly believe Casey has what it takes to make it to the next level after his career at U VA and I believe I will be watching him on TV at this time of the year in the future. This is his dream and there is no way Casey loses focus at Virginia. I wish Casey the best in in his academics, social life and basketball career.
Meanwhile, Brad is not the only one that is high on Morsell. I've copied and pasted a free, public article from another sight written by a guy that has seen Morsell a lot. Because it's a competitor to Rivals, I eliminated the author's name and the site it came from, but it's some pretty high praise for Casey and I thought you all might like to read it (if you haven't seen it already):
Casey Morsell is my 2019 DMV Player of the Year,
Casey Morsell (6-3 CG) Washington, DC. St. John’s College HS. Grassroots/AAU : Team Takeover
Committed to the University of Virginia.
For the 2018-19 season, I have awarded Casey Morsell the DMV Player of the Year.
Casey is ranked #48 in the nation by 24-7 Sports, #53 in nation by 24-7 Sports Composite, # 63 by Rivals and # by ESPN. However, I rank Casey in the top 35.
Casey is one of the most complete players I have seen in the last decade. He thrives on competition and shines against the best teams and players. Casey can light up the scoreboard from anywhere in every possible manner. However, what takes his game to another level is that he impacts the game without scoring. Casey is an elite defender who guarded 1 thru 3 last season and at times the 4. He never stays down, is always prepared and possesses a tremendous IQ. Casey is one of the toughest players in the nation and gives maximum effort every second of play. I have watched Casey the last 4 seasons at St. Johns and the 1st time I scouted him as a freshmen, I immediately realized he possessed the coveted " IT" factor. Casey is all about winning, performs every intangible and makes his teammates better. His work ethic and determination on and off the court are amazing.
Casey is a great leader and when the chips are down he will battle to the final buzzer, He continuously encourages his teammates on the floor and when he is resting on the bench. He is engaged the entire game and brings maximum effort in practices and workouts which I have attended. Casey is mature well beyond his years and is a very special young man.
This past season Casey led SJC to a 27-12 record. The Cadets play in the WCAC, which is established as the best HS basketball conference in that nation. This past season DeMatha was ranked #10 while Paul VI finished at #52, and Gonzaga # 60. In my firm opinion St. Johns was a top 100 caliber team. Playing in the powerful WCAC, the Cadets lost 7 games in the regular season and 2 games in the post season vs WCAC teams. However, SJC defeated DeMatha in the coveted WCAC semifinals, but lost to Gonzaga by 4 in a fierce Championship final before a packed house at American University.
St. Johns recorded marquee wins over Rock Creek Christian, Bullis, Bishop O'Connell, DeMatha, and Gonzaga. The Cadets suffered numerous heartbreaking losses, but Casey, his teammates and Coaches always bounced back.
SJC lost 5 games to power teams by a total of 9 points which were:
Nicolet who finished the season ranked #9 in the nation. SJC faced the Gladiators less than 20 hours after defeating McNamara who defeated Gonzaga 3 games earlier. The Cadets lost to Nicolet by 2 points who suffered their only loss of the season the next day to Paul VI.
SJC lost heart-breakers to Gonzaga (3 pts), Baltimore Poly, who won the MD 3A State Championship by 1 in OT, O'Connell in OT, and PVI by 1.
Throughout his St. Johns and Team Takeover career, Casey has been a model of great consistency. This past season he averaged over 16 points per game for the Cadets. His ppg average was lowered by some blowout wins. SJC was loaded with 12 D1 caliber players and Casey was able to get every teammate involved when they entered the game.
In every big / key game Casey delivered:
scoring 24 vs Nicolet, 23 vs. Gonzaga, 20 vs. Poly, 20 vs. O'Connell, 29 vs. Paul VI, 17 vs. Paul VI, 29 vs DeMatha,16 vs. O'Connell, 17 vs, Paul VI, 34 vs. Gonzaga, 20 vs. O'Connell, 16 vs. DeMatha, 20 vs. O'Connell, 19 and 20 vs. Gonzaga, 22 vs. DeMatha and 26 vs. Mt. St. Joseph. In every game Casey would guard the opponents top scorer and on many occasions go head to head against much taller players. 6-8 plus, Nicolet star 2020 PG/CG Jalen Johnson (#3 in the nation for 2020) gave SJC fits in the 1st half until Casey guarded him in the 2nd playing stellar defense. Casey fueled a courageous 2nd half comeback, but the Cadets lost at the buzzer to the #8 team in the nation.
Nicolet (WI) Holds on to Defeat St. John's at Hoop Fest 2018
St. John's staged a big 4th quarter comeback behind Casey Morsell but it wasn't enough as Nicolet won a close one on day two.
www.youtube.com
In every game I have watched, Casey impacted the game on defense, rebounding, facilitation, IQ, clutch play leadership, hustle, energy and every intangible.
Casey has developed one the best 3 point pull jump shots I have ever seen. He has great rise, form and NBA range. He has proven he can run the point at a high level and is an elite defender who can guard and lock-down 1 thru 3. Casey is an excellent athlete with explosion and strength, a leader on and off the court with a great IQ and motor. His reads and progressions are amazing and he sees plays before they develop. Casey has no real weakness, can score from anywhere and excels in both transition and the half court.
In addition to his brilliant career at St John’s, Casey was magnificent playing for Team Takeover during his career on his Grassroots/AAU circuit. Last season TTO won the coveted Peach Jam and Vegas 48 and in my opinion TTO was the best team in the nation. They were the most talented and cohesive (chemistry) team I have ever watched. Casey played alongside Justin Moore (DeMatha / Villanova), and Anthony Harris (Paul VI / North Carolina), Jeremy Roach ( 2020, Paul VI / Duke ) and Jahmir Young (DeMatha / Charlotte) to form one the best back-courts in Grassroots history. Other teammates included 5 star, 6-10 center Armando Bacot (North Carolina), 5 star 2020 center Hunter Dickinson, 6-7 F Terrance Williams (Gonzaga, 4 star 2020), (DeMatha), 6-8 PF EJ Jarvis (Maret / Yale), 6-7 F Charles Thompson (SSSAS / Towson State), 6-4 G Josh Watts (Gonzaga / Brown), 6-8 F Josh Oduro (Paul VI / George Mason), and 6-7 G Carsten Kogelnik (DeMatha / Brown).
Casey adds, "Playing for Team Takeover was a huge factor in my player development. I improved in practices and every-time we stepped on the court. I have never seen so much talent on one team. We were and are very close teammates. Everybody was all about winning and our coaching was great. I will never forget my teammates and we will always remain in contact."
Casey grew up in Fort Washington, MD which required a 5 AM rise and shine to make the commute to SJC from southern Prince Georges County. The academic requirements and study time needed at St. Johns and the WCAC takes a great commitment. Additionally, the practices, games for HS and Grassroots, plus individual workouts lead to very little, if any spare time. Casey was a superb student at St. Johns,
Casey is very close to his family and credits his father and older brother Mike Morsell Jr., for his basketball development as a youngster and thru the current. Casey followed Mike Jr. to St.John’s where he starred and graduated in 2013-14. Casey says, "Mike toughened me up and took me under his wing. He is getting ready to sign a professional contract to play in the Dominican Republic. I am very proud of Mike as a person and my family, they are my role models."
Below is Mike Morsell Jr. career snapshot at Towson State:
From Towson State site: Finished seventh in program history with 1,523 points … Also ended ranked second in 3-point field goal attempts (459), third in 3-pointers made (150), fourth in starts (103) fifth in made free throws (335), sixth in free throw attempts (457) and sixth in program history in field goal attempts (1,218) … One of seven players in program history to score over 1,500 career points and one of five players in program history to start at least 100 games … Scored in double figures 77 times … Had four games in which he scored 30 or more points including a career best 34 against William & Mary on Feb. 13, 2016 … Three-time All-CAA honoree … Made four game-winning baskets including one against Manhattan with 1.5 seconds remaining to win the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic on Dec. 2, 2017.
Casey is a very intelligent, charismatic, humble, focused and polite young man.
The last time I spoke to Casey this spring he was not sure of his major at U VA, but added. "I am very interested in Law Enforcement and Forensic Science. I asked him what player he likes to study and he said Gilbert Arenas , Klay Thompson, but emulates parts of other players games. He added, "When I arrive at Virginia U want to be in peak condition. I have been working on becoming more of a threat coming off ball screens as well my overall game."
Casey is set to graduate from St. Johns today and will leave for the University of Virginia on Sunday June 9. He will begin summer
school in July. Before summer school he will be training, running pickups and working some summer camps.
Casey added that he knows the entire team from last season and remained in contact with them this season and still is, in
addition to the incoming class.
After Virginia's National Championship, Deandre Hunter, Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy have each opted for the NBA draft. Casey is
penciled in as a starter, but even if the trio returned, Casey would have been a high rotation player or 6th man. This season the Cavaliers return:
Mamadi Diakite (6-9 F, SR.), Braxton Key (6-8 W, SR.), Jay Huff (,7-1 C/F, JR.), and Kihei Clark (5-9 PG. FR.) Their 2019 Recruiting class is ranked #22 in the nation by 24-7 Sports and includes 6-11 Kadin Shedrick (#64. NC), 6-8 Justin McKoy (#214, NC) and 6-5 JUCO transfer
Tomas Woldetensae. Additionally. former 6-8 4 star F Joey Hauser is transferring in from Marquette, but must sit out a season
Despite losing 3 key starters and 6-11 Jack Salt to graduation, many experts rank Virginia on the way too early Preseason
Top 25 for 2019-20.
I firmly believe Casey has what it takes to make it to the next level after his career at U VA and I believe I will be watching him on TV at this time of the year in the future. This is his dream and there is no way Casey loses focus at Virginia. I wish Casey the best in in his academics, social life and basketball career.
