COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- With 14 points, three rebounds, an incredible 360 dunk, and plenty of effort at both ends of the court in his first game as a Terp, freshman guard Darryl Morsell helped Maryland win its exhibition over Randolph-Macon last Thursday handedly and showed what those in College Park have to look forward to with him in the lineup.
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Although Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon’s two-player 2017 recruiting class flew somewhat under the radar initially, positive reports out of College Park on Terps freshmen Bruno Fernando and Morsell had been generating all summer long.
The 6-foot-10, former four-star Fernando has received much of the attention because of his physically imposing style and the fact that Turgeon hasn’t necessarily coached a player of his skill set since arriving at Maryland. But when asked about the incoming freshmen throughout the offseason, Terps coaches and players have repeatedly warned people not to sleep on Morsell.
“We told you,” Terps sophomore wing Kevin Huerter said. “Darryl’s going to compete, he’s going to compete every possession. I think he did that. He was aggressive, which you love to see. Offensively and defensively. He’s a big guy, he’s big, strong, he’s a 6-foot-4 point guard. He could play the two. When he gets to the rim like that, teams are going to have to focus in on him a little bit more. He’s a really good passer, you saw it, he’ll kick out to open shots. But then defensively, he’ll guard one through four just like myself, Justin [Jackson] and any of our guys can guard one through four. He’s definitely a really good piece for us.”
Huerter isn’t the only Maryland sophomore and team leader who has taken notice of Morsell’s game and competitive nature since his arrival in College Park this summer.
“It was only a matter of time before his hard work started to show,” Terps forward Justin Jackson said. “He stays late after practice and he comes early. Darryl’s a great player and he brings a lot of things to our team: toughness, scoring, pushing the ball on defense. He does a lot and I’m happy you got to see a little taste of it.”
Terps fans certainly did get a taste of what they have in the Baltimore native, and if they want to see more, they might not necessarily have to wait to watch Morsell play again.
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A simple YouTube search for “Dwyane Wade highlights” will reveal videos of the future NBA Hall of Famer who Morsell crafted his game after.
“The only person I really followed and focused on was Dwyane Wade,” Morsell said. “I felt like we were similar individuals, had similar body types and ability. So I liked watching him a lot and trying to study his game. I still do it to this day. I want to be my own individual. I don’t want to be an exact replica of him. I still want to have my own traits and stuff. But he’s somebody that I know I play similarly to and I feel like we have the same size and same athletic ability and stuff like that.
“When I have off time, I like to watch film of him and stuff. I’ve always loved him. I just love how competitive he is and how he plays on both sides of the floor. That’s what made me fall in love with him. Everybody says I move like him and stuff like that. I take that as a compliment.”
Both Morsell and Wade are big, versatile guards who get to the rim quick and play stifling defense. But perhaps Morsell’s most similar trait to Wade is his must-win attitude on the court.
“I look to win every time I go out,” Morsell said. “I feel like I’m a very competitive individual. You can ask the guys. I don’t really like losing, so I look to win every time I step out on the court.”
Another area where Morsell has clearly modeled his game after the three-time NBA champion is in transition. Wade has always been dangerous on the break and Morsell showed in Maryland’s first action this season that he’s the same way.
“I love [transition basketball],” Morsell said. “I feel like I’m at my best when I’m in transition. I’m a big guard, physical, and once I get my shoulders past defenders, that’s when I’m at my best, so I love transition.”
The one part of Morsell’s game that he has been working on most since high school in order to be even more Wade-like is his outside shot. But his shooting form looked good in his Terps debut and he believes he has made huge strides in that area already.
“I’ve focused on changing my form,” Morsell said. “In high school, I used to let the ball sit in the palm of my hand. I changed my form and I’ve just been in the gym a lot more than I was in high school, so I think being in the gym gives you confidence. I have a newfound confidence and I’ve been making shots.”
Morsell is expected to play both guard positions for the Terps this season and be the primary ball handler behind starting point guard Anthony Cowan. Although Morsell played more two and three in high school, he possess the unselfishness and court vision to be an effective floor general for Maryland this season.
Much like Wade has been for his various NBA teams, Morsell is a jack-of-all-trades in the Terps backcourt.
“Darryl is a big time athlete and one thing he wanted to do was play on a team where he can get to the rim,” Turgeon said. “We space the floor and have shooters around him so it allows him to do that. He also does a great job of running the offense and finding guys. He’s learning multiple positions, which is hard as a new player. Darryl has come a long way very quickly.”
