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Report: Former UMass guard Jesse Morgan denied appeal to play at Temple this season

Jesse Morgan, Kwamain Mitchell

Massachusetts’ Jesse Morgan, left, yells as he loses control while colliding with Saint Louis’ Kwamain Mitchell, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, in St. Louis. Morgan left the game with an injury after the play and Saint Louis went on to win 70-62. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

AP

Jesse Morgan had his season ended with a torn ACL back in January. Despite rehabbing his knee, Morgan’s college basketball career may have come to an end on Monday after meeting with NCAA officials.

Morgan, who was forced to withdraw from the University of Massachusetts in April, had enrolled in Temple with the hopes that he could use his final year of eligibility with his hometown Owls. However, multiple sources informed Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, that Morgan’s appeal was denied by the NCAA.

As Vautour points out, it appeared to be a long shot that Morgan would be able to suit up this year for Temple:

1. The 2013-14 season would have been his fifth and final season eligible in college. NCAA requires transferring athletes to sit out a season. If Morgan sat out, he’d be out of eligibility.

2. NCAA rules mandate that a student athlete must continually be making progress toward their degree in each semester. He didn’t make progress during the spring because UMass denied him the ability to take classes on campus or online.


This past school year in Amherst had been a difficult one for Morgan. It began when he -- along with teammates Cady Lalanne and Trey Davis -- was suspended from a preseason exhibition game for unknown disciplinary reasons. He torn his ACL on Jan. 10 in a loss to Saint Louis. Four months later he withdrew from the university.

The 6-foot-5 Morgan was the Minutemen’s second-leading scorer from this past season with 13.4 points per game, playing in only 14 games.

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