Leadership, defense, unselfish offensive play make West's Morgan a great player

IOWA CITY – In the beginning, there was Ryan Baumgart. About a decade later, along came Ali Farokhmanesh.Now there's Jeremy Morgan.The 6-foot-6 senior wing has officially joined the pantheon of great leaders in the history of Iowa City West boys' basketball under veteran head coach Steve Bergman. It's an exclusive group, one that – if you know Bergman at all - is very difficult to get into.“I said last year that he's one of the best two or three leaders I've ever had,” Bergman said. “I always mention Ryan Baumgart, who's like a legend in my mind … Ali Farokhmanesh as well. Jeremy is just like him. I wouldn't trade him for anybody.”Morgan isn't the leading scorer on a West team that's 23-0 and seeking a second consecutive Class 4A state championship. His scoring average of 11.7 is fairly pedestrian, in fact.He's not the Trojans' leading rebounder or assists guy, either, though he has set the school record for all-time assists. Yet you watch him play, and you get the strong feeling he could be any or all of those things.There's a reason he was recently named the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division player of the year. His game has a subtle quality about it.“He gives up individual glory for the team,” Bergman said. “He's done it all year. He's been a great leader all year, and I think he's been even better the last three or four weeks.”“As I've said before, Jeremy Morgan is, if not the best defender I've seen in 34 years, he's certainly up in the top three,” said Cedar Rapids Jefferson Coach Stu Ordman. “He always seems to be talking out there (defensively), communicating with his teammates."Bergman was asked if he feels Morgan sometimes can be too unselfish offensively.“Yeah, maybe. But it's not a problem,” the coach said. “He knows when it's go time. He is so good at picking up a kid whose confidence is down and that kind of thing. Which isn't my strong suit.”“I feel like if (scoring) is what the team needed, I would try and do that to the best of my abilities,” Morgan said. “But I like to get other people involved. That's fun for me. That makes everybody else feel good about themselves, too.”That's something a leader says.“It means a lot,” Morgan said, when told of Bergman's lofty status for him. “To be mentioned with those players, just what they did, is a great honor. I just like to lead the best way I can and do whatever it takes for our team to get the ‘W.'”Morgan isn't the most boisterous or flamboyant guy around. But when he speaks, teammates listen.“I try to talk as much as I can,” he said. “Help people get into positions when they need to be there. Just try and take charge whenever I need to.”Morgan comes from great basketball genes. His father, Michael, played for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the late 1980s and was an assistant coach for the women's program. His mom, Cristan, played college basketball at Drake.Jeremy will head to Northern Iowa next season, where his combination of height, skills and basketball IQ should help him see the court immediately.“I'm just really excited to get up there to Cedar Falls,” he said. “The coaches will know what's best for me when I get there. I'm excited to get there and work as hard as I can to get better. But we've got to finish this season first.”“He's going to be good,” Bergman said. “Because he's never been able to use the offseason to get strong and things. He is stronger than he was. But, now, you're talking about him not playing football, not running track after this year. He's going to be a really good college player because he's versatile.”