Major Clemson target in town Saturday

One of Clemson's top targets on the hardwood will be in town Saturday for the Tigers' 2009 gridiron opener against Middle Tennessee.

Scout.com’s four star, No. 11 small forward prospect in the 2010 class Jason Morris will be in Clemson on Saturday when the Tigers play Middle Tennessee to open the 2009 football season.

CUTigers recently spoke with Morris’ father Phillip to see which schools the younger Morris has been talking to the most in the past few weeks.

Along with Clemson, Jason is getting the most interest from Georgia Tech and Stanford. Phillip said Miami, Oklahoma State, Georgia and Auburn have started to make their respective interests known.

Jason is garnering interest from schools like Clemson, Georgia Tech and Stanford in large part because of his abilities in the classroom, not just because of what he can do on the basketball court. Enrolled at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, though he’s from Augusta, GA., Phillip sends Jason to school several states up the East Coast for its academic reputation, not the basketball.

“It’s one of the top prep schools in country,” Phillip said. “Before he got there, it was not a basketball powerhouse.

Jason Morris is currently ranked as the No. 11 small forward prospect in the country according to Scout.com.

“Most kids who go to that school go to the Ivy League schools…they tend to go to Harvards, the Yales, the Princetons and the Dukes.”

During August, the father and son visited Clemson. Jason joined with the current Tigers for a pickup game before having dinner on campus.

“I would say that he was his usual spectacular self,” Phillip said, “but it was at the end of the day and he was kind of tired. He wasn’t fully rested and ready to play.”

On Saturday, Phillip said Jason would like to spend time the guys who could be his future teammates.

“We hope that he gets to hang out with some of the guys (on the basketball team),” Phillip said.

Jason’s style of play, he said, fits in well with Oliver Purnell’s system.

“Athletically speaking, he can play that type of game,” Phillip said. “If you look at some of the teams that he’s played with, that’s what they do, in terms of the AAU programs.”

At 6-4, 190 pounds, he believes Jason would become more of an impact player in the high pressure, full-court style of play.