MSU's Morgan And Houston Ready For Far East Trip With Sports Reach
Scheduled to participate in at least a half-dozen basketball games against quality international competition in the Far East, this year's Sports Reach team will be coached by former University of Kentucky All-America guard and current Morehead State University head basketball coach Kyle Macy. Also slated to compete for the Sports Reach club are SEC standouts Jermey Parnell and Brandon Patterson of Ole Miss, Alabama's Chuck Davis, Ravi Moss of Kentucky, Florida's Lee Humphrey, and Shan Foster and Alex Gordon of Vanderbilt. The team's upcoming itinerary begins with two days of practice this weekend in Campbellsville, Ky., prior to departing for overseas this coming Monday (May 16) and returning back to the United States on May 28.
Reaching the world through sports, the Sports Reach ministry is scheduled to take 17 mission trips this year, including 14 international trips, by using the sports of basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and golf. Robby Speer will serve as the director of the Sports Reach squad during the team's upcoming mission trip to the Far East.
A native of Gallatin, Tenn., Morgan shared Mississippi State's Most Improved Player Award honors with sophomore swingman Dietric Slater this past season after averaging nearly two points and two rebounds per game in making a career-most 27 appearances for coach Rick Stansbury's 23-11 Bulldogs. Away from the court, the 7-foot-2, 245-pound post player is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and participated in MSU's commencement exercises last weekend by obtaining his undergraduate degree in sports communication.
Houston, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward from Memphis, was redshirted this past season at Mississippi State after earning Class AAA all-metro honors as a prep senior at East High School. As the team MVP and an honorable mention all-state performer two years ago, Houston averaged around 16 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three assists per contest for the 2003-04 Mustangs.