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Richard Morgan, head coach of BC’s men’s basketball team, is still remaining very positive through an up and down season.

Ben Rife

February 18, 2013

Richard Morgan, head coach of BC’s men’s basketball team, is still remaining very positive through an up and down season.

The team struggled through January and now into mid-February. Although the Rams were playing really good ball at the start of the year, Coach Morgan’s grade for the team isn’t too pleasing.

“We haven’t played a complete game with the whole team yet,” Morgan said in an interview last week. “We have always had someone missing or someone not making grades. Now it’s not grades, it’s the injury bug. All the angles are just hitting us. I would grade our team right now a C minus. We aren’t quiet an F yet and neither a D, but very close.”

But Morgan is still preparing for the future for this basketball team. He hopes to return most of the team for next year, and he’s also trying to find the right pieces for next year. He is looking at the rest of the season as an auditioning process.

“It’s all about their auditioning for next year,”Morgan said. “We are filling spots. I have to find out now who is going to play or not and also to see if they are afraid. When I say afraid, I mean if they are afraid to play, and if that’s what I have to do to send them home, I will.”

Though the Rams have struggled, the team still has a chance to do some damage in post-season play, though the chances may be slim. Still, Morgan has high hopes.

“Right now, we have to make it to the tournament, then it’s an entire new season,” he said. “We have to win 7 out of 8 just to get in the tournament. We have to win 7 out of 8. We can still make into the conference, but we have to beat Rio and St. Catharine’s so you know we still have a chance. We have to beat Cumberland as well.”

Bluefield defeated Rio Grande 80-78 in overtime on Feb. 9, since this interview, and faces Cumberland College of Tennessee at home on Feb. 23. The team is on the road against St. Catharine College and Georgetown College in Kentucky this weekend.

Morgan is very positive about the players he is coaching. This team may be young and inexperienced, but he loves them.

“These are great guys to work with, they are just great guys,” he said. “Not many problems off the court. They come in and work very hard. Even the kids that are not eligible are pushing the guys that are. It’s really fun to watch.

During recent games, Morgan has switched a few things up, starting first with defense.

“We are sticking to the zone,” he said. “We have lost a bunch of guys. When we started losing games, we have to cut the possessions down. We can’t have one and done on offense, so we need more chances to win more games.”

Another positive for Morgan is his coaching staff. He said he couldn’t be happier with the guys around him.

“Our coaches are great!” he said. “As far as scouting, it’s on point. Our ability to recruit is on point and scouting players. It’s all about to come down to the game.”

Though the season is coming to a close, Morgan is stressing to his players how important it is to have the right attitude and work hard.

“I’m just telling them to keep competing and playing hard and give yourself a measuring stick for next year,” he said. “Stuff that we have to do day in and day out. Just play hard every game and try to win as much as we can.”

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