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March 1, 2000
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The 1980s marked the most successful decade in Virginia basketball history, andCavalier guard Richard Morgan and the rest of the 1988-89 squad made sure the memorable10-year span ended the same way it began. Ushered in with an NIT championship in 1980,followed by two NCAA Final Four appearances in 1981 and 1984, Virginia would finish the decadewith another magical tournament run. Following a 13-18 record in 1987-88, the first losing seasonof the decade, Morgan and his teammates rededicated themselves over the summer and enteredthe next year more determined than ever.
Looking to help erase the Cavaliers’ only blemish in the ’80s, Morgan led the 1988-89campaign as UVa reached postseason play for the eighth time that decade. Morgan and theCavaliers edged Providence in the first round of the 1989 NCAA Tournament, rolled past MiddleTennessee State the following round, and posted a six-point upset over heavily-favored Oklahomato reach the Elite Eight. Although Michigan, the eventual national champion, denied UVa its thirdFinal Four appearance of the ’80s, Morgan remembers his senior season as something like that ofa fairy tale.
“We had all the right pieces for that team, and we simply began peaking at theright time. I think we strung everything together and really started playing well as we entered thetournament,” said the 1989 first team All-ACC selection. “You could not have written the story anybetter than the way things turned out that year.”
One of the most memorable wins during the regular season came when Morgan turned ina shooting performance few Virginia fans will soon forget. With then-head coach Terry Hollandout due illness and former assistant coach Dave Odom acting as the interim head coach, Morgantorched North Carolina with 39 points. After a shaky start, he regained his focus en route to oneof the greatest offensive displays in Virginia basketball history. Immediately following the 106-83victory, an exuberant Morgan went running into the stands of U-Hall and presented his motherwith the game ball. She accepted the honorary award for her son’s individual performance, whilethe team dedicated the win to their sidelined coach.
“Coach Holland was out sick that game and we really tried to do all the things we could doto win that game for him. Many people don’t realize I started off that game 0-7, and then hit themajority of my shots after that,” said Morgan. “I always got excited to play Carolina anyway, and Idecided I needed to calm down and do what the guys wanted me to do. I simply kept shootingand finally got on track.”
Though always a great outside shooter, Morgan became even more effective with thepermanent addition of the three-point line in 1986. He marks the first Cavalier who featured atruly deadly shot from behind the arc, and his pin-point accuracy from long range helped establishVirginia’s tradition of great shooters that has since followed. Shooting specialists Cory Alexander,Harold Deane, and NCAA all-time three-point field goal leader Curtis Staples all followed theprecedent set by Morgan. A program which began its rise to prominence using dominating insideplay now relies heavily on accurate long-range shooting to remain competitive with the country’stop teams.
“When I first started playing basketball in the ACC, there was no three-point line, and now[due to the three-point line] everything is guard oriented. I think it was a tremendous experienceand an honor to get the chance to help create something that is now such a big part of the game,”said Morgan. “I feel a lot of guards now come to Virginia thinking they could be the next guy toget their name right up there with the many good shooters that have played before them.”
Since his playing days as one of Cavaliers’ most accurate three-point shooters, Morganhas remained extremely active in the game of basketball. Following a short two-year professionalcareer, he returned home to Salem VA., and became an assistant coach at his alma mater,Salem High School. After spending four seasons at Salem, Morgan held an assistant coachingposition at Hampton University for two years before being named an assistant coach at EastCarolina University. Now in his second year at ECU, he looks to help his players perform with thesame intensity and desire he displayed as a Cavalier standout. As a coach, Morgan hopes toinstill the same traits and qualities that ultimately helped him become one of the top players toever wear the orange and blue.
“When I played, I played with a lot of emotion and enthusiasm, and these are the things Itry to bring to coaching,” said Morgan. “I try to make sure my players play basketball with atremendous amount of passion. Each night out, I hope to bring out the desire, competitiveness,and enthusiasm needed to play this game.”