Growing up fast

It’s a common occurrence for Dom Morris to be mistaken for an upperclassman at Boston University. A 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame and a grown man’s beard can do that to a 20-year-old freshman.

Initially, Morris’ peers believed him to be one of the junior transfers – along with Patrick Hazel, Matt Griffin and Darryl Partin – whom BU men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers recruited to instill veteran leadership and experience in his young squad. In extreme cases, some thought the forward from Newark, Del., would be pairing up with dynamic scorer John Holland as the Terriers’ only seniors for the 2010-11 campaign.

“Some of the students were a little confused when I first stepped on campus,” Morris said.

Over the course of the year, however, Morris became the grizzled veteran he was perceived to be, playing his way into the Terriers’ starting lineup by midseason. He averaged 23.2 minutes and ranked third on the team in rebounds (147) and sixth in scoring (5.7 points per game) over 32 appearances.

Lost in all the celebration of BU’s first America East title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 were Morris’ contributions down the stretch.

With a left ankle injury limiting Holland in road matchups at Binghamton University and University of Vermont in late February, Morris tallied 13 points and 21 rebounds in wins over the Bearcats and Catamounts to cap off the regular season.

It’s one thing for Morris to stuff the stat sheet in games where BU’s No. 2 seed in the AE tournament was all but wrapped up. It’s another thing for the rookie to deliver against Stony Brook University in a situation as pressurized as the AE championship game on March 12.

While Holland’s individual 14-0 run will forever live in Terrier lore, Morris’ left-handed layup with 2:17 remaining trimmed BU’s deficit to 54-52 and set up the dramatic finish. Holland would score four unanswered points, and the Terriers bested the Seawolves, 56-54, to clinch their sixth conference crown in program history.

Months before that fateful afternoon, Chambers and his coaching staff saw on a day-to-day basis that Morris possessed the capability to excel at the collegiate level. His work ethic in practice and grasp of the fundamental ideals of BU basketball – defense and rebounding – set Morris apart from the other six freshmen and earned him more minutes as the season progressed.

“As I saw every day in practice, he got a little bit better, a little bit more confident and that started to transfer onto the court,” Chambers said. “That’s when you start to trust as a coach. You see him practice every day. You see him at film sessions. You see and know what he’s doing, and then, you don’t have a problem starting him or playing him major minutes.”

Hazel, one of BU’s tri-captains and a player Morris looks up to, echoed his coach’s words.

“We needed some of the young guys to step up and be an impact right away,” Hazel said, “and Dom embraced that challenge every day in practice and through experience in the games.”

A power forward at Friends’ Central High School in Wynnewood, Pa., 43 miles from his hometown of Newark, Morris wanted to have more fun during his high school career. With the local powerhouse that is Friends’ Central rattling off win after win over its division opponents, Morris began to drift out onto the wing during his junior year. He developed a 3-point shot soon after.

Now, Morris is a highly skilled, low-post player with a polished outside shot who can handle the basketball and run the floor well.

“I’m just a ballplayer,” Morris said.

“Dom’s a very versatile player,” Chambers said. “He’s able to do a lot of stuff for us as far as playing on the perimeter and posting up because of his size and strength. He’s quick too. He has a really good handle that nobody knows about and he can really get by people.”

Yet it took Morris quite a while to adjust to the college game and showcase his unique skill set – especially his deft touch from behind the 3-point arc – to the Terrier faithful. He had connected on just 2-of-10 shots from downtown through the first nine games, and it wasn’t until a Dec. 9 contest against La Salle University that he finally drained more than one triple in a contest.

Morris experienced freshman growing pains off the court as well. He learned to finish his homework ahead of time so it wouldn’t conflict with practices, which was particularly challenging when he had three papers due on the same day. On road trips, he missed some days of school and had to catch up on his homework during the team’s study hall periods.

Morris’ early struggles coincided with the Terriers’ slow start to the season, one billed with so much potential after BU was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the conference for the fourth straight year.

“With the team, we couldn’t find that chemistry,” Morris said. “We had to get used to playing with each other with the different subs. Off the basketball court, it was just wild. I didn’t expect it to be that hard and overwhelming at first.”

But nerves weren’t the reason for Morris’ slow start. He was never fazed by the magnitude of an occasion or the quality of the opposition. His ability to maintain his composure when matched up against the likes of University of Kansas’ Marcus and Markieff Morris in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, for example, displayed his increased maturity – a rare attribute for a player his age.

Additionally, the exposure to hostile environments such as Northeastern University’s Matthews Arena, Villanova University’s The Pavilion and University of Kentucky’s Rupp Arena during the Terriers’ rigorous non-conference schedule only toughened Morris in preparation for AE action.

Morris had to wait a little longer than anticipated to make his debut in league play. He was sidelined for three conference games in early January due to a non-basketball related injury.

“It set me back a bit,” Morris said. “I was so excited for conference play to start. I don’t think it set me back skill-wise. It just set me back because I was so excited to play in the conference. … I just had to deal with it. I wasn’t going to be out for long, so I just had to deal with it and encourage my teammates.”

When it was announced on Jan. 31 that junior forward and preseason AE all-conference selection Jake O’Brien would undergo season-ending foot surgery, Chambers sought a third viable scoring option who would complement Holland and Partin. Although he had only recently made his return to the rotation after the injury, Morris answered the bell.

Chambers then informed Morris that his role on the team would change dramatically.

“He said, ‘You need to shoot more. You need to play with more fire, more aggression and just be a killer out there. You have to fill in some of Jake’s shoes. We can’t rely on John scoring 25 points every night,’” Morris said. “That’s basically what he said.”

The next night, on Feb. 1 against then-first-place University of Maine, Morris shed the freshman label and became a sophomore in Chambers’ eyes. On the heels of the loss of O’Brien, Morris turned in one of his most impressive showings of the season, chipping in 12 points on an efficient 5-of-9 from the field in 35 minutes to help propel BU to an 88-78 victory.

Morris exhibited great poise and confidence during BU’s postseason run and adapted to college basketball at a rapid pace – a testament to his growth as a player and individual. One person not surprised by Morris’ success so early in his collegiate career was Jason Polykoff, Morris’ high school basketball coach at Friends’ Central.

“He came in with a very high basketball IQ, a great work ethic and he’s an all-around good teammate,” Polykoff said. “I knew he was going to be OK. Physically, he had the body ready for the game. The only thing he would need to get used to was the speed of college basketball. Again, he’s such a hard worker and I knew he would be OK, so it didn’t shock me that he had such a great season.”

It didn’t hurt Morris to have his best friends and teammates from Friends’ Central – freshman guard H.J. Gaskins and freshman forward Travis Robinson – at BU either to assist him in making the transition from high school to college.

“It made it a lot easier,” Morris said. “I knew it would be easy coming with people you know. … Me and Travis decided to come together, and H.J. said he would walk on if we were coming together.”

Morris is quick to deflect praise for his selection to the AE All-Rookie Team.

“It was great,” Morris said. “It all came because of my teammates. They pushed me in practice. Us running and they’re right behind us supporting me even when I felt down. That’s what helped me get that award. I felt great because without the team, I couldn’t get that award.”

The future is bright for Morris as he embarks on his next three years on Commonwealth Ave. The same can be said for the team he intends to lead.

“I’m going to take the leadership role,” Morris said. “I know I’m not a captain but my voice is still something major. We’re just going to play. Play hard and win. We’re going to win a lot more games this non-conference. Everybody will know who the basketball team is next year.”

They’ll know who Dom Morris is, too.