Every few years, a middle-school prospect emerges way ahead of schedule. While we collectively know that this period is a mere checkpoint, it can be difficult to overlook the greatness being seen. There are so many variables involved with an individual player’s development (especially smaller prospects) that can dictate how they match up to their peers. However, these are not concerns for Antoine “AJ” Morman—who is clearly tracking as one of the best young point guards to come through North Carolina in recent memory.
After playing his eighth-grade season as a top option for Mount Zion, it’s obvious that Morman is absolutely unfazed when competing against players of his own age group. Albeit the Mighty Warriors had some struggles as a team, accumulating reps is more important than any other factor of development—and that’s exactly what he did. Morman learned the nuances of how to run a team while being allowed to make mistakes. Most young players are not afforded this luxury. Then again, most players also aren’t comparable to Morman in terms of pure ability. Despite already being ahead of his cohorts twelve months ago, it’s easy to see the strides he’s made over that span. The talent gap continues to widen between he and the vast majority of players in North Carolina’s Class of 2028.
On paper, it’s somewhat challenging to properly quantify how amazing Morman is as a floor general. So much of what makes him special lies within his unbelievably high IQ and the general pace he displays when dictating the action. Morman is an amazing playmaker who legitimately sees the game ahead of everyone else on the court. He conducts the offense in a Chris Paul-like manner, where he’s so calm, patient, and comfortable against any level of pressure. Morman is comfortable telling guys where to go and what to do, which only speaks to his intelligence and overall willingness to assert himself as a leader. He’s a brilliant PnR ball-handler who makes consistently advanced reads and decisions with the ball in his hands. Morman surveys as well as anyone, both in transition and in the half-court. While his playmaking instinct is unmistakable, he’s more than capable of applying aggressive scoring pressure. Morman hit shots off the catch and bounce, but also took advantage of any opening to attack the basket—where he finishes with finesse and craftiness.
We also took some time to speak to Morman about his eighth-grade season, how that prepared him for the summer, and who he watches/models his game after:
JB: Talk about how your experience on varsity and how it molded you into the player you are now?
AM: It helped me a lot. When I was up there, they were way bigger, stronger, and faster than me, so I had to learn how to adjust. Now that I’m coming down to play with my age group, it’s much easier, because I had to work extra hard learning how to go against players who were better than me.
JB: How do you see yourself as a player?
AM: My strengths are facilitating to the basket, being a playmaker and a leader on my team. I need to work on my defense and becoming a more vocal leader on that end of the floor.
JB: Who are some guys you watch film on or model your game after?
AM: Darius Garland, sometimes Kyrie [Irving], and I watch a little bit of Damian Lillard, too.
It’s clear that Morman has the skillset, mentality, and necessary intangibles to be a special player. The city of Durham is known for churning out consistent talent, and he could be next. Morman is already clearly among the top players in his class and should only continue to turn heads throughout the summer season.
