For you old timers, the name Drake Morris should bring back some good memories. Played in the Final Four in both high school for East Chicago and for Purdue in 1980. 6' 5", great athlete and smooth as silk. Good shooter, good ball handler. Could do just about anything he wanted when he put his mind to it. Basil reminds me of an unpolished version of Drake Morris. Same size and maybe even a bit more athletic. If he could be the ball handler and shooter Drake was, Purdue would pose a lot of problems for a lot of teams. Here is to hoping Basil has a GREAT summer.
Basil and Drake Morris
- Thread starter rjmpu82
- Start date
I remember Drake very well,and when Purdue beat IU in the 1980 NCAA finals,one of the dopey tv announcers kept calling him Drake Miller!
I remember he never got the respect from the media that he deserved. He had a toughness and did a lot of things well.
Okay he meant the NCAA tournament. Unless you're stupid you knew what he was saying. Have you been assigned to be our word cop now? Brother.
I was on the Lee Rose "Renegade" team that practiced against that team. Drake Morris and Scobby Scearce were my two favorite guys on the team. They both were extremely friendly and would talk to us when we had time at practice (we had separate locker rooms) and were just hanging around. Just like his personality seemed in the game, Scobby always had something to say, which I don't think Rose particularly loved about him. Rose was rather distant (to us Renegades, certainly) but to the player too. At least that's what I thought about him.
I would often play a couple one-on-one games with Drake after practice; we'd play to eleven baskets, make it take it. He would take really tough fade-away shots and not work too hard on defense until I would get up something like 9 to 4 or 8 to 2. Then he would get all over me on defense and start taking it to the basket and come back and beat me. I was as tall as Drake, but I couldn't really stop him one-on-one with no help defense. But I could also score on him; the offense always has the advantage, no matter how athletic the defender. So every now and then (not too often) he's miss a shot and I'd be able to score enough to beat him to 11. He'd immediately want a rematch, but I was a butthead and would say no; I'd tell him that I was taking the win and running away so I could tell my roommates that I beat Drake in one-on-one. But the next day, (or whenever I'd be at practice; we Renegades didn't have to be there every day) he's wink and remind me at practice that we were playing one-on-one after practice. Then he'd have no mercy.
I would often play a couple one-on-one games with Drake after practice; we'd play to eleven baskets, make it take it. He would take really tough fade-away shots and not work too hard on defense until I would get up something like 9 to 4 or 8 to 2. Then he would get all over me on defense and start taking it to the basket and come back and beat me. I was as tall as Drake, but I couldn't really stop him one-on-one with no help defense. But I could also score on him; the offense always has the advantage, no matter how athletic the defender. So every now and then (not too often) he's miss a shot and I'd be able to score enough to beat him to 11. He'd immediately want a rematch, but I was a butthead and would say no; I'd tell him that I was taking the win and running away so I could tell my roommates that I beat Drake in one-on-one. But the next day, (or whenever I'd be at practice; we Renegades didn't have to be there every day) he's wink and remind me at practice that we were playing one-on-one after practice. Then he'd have no mercy.
He was what. 6'5"? You must be a tall dude. Usually those Renegade players were good enough to play at least NAIA. How's come you didn't play college somewhere? I graduated in 1980 so I remember that team well. You most likely remember that Drake had a nickname that wasn't too flattering. Was there anything to that? Many students used that term with him so it was a common thing to hear.
Indiana won that game in '79.
I think he meant the 1980 NCAA Tournament Regional Semi-Final in Lexington.
But, only the poster really knows.
I was 6'4" and I probably could have played D-III ball, but I wasn't good enough to be offered any sort of athletic/ academic money. Purdue was cheaper than a small school, my older brother went there, so I went to Purdue. Some of the Renegades were really good, all of us were more or less Co-Rec all-stars, if for no other reason, because we got good practicing again the Purdue team a few times a week. There were two levels of Renegades, the really good ones (Like Rowinski, a couple other really good guys, and a couple super athletic guards who were on the track team) got to play offense, Then after playing defense against the good renegades, the Purdue team would take off on the break and run their secondary break into their offense against us less-good renegades who were back on defense. You certainly had to be good to be a Renegade, but as I later came to understand, It was more important that you be tall or at least taller, and be dependable and be willing to show up at least a few times a week. We got beat up a little bit; once, I was accidently bounced across the floor by Scooby (who immediately quit the drill to check on me); but it was also very exciting to be there hearing game plans and watching them walk through other teams offenses. Very exciting.
We went to the final 4 in the NCAA in 1980. We lost to UCLA but beat Iowa in the last 3rd place game.
No problem. I wouldn't have sent it if I had seen the response above from someone. It was like a minute different in the posts
Happy Friday to all!O,gee,I am so sorry!I can remember IU fans saying after that game that the refs gave the game to Purdue .Things haven't changed much in 35 years.And I do mean the NCAA tournament game in Lexington in 1980.
My favorite Drake Morris game was when we beat Magic and #1 ranked MSU because Drake played great defense on Magic. Steals and Dunks
It's a known fact that iu has never lost a game. Either they won, or the refs gave the game to their opponent.
Drake Morris and Tommy Baker from Jeffersonville were the two biggest names I can remember from my high school days. And who didn't like Scooby Scearce when he was at Purdue?
I remember Drake Morris in that high school state finals. I think it was 77. My high school was there (Columbus East) to play Carmel which was led by Mark Herrman. Anyway every time they'd say Drake's name over the PA, I thought they were saying my name…which is Greg Morris. I think Carmel beat EC in the final that night.
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