Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Dwayne Morgan off UNLV basketball team

UNLV Over UC Riverside

L.E. Baskow

UNLV forward Dwayne Morgan (15) directs teammates over UC Riverside during their game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016.

UNLV announced on Tuesday that junior basketball player Dwayne Morgan is no longer on scholarship, though he will remain at the university as he continues to work toward graduation in December.

Morgan, a 6-foot-8 forward, was suspended from team activities in May after he was arrested following a dispute with a cab driver. His status has been up in the air since that incident, though UNLV coach Marvin Menzies recruited as though Morgan would not return.

UNLV will give Morgan “full academic support” while he finishes up his course work.

“I am grateful to Coach Menzies for treating me like his own son through this process,” Morgan said via a university release. “I don’t know how many coaches are out there that would have helped me through my mistake like he has. I came to UNLV to get a college degree and plan to accomplish that. I promised my mom I would earn my degree and I am looking forward to walking across the stage with a proud family in attendance. I will always consider myself a Runnin’ Rebel and will be rooting for the guys this season.”

Morgan, a Baltimore native, joined UNLV as a highly recruited prospect from the Class of 2014. As a freshman in 2014-15, he played in 33 games and posted 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds. As a sophomore, he saw action in 27 games and put up 5.5 points and 4.7 rebounds.

Morgan was expected to play a vital role for the Rebels last season, but his junior campaign was cut short after nine games due to a shoulder injury. Morgan received a medical redshirt and still has two years of eligibility remaining.

One source told the Sun that Morgan plans to graduate from UNLV in December, then transfer to another school where he will be immediately eligible for the second half of this season and all of the 2018-19 season.

Menzies brought in seven new recruits in the offseason, even though the Rebels had just six open scholarships available. With Morgan being released from his scholarship, UNLV is now comfortably at the NCAA limit of 13 scholarship players for 2017-18.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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