(2020) PG Ethan Morton to Purdue

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

5 minutes ago, BGleas said:

This was a District playoff game (I think Sectionals in Indiana is the comparison) in PA. The state tournament begins next week. I live in PA, though not close to Pittsburgh. I'm about 25 minutes away from where the State Title games are played. Hoping to catch them if Butler makes the finals. 

Makes more sense as the teams that have been participating have all been in western PA.  Thanks for the clarification.

[yogisballin]

This was a District playoff game (I think Sectionals in Indiana is the comparison) in PA. The state tournament begins next week. I live in PA, though not close to Pittsburgh. I'm about 25 minutes away from where the State Title games are played. Hoping to catch them if Butler makes the finals. 

I was in a little place called Easton about 6 months or so ago. I think people in the area call it Lehigh Valley, maybe? It’s the 2nd time I’ve been. Beautiful town. Not that this has anything to do with Morton (because I know someone will fuss about it). Where are the state title games played?


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[BGleas]

2 hours ago, yogisballin said:

I was in a little place called Easton about 6 months or so ago. I think people in the area call it Lehigh Valley, maybe? It’s the 2nd time I’ve been. Beautiful town. Not that this has anything to do with Morton (because I know someone will fuss about it). Where are the state title games played?


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I know Easton, I’m probably about an hour and a half from there, maybe a little closer. The state title games are played at HersheyPark. They have a stadium there that seats a little over 10K. I’m about 20-30 minutes from Hershey. 

[yogisballin]

I know Easton, I’m probably about an hour and a half from there, maybe a little closer. The state title games are played at HersheyPark. They have a stadium there that seats a little over 10K. I’m about 20-30 minutes from Hershey. 

Oh ok. Yeah I went passed it then on my way from KY. We thought about stopping at Hershey and checking it out. Wish we would have.


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[rcbowla]

Still #1 on my want list. Seems to be up there on Archie's as well.

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[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Mt. Lebanon blew out Butler in a non-section game in December. Three months later, the rematch was much closer.

But it had much more meaning.

Mt. Lebanon won the WPIAL Class 6A championship with a 62-57 victory against Butler Saturday night at Petersen Events Center. It was the third title for the Blue Devils under coach Joe David and Mt. Lebanon kept Butler from winning its first championship since 1991.

Mt. Lebanon put a stop to the Ethan Morton train. Morton had been terrific in the playoffs for Butler as the star 6-foot-6 point guard scored 32 and 40 points in the past two games. But Mt. Lebanon (22-3) made it tough for Morton to score. Mt. Lebanon’s full-court press took the ball out of Morton’s hands often, and Mt. Lebanon doubled him some when got the ball in a half-court offense.

Still, Morton, who averages 28 points, finished with 21 and 14 rebounds with Pitt coach Jeff Capel watching from the seats. Pitt is one of the many big-time colleges that have offered Morton a scholarship. Freshman Devin Carney scored 13 for Butler.

“He only scored 12 at our place the first time,” David said of Morton. “The scary part is a kid of that caliber wants to come out and do well.”

When asked if Mt. Lebanon made it hard on Morton, David said, “That’s our job. We do what we do. We ran at him and we wanted to make him work for his points. I thought he did.”

Morton took the loss hard. Twenty minutes after the game, after Morton had dressed, he was hugging his parents near court with tears in his eyes. Morton made 8 of 15 shots.

“Morton’s a great player,” said Mt. Lebanon senior guard Sean Loughran. “We knew we had to corral him. They’ve got other shooters, too. But our main focus was him and I think we took care of business.”

Loughran, a 6-4 senior guard, led Mt. Lebanon with 21 points. Junior guard Jake Hoffman added 19 and senior guard Mike Palmer 11. Hoffman had five 3-pointers and Loughran three.

“Ever since last year when we lost in the semifinals, we knew we had to come back to the same point this year and just finish this time,” Loughran said. “That’s what we did and it’s great.”

Mt. Lebanon was certainly efficient on offense, committing only five turnovers. Mt. Lebanon led at halftime, 30-26.

Mt. Lebanon held a 47-46 lead heading into the final quarter. A key part of the game was in the fourth quarter after Mattix Clement hit a 3-pointer with 6:01 left to bring Butler (20-5) within 51-49. Mt. Lebanon then patiently passed the ball around the outside against Butler’s zone defense. Mt. Lebanon held the ball, took a shot, got an offensive rebound, took a shot, got an offensive rebound and then got a 3-pointer from Jake Hoffman with 3:35 left in the game.

Hoffman then got a steal and a layup to give Mt. Lebanon a 56-49 advantage.

“My guys were tired and we had two with four fouls,” David said. “We thought if we shorten the game up, we’ll be OK. Then Jake hit the big 3.”

But Butler didn’t fold. The Golden Tornado cut the lead to 58-55 and had two chances to tie on one possession, but 3-pointers by Morton and Carney hit off the rim. Mt. Lebanon rebounded and Hayden Mitchell made two free throws with 25.7 seconds left to give the Blue Devils a 60-55 lead.

Luke Patten scored 12 points for Butler. He was hurt in Thursday’s semifinals late in the game when he tried to block a shot, flipped over a player and hit his head when he landed. He was taken off the court on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. But Patten was released from the hospital Thursday night and started the game Saturday.

But this night belonged to Mt. Lebanon.

“It’s been nine years since we won and the appreciation for being here and winning it … it’s unbelievable,” David said. “I’ve been doing this for 18 years and these are some of the hardest-working guys we have had.

“I’m so proud of them, the coaches and happy for the community. Sometimes, we don’t get our due, but this is what it’s all about.”

Both teams begin play in the PIAA tournament Saturday. Mt. Lebanon plays the No. 5 team from District 3 (Harrisburg area). Butler plays the No. 4 team from District 3.

Mt. Lebanon’s win also brought Fox Chapel into the PIAA playoffs as the No. 5 team from the WPIAL.

[BGleas]

^^^^You bolden it, but just to be clear for this skimming, this was still the District playoffs (think sectionals in Indiana), not the state tournament. The last bolder section (PIAA Tournament) is the state playoffs. 

I’ll have to look up who the #5 team is in District 3 is. I’m in Disctrict 3amd a few of our local teams in our league made it. A former teammate of mine is the assistant at one of our Distrct 3 schools that made it. They have a crazy good point guard who is on the low-major D1/D2 borderline. Really good player, would be a good matchup. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

8 hours ago, BGleas said:

^^^^You bolden it, but just to be clear for this skimming, this was still the District playoffs (think sectionals in Indiana), not the state tournament. The last bolder section (PIAA Tournament) is the state playoffs. 

I’ll have to look up who the #5 team is in District 3 is. I’m in Disctrict 3amd a few of our local teams in our league made it. A former teammate of mine is the assistant at one of our Distrct 3 schools that made it. They have a crazy good point guard who is on the low-major D1/D2 borderline. Really good player, would be a good matchup. 

Appreciate your clarifications.  Pretty confusing to me and only reading newspaper accounts of what's going on.  So is it safe to presume that Morton's season continues until (if) they lose their next game and then it's over until next fall?

[BGleas]

11 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Appreciate your clarifications.  Pretty confusing to me and only reading newspaper accounts of what's going on.  So is it safe to presume that Morton's season continues until (if) they lose their next game and then it's over until next fall?

No problem! Yes, the state playoffs start next Saturday, which Butler has qualified for. The brackets actually just came out this afternoon. The neighboring town from me, where my buddy is the assistant actually got matched up in the first round against the team that just beat Butler in their District finals. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

3 minutes ago, BGleas said:

No problem! Yes, the state playoffs start next Saturday, which Butler has qualified for. ually got matched up in the first round against the team that just beat Butler in their District finals. 

So unlike Indiana, a team has to actually qualify to participate in the Pennsylvania state tournament?   And is the qualification process via how you perform in your league as Morton's team did in the WPIAL? 

[BGleas]

3 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

So unlike Indiana, a team has to actually qualify to participate in the Pennsylvania state tournament?   And is the qualification process via how you perform in your league as Morton's team did in the WPIAL? 

Sort of. You have to qualify for Districts, which is based on how you do during the season, both league and non-conference. Each district then gets a certain number of teams (it can vary by district) into the state playoffs, based on how they finish in the district playoffs. 

For example, in your earlier post you said Butler would play the #5 team from District 3. That means the team that finished in 5th place in the District 3 Tournament (yes, they actually have consolation games). 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Butler vs Chambersburg - LIVE 2019 PIAA Boys' Basketball Championship at 5:00 ET

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evfl2ImC2SM

[MoyeNeeded]

Bulter defeats Chambersburg 56-42 first round of PIAA tournament. Ethan Morton with 20pts, 9reb, 9assists, and 6stls.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Boys Varsity Basketball takes tough loss in 2nd Rd state playoffs 77-72 to Coatesville.   Ethan Morton led the Tornado with 36pts.

BGleas - Does this loss now officially end Morton's season?

 

[BGleas]

48 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Boys Varsity Basketball takes tough loss in 2nd Rd state playoffs 77-72 to Coatesville.   Ethan Morton led the Tornado with 36pts.

BGleas - Does this loss now officially end Morton's season?

 

Yup. That was the state tournament. Once you lose there it’s over. 

[RatpigHoosier]

I coveteth Morton in 2020 and Lander and Furst in 2021. I know I shouldn’t coveteth, but I coveteth nonetheless....


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[ray]

I read Morton was thinking he would likely make a decision before his senior season.

“Hopefully I could make a decision by early fall of next year, or maybe even before that.” 

Does anyone know if Indiana will have him on campus for an official visit anytime between now and the start of his next season?  I'm not sure he's narrowed his list yet, so he may have nothing officially scheduled.  I read on one site he's made three visits, but on another I read he hasn't made any.  I know he unofficially visited Pitt, but I'm not sure what other visits he's made. Maybe the three visits were all unofficial visits?

[Uspshoosier]

I read Morton was thinking he would likely make a decision before his senior season.
“Hopefully I could make a decision by early fall of next year, or maybe even before that.” 
Does anyone know if Indiana will have him on campus for an official visit anytime between now and the start of his next season?  I'm not sure he's narrowed his list yet, so he may have nothing officially scheduled.  I read on one site he's made three visits, but on another I read he hasn't made any.  I know he unofficially visited Pitt, but I'm not sure what other visits he's made. Maybe the three visits were all unofficial visits?

He has already officially visited IU. New recruiting rules allows juniors to make official and he still can use the 5 officials for his senior year. He also officially visit Purdue as a junior


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[MoyeNeeded]

Want, want, want!

[HoosierHoops1]

On 2/23/2019 at 9:10 PM, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

 

One dribble, two dribbles, three dribbles. Spin it in the hands. Pause. Shoot.

 

It's about time we get an updated version of "Socks, shorts, one, two, three, swish!