Murray State University Athletics
Morant & Canaan Named To CollegeInsider.com All-Decade Teams
12/30/2019 6:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Olson Award is the organization's spotlight on all players from NCAA D-I, while the Henson Award is for the mid-major level. A panel of 21 NCAA D-I head coaches, four athletic directors and six senior members of the CollegeInsider.com staff voted to form the list of the best players from 2010-19. Morant was also selected to the Henson list along with Canaan and two other Ohio Valley Conference players, Evan Bradds (Belmont, 2013-17) and Kenneth Faried (Morehead State, 2007-11)
Ja Morant
Now a member of the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, Morant is having a great first season and is one of the top candidates to be NBA Rookie of the Year. Morant's run of two seasons that covered 65 games is the thing of legend at Murray State.
Morant was the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Male Athlete of the Year and 13-time All-America selection. He was the OVC's first consensus All-America since 1971. Morant's 331 assists in the 2018-19 season was sixth-most in NCAA single-season history as he easily set new records at MSU and in the OVC. He also set the MSU single-season scoring mark with 808 points and the MSU career assist record. He averaged 24.5 points and 10.0 assists/game making him the first player to average 20/10 in a season since the NCAA began started officially recognizing assists in 1983-84.
In two seasons at Murray State, Morant helped the Racers win back-to-back OVC championships and OVC Tournament championships. The Racers went 54-11 overall and 32-4 in the OVC and won their fourth all-time NCAA Tournament game when they defeated Marquette in the first round in 2019.
Isaiah Canaan
Playing for the Racers and coaches Billy Kennedy and Steve Prohm from 2009-13, Canaan was inducted into the Murray State Hall of Fame in 2018 and his No. 3 uniform number hangs retired in the rafters of the CFSB Center.
Now in his seventh season of professional basketball, Canaan is playing in the NBA's G-League with the Stockton Kings where he is scoring 22.5 points per game in his first seven games. Drafted by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Canaan has played for the Rockets, 76ers, Bulls, Thunder, Suns, Timberwolves and Bucks. He also spent some of this season in China with the Shandong Golden Stars.
Canaan was a three-time All-OVC selection, OVC Freshman of the Year in 2010 and OVC Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013. He was part of the winningest class in Murray State Basketball history with 106 wins including three-straight OVC regular season championships and he played a big role in the Racers' amazing 23-0 start to the 2011-12 season when they climbed into the top-10 in the nation. Canaan and fellow MSU Hall of Famer, Frank Allen, are the only MSU players to rank in the top-10 in scoring, made 3-point baskets, made free throws, assists and steals in program history.
Here is the list of the players from the decade from CollegeInsider.com.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM OLSON AWARD 2010-19 ALL-DECADE TEAM
(All of NCAA D-I)
Ron Baker, Wichita State
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
Jalen Brunson, Villanova
Trey Burke, Michigan
Mike Daum, South Dakota State
Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Jimmer Fredette, BYU
Draymond Green, Michigan State
Josh Hart, Villanova
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Justin Jackson, North Carolina
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin
Doug McDermott, Creighton
Ja Morant, Murray State
Frank Mason III, Kansas
Shabazz Napier, UConn
Jahlil Okafor, Duke
Otto Porter, Georgetown
Russ Smith, Louisville
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Fred Van Vleet, Wichita State
Kemba Walker, UConn
Zion Williamson, Duke
Trae Young, Oklahoma
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM HENSON AWARD 2010-19 ALL-DECADE TEAM
(Mid-Major)
Ron Baker, Wichita State
Keith Benson, Oakland
Evan Bradds, Belmont
A.J. Brodeur, Penn
John Brown, High Point
Devontae Cacok, UNCW
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Chris Clemons, Campbell
Kyle Collinsworth, BYU
T.J. Cromer, ETSU
Mike Daum, South Dakota State
Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's
Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Jordan Ford, Saint Mary's
Jimmer Fredette, BYU
Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
Damian Lillard, Weber State
Scott Machado, Iona
Fletcher Magee, Wofford
C.J. Massinburg, Buffalo
C.J. McCollum, Lehigh
Doug McDermott, Creighton
Ja Morant, Murray State
Mike Muscala, Bucknell
Miye Oni, Yale
Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State
Elfrid Payton, Louisiana Lafayette
Alec Peters, Valparaiso
Justin Robinson, Monmouth
Domanatas Sabonis, Gonzaga
Wesley Saunders, Harvard
Justin Sears, Yale
Pascal Siakam, New Mexico State
Keifer Sykes, Green Bay
Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin
Jameel Warney, Stony Brook
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra
