Monday is Ja Morant Day
The place where Ja Morant first made himself noticed as a basketball player is where he will be honored on Monday as he looks toward a career in the National Basketball Association.
Ja Morant Day will be held on Monday at Crestwood High School beginning at 5:30 p.m. to honor the player who blossomed into a consensus All-American as a sophomore this year at Murray State.
Team Sumter, which represents The City of Sumter, Sumter City Council, Sumter County Government and Sumter County Council, will celebrate Morant, who declared for the NBA draft last week and is expected to be a lottery pick.
Morant will take photos with students beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Crestwood. A brief ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. during which elected officials will speak about Morant and his impact on the Sumter community.
Morant averaged a double-double of 24.5 points and 10.0 assists in leading the Racers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Morant received a vote for The Associated Press Player of the Year, an award won overwhelmingly by Duke's Zion Williamson, Morant's former AAU teammate.
Morant is also a part of the John R. Wooden Award All-American team, meaning he is one of 10 finalists for that award, another national player of the year award.