Guard, 2010-
6' 5", 175, Philadelphia, PA / Notre Dame Prep

Enrolled at UMass for the Spring 2010 semester. Will sit out from basketball for two semesters as an academic non-qualifier. After earning academic eligibility, will be able to join the Minutemen after the Fall 2010 semester.

eton Hall's loss could be a huge gain for the University of Massachusetts men's basketball program.

Jesse Morgan, a 6-foot-5 combo guard from Philadelphia, has enrolled at UMass for the spring semester.

Morgan, who is a nonqualifier, will not be able to play or practice for the Minutemen until the end of the fall semester of next season.

Morgan, who originally signed with Seton Hall, was attending the South Kent School in Connecticut as a postgraduate, but withdrew to enroll at UMass.

His AAU coach and godfather Fred Snead told ZagsBlog.com, a basketball recruiting blog, that Morgan had enrolled in Amherst.

"He's at UMass. He doesn't have a qualifying SAT score," Snead said. "He wasn't going to qualify at Seton Hall. The Big East doesn't take non-qualifiers. In the Atlantic 10 they can take non-qualifiers."

Morgan will have to maintain a 2.0 grade point average at UMass to be eligible to play in December next season. Morgan will have to pay his own way and won't be able to practice or participate in team activities until late December.

UMass has had considerable success with non-qualifiers in the past as Tyrone Weeks, Monty Mack and Rashaun Freeman all went from non-qualifiers to all-conference players.

ESPN.com's recruiting site gave Morgan the following evaluation in October:

"Morgan is an extremely versatile wing player. He's a good shooter who can make shots in bunches. Has an established mid-range game and gets to the rim enough to keep defenders honest. He's capable of getting his shot anytime he wants but has a tendency to settle for contested jumpers from the perimeter. Morgan also needs to become a better finisher at the rim as he currently finishes everything above his head, leaving the ball exposed to bigger players.

"He has good size for the perimeter and handles and passes well enough to play some minutes at the point if necessary. Morgan has a cut frame with some wiry strength but would benefit by adding more muscle mass. Defensively he has all the physical tools to be affective but must make a more consistent effort."