Men's Basketball: Moragne is still working for shot
~ The Lowell Sun

 LOWELL (Sept. 30, 2007) -- No, UMass Lowell men's basketball coach Ken Barer didn't find a way to wrangle Stacey Moragne an extra year of college eligibility.

And no, you weren't hallucinating if you thought you saw the former River Hawks captain back in Costello Gymnasium popping jump shots as though he never left.

The former UMass Lowell men's basketball star who graduated in 2006 has made appearances in recent weeks while preparing for the next step in his professional career.

Last year, all he did this past year was drop in 20.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for Maccabi Hod Hasharon of the Israel Premier League.

He is currently weighing options that include going back to play in Israel, playing elsewhere overseas, or returning to the northeast to possibly play in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

He was one of 25 players invited to veterans camp for the Manchester Millrats of the ABA after attending an open tryout that attracted approximately 70 players in Derry, N.H., last weekend.

Moragne was also one of 12 players selected after a five-hour tryout, to scrimmage against the St. Lucia Realtors from the Philippines Basketball Association (PBA).

Former UML big man Ty Brunson is also awaiting word from the Millrats, and has already received an offer from a team in Quebec City.

Last year, Moragne was one of four former River Hawks playing in Israel along with his former roommate James Whyte, Matan Siman Tov, and Shahar Nachmias.

Moragne's career in a River Hawks uniform was highlighted by two Elite Eight appearances, and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

His days at Costello Gymnasium were also punctuated by two NABC All-American selections, two Daktronics All-American selections, two Daktronics Northeast Regional Player of the Year Awards, and two Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year Awards).

The 6-foot-4 forward left his name scattered all over the UMass Lowell record books, including third all-time in points (2,041) and rebounds (839). He also had the fourth-best touch from behind the three-point line of any River Hawks player to lace up sneakers (42.8 percent).

Of course, he isn't in college any more. It's entirely different when you're trying to make his living on the court.

"It's a dog-eat-dog world," he said of what turned out to be a seven-hour audition in Derry. "Everyone's trying to get that contract."

That's why his recent return to Lowell was in part to visit his long-time friend and new River Hawks assistant coach Necus Mayne -- they grew up together and were teammates at both Evanston Township as well as UML -- and in part to get some of the tough love and motivation that only his former coach can dish out.

"As you know, coach doesn't take anything," Moragne says. "He just works you death."

Barer ran him through a lot of multiple skill drills, combining different aspects. His post game and his jump shot are still very solid, according to Barer.

"What I like to do with Stacey is a lot ball handling and a lot of stuff on the move, multiple things in a row," Barer says.

Between Barer, Moragne's mother (a personal trainer), and his cousin Nibra White (a former professional basketball player overseas who is now a personal trainer) he says he's lucky to have a group of people to help him get his body right as he competes for jobs.

He figures to know in the next week or so if he'll be back around UML preparing for veterans camp with the Millrats, or if he'll be overseas. Either way, he says he's considering it a "win-win situation."

In the meantime, Moragne seems is just loving that he has a chance to turn his passion into a pro career.

"How many people can really say that they play basketball for their profession," Moragne says. "I'm blessed. I'm going to take this opportunity and run with it."