University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

Mike Morgan, a 6-8 power forward from Ladysmith, was a member of Ken Anderson’s powerful Blugold squads from 1977 through 1981. Those four teams compiled a 103-23 overall record and a 52-12 conference mark. They won three conference championships and participated in three NAIA National Tournaments in Kansas City, Missouri, twice reaching the semifinals of the 32-team field. Morgan started 94 games during his career and ranks as one of the top rebounders and field goal percentage players in school history. He grabbed 1,087 rebounds for his career while scoring 956 points in 125 games and finished with a .571 field goal percentage. On January 3, 1981, Morgan pulled down 17 rebounds against a nationally-ranked University of Iowa team.  Although the Blugolds dropped an 86-62 decision to Lute Olson’s Hawkeyes, they ripped off a school-record 20 straight victories after that game before suffering a loss in the semifinals of the NAIA tournament. Morgan was named an NAIA Third Team All-American that season and also won the conference rebound title. Morgan’s hard-nosed play earned him three team Big D Awards. He also was the Frosh MVP winner his first season and the Hustler Award winner as a junior. He was the Holiday Classic MVP his senior year. Following his Blugold career, Morgan played some semi-pro basketball in Australia. He was the Sydney Basketball Conference MVP and top rebounder in 1983. At the time of his induction, Morgan had been a physical education instructor and junior high football coach at Auburndale since 1989. Among his protégés was Green Bay Packers’ lineman Mark Tauscher. He also was serving as the Athletic Club Advisor and spent four seasons coaching the freshmen basketball team.