MITCHELL — All Scott Morgan wanted to do was have fun when he first picked up a basketball.

Little did he know he’d put together one of the most prolific basketball careers in South Dakota history, let alone be recognized for it.

Morgan was one of 19 inductees into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame class of 2024 for his contributions to both Mitchell High School and Dakota Wesleyan University basketball. Much like his other honors over the years, it came as a complete surprise to him.

“I wasn’t even expecting it,” Morgan said upon finding out from former Mitchell and DWU radio announcer Tim Smith. “It’s a heck of an honor, and I was excited about it and thought it’s pretty cool.”

As a Kernel under the tutelage of legendary coach Gary Munsen, the 6-foot-7 Morgan was a two-time Class AA all-state first-team selection while helping Mitchell High School to three state tournaments, including a runner-up finish his junior season in 1988.

At DWU, he was twice named the NAIA Division II national player of the year, averaging 25.8 points and 10.7 rebounds throughout his career, and finished with the second-most points in school history at 2,810. Morgan is one of only six 2,000-point scorers in Tigers history and his jersey No. 50 is one of seven retired by the men’s basketball program.

However, after only his second game of his sophomore season with Mitchell, Morgan’s first on the varsity team, the mark he left on the Corn Palace floor almost never came to fruition.

“(Coach) Munsen told me after one or two games, ‘If you don’t start shooting, I’m going to put you on the bench,’” Morgan recalled. “As a young kid playing against older kids, you’re really nervous to pull the trigger, but I didn’t want to sit on the bench, so I better start shooting.”

Crediting Munsen for bringing the best out of him and his players on game days, Morgan flooded the post and overpowered opponents on contested rebounds. He never paid attention to how many points he scored, as he enjoyed the camaraderie of playing with his teammates and siblings he shared the court with.

It was especially true the night he set the South Dakota collegiate scoring record, putting up 57 points against Mount Marty in 1992. When he reached 55, Morgan was oblivious to what was at stake to the point he questioned why teammate Craig Cheeseman kept feeding him the ball.

“I had no idea how many points I had because it wasn’t posted (on the scoreboard) like it is now,” Morgan said. “He kept throwing me the ball and said, ‘You’re going to get the record,’ and I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I ended up breaking it on free throws, which was cool.”

Morgan’s team-oriented personality on the floor went back to the days of playing basketball with his siblings in their driveway on the farm, as his ultimate goal was to have fun playing a sport he grew to enjoy, and still supports to this day. Looking back on his journey, Morgan cherishes the time spent being around others from pickup games to the long road trips.

“We had good times in high school playing duck ball and playing 3-on-3,” Morgan said. “When you like doing something, you find whatever it takes to go play. You get together with your buddies and that’s what you did.”

Morgan currently resides in Mitchell with his wife Stacy, with whom he has raised three children, and is the owner of Blarney’s Sportsbar and Grill off Highland Way in Mitchell.

In addition to being inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, Morgan is already a member of the Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell High School, South Dakota Basketball and South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference Halls of Fame. He’s also a member of the NAIA National Hall of Fame.

The South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame banquet is on Sunday, Sept. 22, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

Blake Durham is a Sports Reporter for the Mitchell Republic, having joined in October of 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Durham can be found covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports in the area.