[Basketball News]

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Isiah Thomas announced today that free agent center/forward Randolph Morris has been signed to a contract. As per club policy, terms of the deal are not announced.

Morris, 6-11, 260-pounds, averaged 12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 89 career games over three seasons at the University of Kentucky. As a junior in 2006-07, Morris averaged career-highs of 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game and earned First Team All-SEC honors in leading the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Knicks Sign Free Agent Randolph Morris

[Lefty Noob]

Weird, he just was playing for the Wildcats in the NCAA, and since he can't enter the draft, he can just up and start playing pro ball immediately. The kid was first-team All-SEC, so it'll be interesting to see what he can do in the NBA.

[EmpireWF]

Great move. The kid was open game at any point this year if he wanted to play in the NBA. With Kentucky's early exit and the fact Tubby Smith is gone, no question the kid will try and earn a paycheck at the latter end of the season. And at 6'11 and 260 pounds, he's got the size the Knicks need.

Great signing by Isiah....unless he gave the kid $40 Million over 4 years

[mervinout]

i guess some gms are saying if he was able to go in the draft he would easily be a lottery pick. And the knicks gave him the qquivlent of a 27th overall pick last year and estimated at 30th this year. This is a great signing by isiah, even with cap problems isiah has found away to get very young.

[mervinout]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Weird, he just was playing for the Wildcats in the NCAA, and since he can't enter the draft, he can just up and start playing pro ball immediately. The kid was first-team All-SEC, so it'll be interesting to see what he can do in the NBA.

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he could of signed at anypoint over the last two years even in the middle of the year. ITs a weird loop hole and im glad this time it was there

[Basketball News]

Jumping from the frying pan into the fire may be child’s play compared to the leap from the cauldron of NCAA Tournament pressure into the searing stress of the NBA playoff race.

Yet that’s exactly what new New York Knick Randolph Morris will be doing tomorrow night against the Orlando Magic. Is he ready? ”I don’t know,” the personable 6-11 center-forward flashed a shy smile following practice at the team’s Westchester Training Center. “I think at first I’ll probably be a little nervous. Then, after a couple of transitions, it’ll be just basketball.”

It might be more basketball than Morris could imagine. In addition to the already crippling avalanche of injuries -- Jamal Crawford is out and neither Quentin Richardson nor David Lee is likely to play -- and semi-healthy players such as Stephon Marbury and Channing Frye in important roles, Eddy Curry and Steve Francis came down with flu symptoms. Neither player practiced.

Could the REALLY New Kid On the Block be pressed into action? “Hey, you never know,” Coach Isiah Thomas shook his head. “If I feel he can help us win, yes.”

Morris Joins an Injury-Depleted Knicks Team