Shemar Morrow of ‘Last Chance U’ finding footing at ELAC
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (BVM) – Shemar Morrow, who was featured as a freshman on Season 2 of the hit Netflix show “Last Chance U: Basketball,” is currently in his sophomore season at East Los Angeles College (ELAC). Although he hasn’t had any playing time for the 2022-23 season so far, fans of the show are rooting for Morrow in another way – by encouraging the college guard who has suffered from homelessness to get his GED.
It’s presumed that Morrow hasn’t received his GED since “Last Chance U: Basketball” was filmed because there are no updates on Morrow’s social media or from ELAC.
Shemar Morrow in middle school and high school
Many can recall when Morrow made headlines back in 2013: “Is 5th grader Shemar Morrow the next LeBron James?” Then in 2014, Morrow made the rankings as the No. 1 middle schooler in the country and shocked the world as a “6th-grade basketball player from Akron, Ohio who can dunk.”
However, sports fans quickly pointed out that the 6-foot-2 6th grader looked older for his grade level.
On an episode of “Last Chance U: Basketball,” Morrow provided some insight into his age from when he started playing in the 5th grade. According to Morrow, he started playing basketball when he was between 12 and 13 years old — meaning that he was a 12 to 13-year-old 5th grader (older than the average).
By his senior year of high school, Morrow wasn’t ranked by 247 Sports. ESPN had him as a three-star prospect and the No. 31 basketball recruit in California. With no DI offers and the fact that he wasn’t going to graduate high school or attain a GED – Morrow committed to junior college ELAC instead.
“My grades just weren’t good,” Morrow said on the show about why his basketball recruitment didn’t go well. “People just waited for me to get to the league and then when they thought it wasn’t going to happen, they really didn’t give a f*** about me.”
How can Shemar Morrow attend college without a GED?
Here’s what ELAC’s website regarding admissions states:
“Non-high school graduates or equivalent: Persons who do not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent but who meet additional criteria are also eligible for admission if in the judgment of the College Admissions Officer they are capable of profiting from the instruction offered.”
Morrow stated on the show that he turned 21 years old during his freshman season at ELAC. Now as a sophomore, Shemar Morrow will turn 22 years old on January 24. His inability to attain a high school diploma or a GED so far is explained on the show through his story of homelessness and lack of support.
What’s arguably the most heart-breaking part about Morrow’s basketball journey is that he helped Shadow Mountain High School (Phoenix, Arizona) win state championships, yet he wasn’t given the help he needed to graduate with a diploma in the Class of 2020 or even receive a GED after.
“Last Chance U: Basketball” followed Morrow as his coaches at ELAC encouraged him to obtain his GED as a college freshman, but he was ultimately unsuccessful. The now sophomore is more than likely giving it another try so that he can have financial aid to help him out of homelessness, as well as achieve better recruitment opportunities.
“I thought I was going to be the number one pick in the (NBA) Draft by like 2021,” Morrow said on the show.
Why isn’t Shemar Morrow getting playing time at ELAC?
So, where is Shemar Morrow now? Unfortunately for fans of “Last Chance U,” the 6-foot-4 guard hasn’t found his footing just yet in school or on the team.
Morrow hasn’t received any minutes on the court for the 2022-23 season and the Huskies have played 17 games so far. No one knows for sure if he’s been injured or if he’s just redshirted until he gets his GED. In comparison, last season (2021-2022), Morrow participated in a total of 22 games and scored 4.1 points per game.
Morrow’s future at a DI school or the NBA doesn’t look promising with the lack of minutes and no GED. It hasn’t been an easy journey so far, but fans of “Last Chance U: Basketball” are rooting for him.