Memphis Grizzlies' star Ja Morant to be inducted into Murray State Hall of Fame

Ja Morant is going into the Murray State Hall of Fame.

The university made the announcement Saturday morning. Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies' star guard, played for the Racers from 2017-2019 and became an All-American before leaving after two seasons for the NBA Draft. He was picked No. 2 overall by the Grizzlies in 2019 and has been with the team ever since.

At Murray State, Morant led his team to two-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including an upset win over Marquette in 2019 as a No. 12 seed. He averaged 24.5 points and 10 assists per game during his sophomore year, becoming the first player to average 20 points and 10 assists since the NCAA began counting assists during the 1983-1984 season.

"What Ja was able to do in his two years in Murray, and now in the NBA, has been simply incredible and his style of play and production has brought an invaluable amount of exposure to our University and our entire department," Murray State athletic director Nico Yantko said in a statement. "We knew that Ja was a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famer, and we are thrilled that we will finally have the opportunity to forever enshrine one of the best to ever represent the Racers into our Hall of Fame."

Morant acknowledged the announcement on social media with a post of himself from his Murray State days.

He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020 and has since developed into an All-NBA player and the face of the Grizzlies franchise. But he played only nine games in the 2023-2024 NBA season. He was suspended the first 25 games of the season after multiple gun-related incidents, including a video from the offseason where he appeared to wave a gun during an Instagram live video.

He returned after the suspension by hitting a game-winning shot to beat the Pelicans, but he played only nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. He's expected to make a full recovery before the 2024-2025 season.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Grizzlies' star Ja Morant to be inducted into Murray State Hall of Fame