June 22, 2010

Bronx, N.Y. - John Morton, a Bronx native and former NBA first round draft choice, was named an assistant men's basketball coach at Fordham University it was announced today by head coach Tom Pecora.

"We are thrilled to have John Morton join our staff," said Pecora. "His reputation, not only as a tremendous player but as a great person, makes him a great fit for the Fordham basketball program."

Morton just completed his fourth season as an assistant coach at Saint Peter's College, helping the Peacocks to a 16-win season, eleven of those in the MAAC, good for a fourth place regular season conference finish.

A four-year starter for the Pirates from 1985-89, Morton scored 1,621 points in 131 career games. He averaged 12.8 points in 1987-88 while helping lead Seton Hall to its first NCAA Tournament berth. He then led the team in scoring with a 17.3 average in 1988-89, a year in which he was named Third Team All-Big East, during the Pirates' memorable run to the 1989 national championship game. In the overtime loss to Michigan in the title game, Morton poured in a game-high 35 points, hitting eleven field goals, four three-pointer, and shooting 9-for-10 from the charity stripe.

Following his senior season, Morton won the Haggerty Award as the top player in the metropolitan area. He currently is tied for the career games played record at Seton Hall with 131, ranks fourth in assists (452) and steals (207), seventh in career three-point field goal percentage (.391) and 11th with the 1,621 career points.

Following his collegiate career, Morton was selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 25th player chosen overall. He played for Cleveland for two seasons before spending a year with the Miami Heat. In three NBA seasons, he averaged 4.8 points per game.

After playing with the Rapid City Thrillers of the CBA, Morton went overseas, playing professionally in Spain from 1993-99. While in Spain, Morton enjoyed a tremendous stint, leading the prestigious ACB League in scoring in consecutive years with a 26.0 ppg average one season and 23.5 ppg the next. He finished in the top three in the league in scoring five out of six years. He was also a five-time All-Star. Morton also played professionally in the Philippines, scoring 50 points in his first game in the league.

Morton was inducted into the New Jersey Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and was the 2004 recipient of the John D. "Honey" Russell Award, an award annually presented to a former Seton Hall player who truly represents the values of Seton Hall University. He received his bachelor's degree in communications from Seton Hall in 1990.

A Bronx native, Morton played high school basketball at Walton High School where he averaged 37 points per game in his senior year and was named to the New York All State High School team.

Morton and his wife, Giovanni, have twin boys, Jayden and Jordan and reside in East Windsor, NJ. He also has a 16-year-old daughter, Schyler.