![Ja Morant Murray St Marquette Send Off NCAA Tournament 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/z1vysxdxvkvjpvowonyg/ja-morant-murray-st-marquette-send-off-ncaa-tournament-2019.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto)
The top of this year’s NBA Draft is shaping up to be quite predictable. Zion Williamson will, of course, go No. 1 (whether he’ll stay in New Orleans is another story). His college teammate, RJ Barrett, will presumably go two spots later to the Knicks at No. 3.
Sandwiched between the two Duke stars will be a player who hails from a college of far less renown: Ja Morant, the electric point guard from Murray State. Morant has drawn comparisons to Russell Westbrook after a surprising sophomore campaign in which he nearly doubled his scoring average, putting up 24.5 PPG, in addition to dropping 10 dimes a game and shooting 36.3% from downtown. The 6'3" guard looks poised to be an NBA sensation.
Here are 12 things you probably didn’t know about Ja Morant.
1. His real name is Temetrius
![Ja Morant NBA Draft Combine 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/aswd1l8cdhl4gdxjdtcc/ja-morant-nba-draft-combine-2019.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto)
2. His dad played high school hoops with Ray Allen
![ray allen getty vcg](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/vqazdath1xy6slp5lrzc/ray-allen-getty-vcg.jpg)
3. Ja has words of wisdom from his mom tattooed on his arm
![Ja Morant Murray St Austin Peay 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/yef6y8a9ewuwcdbyxvql/ja-morant-murray-st-austin-peay-2019.jpg)
4. He was unranked prospect entering college
![Ja Morant Murray St Florida St NCAA Tournament 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/jboh35rbprwyqoiihn7g/ja-morant-murray-st-florida-st-ncaa-tournament-2019.jpg)
5. Murray State discovered him on accident
![Ja Morant Murray St Flex Austin Peay 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/oyjhkzpfnora0juasda8/ja-morant-murray-st-flex-austin-peay-2019.jpg)
6. He couldn’t dunk until his senior year of high school
![Ja Morant Murray St Marquette Dunk NCAA Tournament 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/kvbxdlgyfky3o9gj0ckn/ja-morant-dunk-murray-st-marquette-ncaa-tournament-2019.jpg)
7. He made a meteoric leap from his freshman to sophomore seasons
![Ja Morant Free Throw NCAA Tournament 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/vtzvsmuwj8cmyemyls8k/ja-morant-free-throw-ncaa-tournament-2019.jpg)
8. Some key departures cleared the lane for him to shine last season
![Ja Morant Murray St Timeout NCAA Tournament 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/b8jqqq6nqhvviyof6jl9/ja-morant-murray-st-timeout-ncaa-tournament-2019.jpg)
9. He made the NCAA Tournament both years of his college career
![Ja Morant Smile NCAA Tournament 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/psm9kr7j0qmqbo27ons3/ja-morant-smile-ncaa-tournament-practice-2019.jpg)
NBA players love to hit the links in the offseason. For example, Mike Conley Jr. is a noted golfer. So is JR Smith. But Memphis’ presumed heir apparent doesn’t seem likely to partake in the same activity during his pro summers. Amid this year’s tourney, a video made the rounds of Morant’s sad golf swing—he missed the ball twice and looked pathetic doing it. We know this kid is a transcendent athlete, buuut...that form truly is Charles Barkley-level bad. If he puts his mind to it, though, we know he can improve, because...
Ja Morant’s golf swing is ELITE 😂 @igotgame_12 (via @PyroG12) pic.twitter.com/4Zj3pQMAAo
— Overtime (@overtime) May 10, 2019
10. His work ethic is second-to-none
![Ja Morant Murray St Florida St 2 NCAA Tournament 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/s7bkxetrzhe3zi3ehpev/ja-morant-murray-st-florida-st-2-ncaa-tournament-2019.jpg)
11. Some people think Ja should go No. 1
![Ja Morant NCAA Tournament Dunk 2019](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/complex/images/xsiltk9np5enyupkgibz/ja-morant-ncaa-tournament-dunk-2019.jpg)