Courtesy of Morgan State Athletic Communications
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Sept. 16, 2021 -- Morgan State junior guard De'Torrion Ware and redshirt senior Seventh Woods were two of among several NCAA Division I men's basketball players invited to participate in the NCAA Elite Student-Athlete Symposium Sept. 10-12 at the NCAA national office.
It marked the first time a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) program has ever been invited.
"It's an honor and a privilege to have our Morgan State student-athletes invited to the Elite Athlete Symposium," head coach Kevin Broadus said. "It shows that HBCU's have elite student-athletes as well."
A product of the NCAA Leadership Development program, the symposium is intended to educate college players on the expectations and responsibilities of being a professional athlete as well as planning post-professional career opportunities. Among the features of the forum will be a former student-athlete panel, agent and players' union discussions, engagement with professional leagues and a seminar on personal branding.
Topics featured at this year's symposium included athlete brand management/social media, financial literacy, decision-making, protecting eligibility, the agent and financial advisor selection process and more. As part of the program, participants heared from current and former elite student-athletes, NBA, NBPA, team front office, and NBA G-League representatives and insightful keynote speakers who will share their perspectives on managing the realities of life as a professional athlete and how to avoid common obstacles.
Ware, a BOXTOROW All-American, finished the season as the Bears leader in scoring with 375 points (17.0 ppg; No. 1 in MEAC) and was second on the team in rebounding with 125 (5.7 avg; No. 7). He ranked among the league leaders in three-point field goals made with 54 (T-No. 1) and his .388 three-point field goal percentage ranked eighth.
Ware, an All-MEAC Second Team selection, played in 22 games and scored 20 or more points in 10 games. He scored double figures in 9-of-17 games, including a 36-point outing vs. Delaware State (Jan. 24) and poured in 35 points vs. Florida A&M in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals. In three games during the tournament, Ware scored a total of 80 points, just nine points shy of the all-time MEAC tournament record.
Woods, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard from Columbia, S.C., will be an academic redshirt senior when the season tips-off at Morgan.
Woods transferred to South Carolina prior to the 2019-20 season after playing three seasons and winning a national championship with Roy Williams' North Carolina team.
In his second season at MSU, Broadus led the Bears to a MEAC best 14-8 record, including a 3-1 record against Division I non-conference opponents. The Bears advanced to the MEAC Tournament title game where they fell to Norfolk State. It marked the Bears first appearance in the conference finals since 2014.
MSU's De'Torrion Ware (left) and Seventh Woods (right) with
former San Antonio Spur and two-time NBA Champion Malik Rose.