Big 10 Unmasks Morsell as DPOY
Maryland Senior Captain Darryl Morsell has been asked by his coaches and teammates to take on some of the most prolific scoring threads in the nation this year, to battle through brutal facial and shoulder injuries all while pursuing a master’s degree in public policy. The Baltimore native is truly one of a kind in Maryland history and today, the Big 10 coaches recognized Morsell’s efforts and rewarded him with the Big 10 defensive player of the year award.
It is the first time in program history that a Maryland has had a player given the honor. Those surprised to hear that news should note that the ACC did not recognize a defensive player of the year until after Maryland left the conference in 2014 and no Big 10 player including teammates Anthony Cowan, Bruno Fernando, or Jalen Smith were awarded this honor.
“I am so proud of Darryl for earning this prestigious award as the best defender in the best league in the country,” said head coach Mark Turgeon. “Darryl worked incredibly hard to reach this point and to see it validated is extremely special.”
“It is truly an honor to be selected for this award by Big Ten coaches,” Morsell said. “I would not have achieved this without the support of God, in addition to my family, teammates and coaches. I know this is an individual award, but it is truly a team award. We accomplished this together and I cannot say enough about the guys in our locker room who made it happen.”
