Ja Morant is here and do not expect him to leave.

After an electrifying regular season that has seen Morant climb all the way up the draft boards, the Murray State point guard has had another big performance, this time on the game’s biggest state.

In a match-up against 5-seed Marquette in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64, Morant tallied a triple-double, scoring 17 points along with 11 rebounds and 16 assists en route to a convincing 83-64 win to advance Murray State into the Round of 32, where 4-seed Florida State awaits Murray State.

While the highlight plays from this game have graced social media like all of his other electrifying plays and his hype is at an all-time high, it has not always been like this for Morant.

Before coming to Murray State, he was an under recruited guard who had just one major offer, which was to Murray State.

In fact, the only reason Morant was recruited by Murray State is because Murray recruiter James Kane was hungry while scouting another prospect at an AAU combine.

When he asked where to get food, he was pointed to a concession stand where he heard basketball being played at an auxiliary gym. When he poked his head in, he saw Morant’s smooth handles and a windmill dunk that finished some 3-versus-3.

Morant was a late addition to the combine. A local player, Morant was undersized and skinny by most accounts and despite a strong high school career, did not get much recognition.

Now, in his sophomore season, Morant is likely the second best player going into the NBA Draft and he will be an immediate impact at the next level.

Morant’s rise to the top is inspiring. It is proof that all things happen for a reason and it is a true story of hard work.