Sheffield’s Tom Morey setting sights on success after two year injury break

By EABL Staff
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Updated: November 13, 2019

Tom Morey is open and honest about his recent injuries over the last two years and his journey back to the court. The Sheffield College attendee returned to action in 2019/20 and is currently averaging 21 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 rebounds after five games.

The 6’3″ guard began his EABL journey at Myerscough, before joining Sheffield College and head coach Bradley Connor.

“I suffered cartilage tears in my right knee both times and required surgery,” said Morey.

“The first injury happened three weeks into my first year at Myerscough College and the second was one week after returning from the summer to Myerscough.

“It has been a difficult road back from recovery. Hard work and dedication has played a large part in this.

“My first injury rehab was tough, countless hours spent in the gym, icing, on the court doing whatever I could and my knee just never seemed to be getting better no matter what I did which was frustrating.

“The toughest thing was having to watch team practices and seeing everyone else getting better each day whilst I was sat on the sideline.

“This was obviously frustrating for me but watching all those practices definitely made my basketball IQ much higher which I think has benefited me a great deal.

“The second injury was a big blow after all the work I put in over the summer getting my game back to 100% for what I was hoping to be a breakout season for me and to then have all that taken away within the first week of pre-season, knowing I’m going to have to go through another year of being overlooked and the unknown was difficult.

“However, I just had to find it within myself to stay focused and be mentally strong and just use it as motivation because if these two season ending injuries can’t stop me from success, nothing can.”

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Morey returned home following his second injury, and joined Sheffield College to continue his studies and basketball career.

Established in 2012, the college’s basketball team has had success both regionally and nationally, most recently winning the Yorkshire & Humberside League.

Morey currently sits sixth in the leading scorers tally, with a 21 point average per game.

“I am enjoying the season so far and I’m happy with how I have played as I wasn’t sure how I would compare with the standard of players in the EABL,” said Morey.

“However, after our first five games, I know that I am capable of competing at this level. It has taken a long time for me to get to the level that I am currently playing at. I know I need to continue training hard to improve my consistency throughout the whole game and reach the level of fitness I was playing at before injury.

“Now I am back to full fitness, I want to demonstrate to others what I am capable of and to prove to people that even though I have missed two full seasons, I can be one of the top players in Academy Basketball. I want to continue to improve my fitness levels as the season progresses, leading the team to more wins.”

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Discussing his plans once graduating from Sheffield College, he added: “If I am fortunate enough to be offered a scholarship by a college in America, I would love to go.

“However, I am currently looking to go and study Sports Coaching at Manchester Metropolitan University and play for the university in the BUCS league. I also hope to play professionally at some point, my ultimate ambition would be to represent Great Britain in the future.”

Sheffield College started the new season with an impressive 106-61 win after a disappointing season a year ago, defeating Newcastle Eagles Academy. Most recently, they suffered a 124-88 loss to Charnwood College.

They currently sit seventh in the Northern Conference, with a record of 1-4.

On Morey’s return, head coach Connor added: “Tom has developed really well since coming back from his injury.

“When he arrived back in Sheffield he couldn’t take part in any practical sessions and was finding his knee was locking just from walking. Since his surgery he is developing into a top player in the EABL and was chosen to captain the team this year. His professionalism and determination to improve sets a great example to his teammates.

“The season has been mixed for us so far. We started the season with a commanding win at home to Newcastle Eagles and perhaps this made some players complacent and performances dipped.

“We have some exciting first years who are now starting to get to grips with the standard of the league after tough games against Charnwood and Myerscough. The intensity of training has been great over the last couple of weeks and I’m expecting to see big improvements from the team in the upcoming fixtures.

“The goal at the start of the season was to compete for a play-off spot. We’ve made things difficult with the start we’ve had but I’m confident that we can provide a few upsets as the season progresses. Our next game is at home to Manchester Magic where we aim to put in a strong performance and get back to winning ways.”