<
>
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
Get ESPN+

How Ja Morant became a surprise top-three draft prospect

Lance Stephenson's air guitar celebration. Russell Westbrook's rock-the-baby boast. An Instagram post that read: "Jump wit Me if you want to go viral" after yet another jaw-dropping dunk.

Save for Zion Williamson, Murray State phenom Ja Morant is the most exciting player in college basketball.

The baby-faced beanpole snatches souls with ferocious two-footed jams, exploding 44 inches off the ground before cocking the ball back and delivering yet another slam. He puts defenders on skates with his ball-on-a-string handle. He whips passes all over the floor. The Racers play fast, they score often, and Morant (No. 3 in ESPN's top 100 draft rankings) is the catalyst.

"It's almost like he's been here before," said Tee Morant, Ja's father. "With this whirlwind going on, it seems like it doesn't even bother him."

How is it that a late-developing, small-town guard who weighs 175 pounds soaking wet can have so much confidence and swagger, regardless of the opponent? And how will his game translate to the next level?

The 19-year-old has been groomed for this stage since his early childhood. He was built for the spotlight.