Its a screwed game of who's right and who's wrong and who has the power. And it has taken the fun out of the game that I have loved and played for 15 out of my 25 years of life.

This team was just not the right fit for me...

"Taking Life One Breathe at a Time" as quoted by my homie Fate.
~Mo-Jo

My name is Morrisa Benberry and I am looking to play professional basketball overseas. I am from the US (Louisville, Kentucky). I graduated from Berea College in 2005 and I had a successful 4 year basketball career. I started over 100 games, scored 1,170 points, and was co-captain of the team for 3 years. After I graduated my small college held two national women's basketball scoring titles leading all divisions meaning NCAA, NAIA, etc., ... averaging 109ppg , its first season conference champion title, its first national NAIA DII top 25 ranking, as well as many other national and school records

I have just finished playing in England where I just completed my Masters in Finance & Accounting. I decided to get my Masters in England so I could keep playing basketball. My season with my University has just ended and I still playing with the Black County Bears National League Team, who are currently second in our League. My PLAYER PROFILE is available and my HIGHLIGHT VIDEO from Berea College is posted on Youtube with the links listed below!

My dream is to play professionally and get paid to play the game I love so much. It is goal that I want to achieve for myself and it more of the principle of the fact...to prove to myself and a few other that I can make it. I'm not looking for a big time contract even though it would be nice. I just need a professional person with the right connections to help me out...

I recently had an agent who just straight disappeared and now i'm back to square one. So only legit offers please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghM5gc5DEsI Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Yg_cxhVNY Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erhCdHTMCXA Part 3
Thank You
Morrisa (Mo)

I just wanted to say my profile is update with the following stats:

University of Wolverhampton (UK) (2006-2007)
2006-07 Season
22.7 ppg; 4.3 rpg; 3.1 stlpg; 1 blkpg (7 games)

2005-06 Season
27 ppg; 5 rpg (4 games, inc. 3 games BUSA Championship Tourny)

I am looking to play professional basketball in Europe next season. Anyone who can help me out please email me. Video from England and other stats will be updated soon.

Thanks
Mo
bballmo2@yahoo.com

Today was one of those games where the refs were going to dictate the game. And I think one of them (who has done almost 80 percent of the games I have played here) did not want me in the game today. I fouled out but whereas I normally am in the game for 40 minutes, today I only was in for 20, if that. THREE fouls in the first quarter...LOL wow... one of those was not a foul. I sat for a while after those three... Then the 4th foul came in the 3rd quarter (not a foul), I sat some more... The last foul came near the end of the game which we lost (but for this Uni team we always lose) that "foul" was a clean rip (steal). Urgh... Today Jeff the ref didn't want me in the game LOL. Even still with only 20 minutes in and out of the game I had 20 points... Imagine if I was not in foul trouble.

Coach said the refs are not going to win or lose a game...I disagreed with that today! It wasn't called evenly, one chick got away with a lot of stuff. I think sometimes the refs are TOO involved in the outcome of the game. What do you all think? And if the refs are too involved...should the coach fight for his/her team or player and speak up to the refs?

I have highlights from Berea College on youtube (see below)...and a more detailed player resume from BC as well. Yes, Berea College was NAIA DII bball and I had offers from NCAAA DII & DII out of high school (where I was simply a role player) but I chose Berea because I had freedom, something I had not had before...it made me a better more confident player. And I helped build a nice women's program.

I NEED EXPOSURE: via Camps, the right connections, the right agent, anything or anyone who can help please contact me!

BC Highlights Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghM5gc5DEsI

BC Highlights Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Yg_cxhVNY

BC Highlights Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erhCdHTMCXA

I have learn some things on the court:

Frustation is never good - playing with players who aren't experienced as I am only makes me a better player.

You won't always agree with your coaches - never met a coach I felt I conflicted with until I came here. I have learned that coaching is not my job yet!!

Refs sux in every country - LOL

Enjoy it now because soon it will be over - I realize I can't play forever, thoughts have crossed my mind that MAYBE its time to get a REAL job, but I still have one more thing accomplish...I'm not done with basketball just yet!

~1~ Mo-Jo

I talked to the coach. He said that he got so wrapped up into the game that he forgot to put me in. Yeah sure... I was smart about the situation and asked if there is anything I needed to work on or anything I could do to improve my chances and he was like no.

So I kept practicing hard and the next game I maybe got in 5 minutes running clock and that was it. I didn't produce much but I played good defense like always. I am gonna be real and tell the truth. I couldn't get a feel for the game he wanted us to play. I was use to the quick give all you got, if you remotely open shoot it type game. The offenses were "wack" and the rest of the teammates that played the most couldn't remember the plays half the time. But I did and I hadn't ran an actual play for 2 years because my previous team style of play but I was hardly playing so what did that matter. The whole summer went like this and I knew it was all bad from the start. I should got out when it was messed up at first. But basketball players know that when basketball is what you really want to do then you'd be happy with a old milk crate on the side of tree with a flat basketball in the backyard. That was me in the situation. I had no job and was running out of money fast. Praticing was all I looked forward to because playing in games was just not happening.

Drama continued, the coach had favorites. Even one of the coldest female hoopers I had ever seen who was on my team wasn't getting the clock she deserved. A couple of players quit and complained to the head man in charge who was located in Dallas. He didn't do much... Game after game there were no scouts, hardly any fans...the league was just not handled in a business professional manner. Very unorganized. Our team had a lot of talent but still had a losing record. Furthermore, with all the complaining surrounding our team our 2nd coach decided to quit with like 2 games to go. We ended up having this long meeting at his crib trying to get him back because what else was we gonna do. Some of us left a lot to come play... real jobs and apartments. Everyone got to express their views on the summer and how they was feeling and I told them how I felt. I felt it was bull and waste of my time and the coach couldn't even give me a explaination for not playing me. He gave his excuse like most coaches do in a messed up situation. I really didn't care it was over for me anyway I was ready to go home and regroup and get my life together. But one the chicks on the team tried to come at me like...it doesn't matter how many points you scored in college or if you were a superstar. I shouldn't have came in expecting to play I guess because of how old I was. I was like what?! It is an exposure league what was I was suppose to do sit on the bench and wait until next year yeah right...Just because I wasn't 25 to 35 chasing basketball with no degree or other options didn't mean my game didn't deserve the same respect as everyone else...I was way better then her anyway (and I never say stuff like that but this deserved the comment) and I think she knew that, why else make that comment. I was civil in the matter...I kept my cool because it wasn't worth it.

Needless to say...I left before the very last game was over. I found an agent at the end of the summer probably too late to do what I wanted to do but hopefully something will come of it in the future. I have DVDs, stats and I know I can make it despite the set backs. Currently, since Feb 2006, I am in England getting my MSc in Finance and Accounting and playing for the University and maybe a DII National Team. I played 4 games when I arrived here and I averaged 20 pts and 8 rbs per game. I will be here until June/July 2007. The plan is to get my foot in the door playing bball overseas, building stats and obtaining contacts. Then I will hit the exposure camps and search for a team that needs a player like me. And if all else fails I'll have two degrees and head into my career.

I ended up staying with some lady who was treasurer of the ATL division and was "involved" with the league director that got fired. Crazy situation I know... but I was extremely grateful and rent was cheap. Two other players were staying there with me. As for the other players, eventually they rented out a house and our new coach got them any furniture he could find to accomodate them.

So I got a place to stay...that is a step in the right direction. Well I can honestly say that was as good as it got. Two weeks into it and we just now steppin on the court. The league was setup as 5 teams all around ATL, semi-pro ball no pay, it was to be an exposure summer league only. We were to find our own job for daily living expenses. Practice was held about 2 to 4 times per week. Games were played on Saturdays only at a local college. Depending on where your team was located in the ATL determined where you practiced. We practiced at a YMCA and a local military base.

Our team was stacked athletically. We were quick but small. Practice were easy but it was basketball so I loved simply playing. One the first game day I was all excited ready to play and to add to the already crazy situation...the league was mad ghetto. It seemed like a rec. league. There were no signs that ATL knew about the league let alone international scouts. Plus, I only played like 2 minutes. I missed a couple days of practice because I had to return home to take finals and graduate from college. But during that time all the drama was going down anyway. The games were set up as two 20 minute halfs running clock which sux. I was definately not use to not playing. I just came from a very successful college career where I started almost every game and was on the court 80% of the game. Averaged 11 ppg and scored almost 1200 career points.

Man was I mad. I can't remember if we won or lost. But my first question was isn't this an exposure league isn't everyone suppose to play a sufficient amount of minutes to get exposure? What seperates me from the other players on the team? I wasn't the only one that didn't play much. We were all thinking the same thing. And the score of the game was like 30 something to 40 something. For the past two years I had been playing a very unorthodox style of basketball where my team average 102 point per game (most in the NAIA, NCAA, WNBA...etc women's bball). So I went from very fast to very boring and slow...

After I spent the rest of the weekend mad. I decided to talk to the coach and get an explaination. What is he going to say? I was the youngest person on my team is that why? Some of the player had been chasing basketball dreams for years and I was just starting. As far as adjusting to ATL...When will I get a job? Will this league be worth the graduation money I was spending? Maybe I just should have went to the exposure camp everyone was talking about. Stay tuned for part 3.

I had freedom from the start. Given the women's basketball team's abilities before me and my roomate got there, we walked into a situation that made us household name at BC and in cities close by. My roomate and I went to high school together and played in the KY state championship game our senior year and the made it to the KY state final four our junior year. We were simply role players on that team. Too overshadowed by a couple players that were considered superstars. We were recruited together and together we decided to take BC by storm.

So back to the freedom. We didn't know it right off but it became evident real quick. We came in with a strong freshman class with us as the front leaders. We were given the "green light" shoot, meaning no shot was a bad shot. Plays were built around us. But coming from the caliber high school program that we came from, we knew hard work and that was it. We did things with no questions asked. And none of the superstar status ever went to our heads. I can honestly say we probably never noticed until a little later on. We were setting an example by our hardwork and didn't even know it. The upperclassmen didn't like all the attention coach and other people were giving us. My roomate and I both started. Me as point guard which was out of my true position and her as a power forward. Very quickly things started to unfold putting us in a difficult situation as incoming freshman. All of the upperclassmen quit except for one, citing "It's all about the freshman." Leaving 1 junior and 7 freshman. The freedom that my roomate and I had turned into playing point, scoring and leading for me and scoring, rebounding and leading for her. Though we were told the implications of the situation by coach we didn't get it. Who would? How do you go from being a role player on your high school team to a leader as freshmen on your college team?

Once we got pass the drama and stepped up we had a winning season and were bringing fans in the stands. It was great because most of the teams that we played under estimated us. And the upperclassmen that quit thought we were going to fall flat on our faces and we did not. I made second team all KIAC, our team was established and we were ready for whatever after going through a season like this one. By the end of the season we were call the "Magnificant Seven" after the seven freshman that was building BC Women's Basketball from the ground up.

Experience:
I have organized basketball experience of about 13 years (elementary, middle school, high school, and college). I played high school basketball at one of the top female athletic programs in Kentucky. I started for this team my junior and senior year of which the team made it to the final four and championship game respectively. My primary role on my high school basketball team was defense. I was recruited heavily by two schools, Berea College (NAIA DII) and University of Missouri – Rolla (NCAA DIII). At Berea College I played all four years (2001-2005). I was co-captain of the team for three out of four years. At Berea College my roles included scoring and leading the team but I still remained a hard-nosed defensive player. I am a student of the game. I love it, live it, and breathe it. I have played on teams that have very different styles of play. I feel that I have a true understanding of the game and the experience to back it up.

Skills:
3-pt Shooter; Drives to the basketball (quick first step); Defense/Steals (very aggressive); Ball-handling (good); Right Hand (strong) Left Hand (good); Leader (on/off the court); Jumping ability (good); Very Athletic Player!!!

Career Stats:
110 games played, 106 started
10.7 ppg
35% FG%
30% 3PT%
1,173 career points
3.1 rpg
2.1 apg
1.4 spg

Accomplishments/Awards:
Co-captain (2002-05)
Second Team All-KIAC (2001-02)
Spring Hill College New Year s Classic All-Classic Team (2002)
Best Female Athlete Image Award (2003-04)
Second Team All-KIAC (2003-04)
1,000 Point Club (2004-05)