Lava take Bryce Moragne with No. 1 pick after dominant camp

Bryce Moragne arrived at SlamBall camp and quickly made the decision feel unavoidable. With explosive dunks, smooth movement and the kind of complete offensive package Josh Carlson and Dion Bailey believed could matter right away, Moragne separated himself from the field and gave the Lava a player they expected to swing matchups from day one.

The Lava made him the No. 1 pick on June 7, 2023, and Carlson made clear the choice had little drama once the team won the top selection. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Moragne fit the physical profile SlamBall demands, but it was the way his game translated to the hybrid sport that pushed him to the front of the line. He was not just a promising name on a board. He was the player who looked ready to change the Lava’s style immediately.

Moragne’s college résumé explained why he stood out so fast. The Tampa native played at Hillsborough High School before spending five years at Florida A&M, where he averaged 8.3 points per game while regularly piling up double-digit rebounds. ESPN’s career numbers show he played 121 games, started 57, shot 50.1 percent from the field and finished with 697 points and 513 rebounds, averaging 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds for his career. That production offered the Lava something more valuable than highlight speed: a forward who had already shown he could score, finish efficiently and hold his own on the glass.

Moragne also gave the pick a dose of surprise. He said the selection was a blessing and admitted he did not walk into camp expecting to hear his name called first. His reaction fit the underdog edge of a player whose path ran through Tampa, Florida A&M and, later, an accelerated sales management program for an international food company before SlamBall came calling. He earned both a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Florida A&M, then turned his next step into a professional opportunity in a league built on quick impact.

The Lava’s bet carried broader weight because SlamBall was preparing to reopen on ESPN on July 21, 2023 in Las Vegas, with teams and seven-man rosters locked in for the return. The full 2023 draft results later confirmed Moragne as the Lava’s Round 1 pick, underlining how central he was to the franchise’s plans. For a team looking for a cornerstone, the answer was already in camp: the biggest, most game-wrecking athlete in the room.