Moore enters the season as the top combo guard in MD/DC as he’s one of the more naturally creative bucket-getters you’ll find in the local class. His ability to get downhill, change speed/direction in a flash and finish jumpers or shots around the rim in unique fashion speaks volumes. He quickly gets to spots off the dribble from 17-feet and in before stopping on a dime and rising over any help defenders where he can cleanly get his jumper off. When he attacks the cup, Moore can finish with either hand and convert using the glass on tough angles. He’s still growing as a true three-point threat off the catch, but the signs shown progression in this sense particularly as a catch-and-shoot guy.

The Eagles enter the season as a team who has potential to shake things up in the middle of the pack. Moore could be the determining factor as to just how high their ceiling as a team will be.

Moore is one of the underrated scorers in the DMV. His twitch allows him to establish advantages in almost any one-on-one scenario and if he decides to stop on a dime and pull up inside the arc, the lift he gets on his jumper makes life even harder for opposing guards. As a freshman and sophomore, Moore would tend to settle for tough ones when he picked up his dribble, but now he’s become more dynamic on drives and capable of finishing with craft, converting at a nice rate. He’s getting better at drawing contact where he can pile up points at the charity stripe and has recently showed flashes of being a more willing playmaker as defenses stack up the paint to halt his drives. The Eagles are among the teams who can be in the middle of the pack within the MIAA, but their potential will rely on Moore’s efficiency and expansion as a guard that can not only create opportunities for himself, but for others as well.

Moore’s game has steadily improved over the last 12 months and it all stems with his ability to get a bucket on demand. The 6-foot-2 combo guard can tap into his quick-twitch operating in isolations to gain advantages on driving lanes to the hoop where he’s able to finish layups on tough angles or stop on a dime and knock down mid-range jumpers with regularity. If you’re not familiar with Moore’s game, the shots he makes can come off as difficult or ‘settling’ for tough ones, but that’s been his m.o. since he entered high school. This weekend was no different as he helped engineer McDonogh to 2-0 behind 21PPG, 5RPG and 2.5APG. The blemish, if asked to point one out from his showing, was his shooting from deep.

17p 5a 3r 1b 2s vs Landon

-Friday’s win was the most well-rounded performance that I’ve seen from Moore up to this point in his career. Moore got off to a slow shooting start but began impacting the game in other areas to get both himself and his team going in comeback run that fell just short. Moore made up for a missed 3 with a steal then a 45 cut for an AND1 floater off window, hit his matchup with a hesi crossover then showed the back foot burst to get another AND1 lay off the window with the right, and hit a smooth spin move fader in the middle of the paint. But most importantly, Moore got below the mid-post to drop it off to his bigs for easy layups and did a good job of getting two feet in the paint to kick out to his shooters. If he can guard at a high level and continue to use his scoring gravity to distribute to teammates off the bounce– he can earn himself a scholarship spot at the next level.

-Moore can really boogie as a smooth scoring guard that can create his own shot at a high level from 18′ and in. He sees the floor well and exploits late or high hedges to get to his spots in the halfcourt. Love how he gets downhill and draws contact around the rim to earn easy trips to the line that get him into a shooting rhythm. If he showcases the improved shooting range beyond the arc while filling it up as the catalyst of a fun McDonogh group– he should begin to pick up the college interest that he deserves during the scholastic period.

14p 5a 2r 1s vs Mass Rivals 1b

-The fluidity and ease of Moore’s scoring in the halfcourt gives Thrill 16u a steady scoring guard option that consistently scores in double figures without dominating the ball. Moore’s vision as a passer in the halfcourt continues to improve as he’s throwing hook passes to shooters and seeing pocket passes off a live dribble in the paint much more consistently to get his teammates going in the halfcourt which in turn makes him much more difficult to guard. Moore got all the way to the rim to score in transition then scored again after he stole an inbound to give his team 4 points in less than 10 seconds. From 18′ and in, he can get to his spots without a ball screen to score over different types of defenders and has improved his pivot to get into turn-around jumpers much easier in traffic once he’s picked up his dribble. If he can harness his quickness and positioning instincts to consistently serve as a pitbull POA defender, he will raise both his long-term ceiling and floor as a prospect that can fill up the stat sheet and win coaches games.

It’s been a nice month of April for Moore, who continues to prove himself as one of the best scoring guards in this local 2028 class. Whether it’s been the set of scrimmages we’ve been on hand for over the last two weekends or his latest showing at Spooky Nook, the 6-foot-2 McDonogh product has lit up the scoring column from all three levels. His loudest performance came against Team Final in a two-point loss where he went for 27 points. We’ve documented why Moore is such a tough check in one-on-one scenarios with his quick burst and minimal space to rise up for his jumper off the bounce, but it’s his ability to get skinny in traffic before finishing around the cup that makes him a tough assignment for defenders who are expected to be precise in their weak side rotations. This Thrill group is deep with their stable of guards, but look for Moore to be come the one who they lean on in crunch time of close games.

27p 1a 1r 1s vs Team Final

-Came alive late to cut the Final lead late in a comeback that fell short, but loved the fight to keep attacking down the final stretch of the game. Moore hit 3s off the catch and off the bounce, raced the ball well in transition and made good decisions in space, hit floaters off the window, and scored off a big-time extension lay through the contact for the AND1 bucket. Moore’s advanced handle gives him some perimeter wiggle that makes him a difficult guard to contain, even on the sidelines or baseline– he’s difficult to trap. Once he has the confidence to be aggressive off rip and not let up, his scoring outputs will only become that much more loud and consistent.

Moore shined in the open floor whether he had to the ball or was running the lanes before catching and attacking from the arc. He was a handful for any opposing guard when he had a clear path for takeoff as the 6-foot-2 combo guard possesses great body control while airborne to add craft to his finished and make it tough for anyone contesting to do so cleanly. His ability to get into his jumper quickly with high elevation is another wrinkle of his offensive attack that makes him a tough check for any defender. He’s got twitch, burst off his back foot and is progressing as a processor after making his way into the paint with his floor vision as a passer.

Well-deserved bump here for Moore who shot up from No. 35 to No. 19 as he’s emerged as the biggest offensive threat for McDonogh with no signs of slowing down. The 6-foot-1 combo guard can score it with volume from multiple levels and is as crafty as a finisher that you’ll find in this local class. His burst and herky-jerky movements with the ball make it tough for defenders to anticipate what’s coming their way. He gets good lift on his jumper and can contort his body in the air while maintaining soft touch on difficult attempts around the cup. Moore is good at getting two feet in the paint and hitting skip passes to shooters spotting up and as he evolves as an on-ball presence that can lift everyone’s game around him, this ranking will only improve.