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With two repaired knees, Devon Moore wants a standout season at Phelps

09/08/2015, 10:30am EDT

By Stephen Pianovich

Devon Moore (above) playing with the Jersey Shore Warriors on the AAU circuit in July 2013, a few months before he had double ACL surgery. (Photo: Josh Verlin)

Stephen Pianovich (@SPianovich)
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Knee injuries are an unfortunate part of sports, and something most athletes will deal with if they play long enough.

Devon Moore, however, endured a lifetime of knee issues in the last four years. Moore, a Hanover (Pa.) native who will take a prep year and play for the Phelps School this season, underwent surgery on both of his ACLs last spring.

This came after he tore his left ACL during his freshman season at Delone Catholic.

The 6-foot-3 shooting guard has been back on the court for a few months and is learning to trust both knees again, but his goals reach beyond just getting back to where he was. Moore wants to return as a better, stronger and smarter player and he wants college coaches to take note – especially Division I coaches.

The latest injury for Moore happened last April at the Pitt Jam Fest, while playing with the Jersey Shore Warriors on the AAU circuit. It was a non-contact injury, as Moore felt his knee buckle when he took a step playing defense. Given his background with ACL injuries, he had a feeling it was another severe injury when it happened.

An MRI revealed Moore’s hunch was correct, and he needed surgery to repair his right ACL. While he was consulting with doctors, he had them also take a look at his left ACL, the one he tore his freshman year.

“The other one was feeling funny, so I wanted to get an MRI just in case,” Moore said at last week’s CoBL performance clinic. “It wasn’t torn again, but it was stretched and the doctors wanted to redo it.”

After the procedures, Moore was up against a rehab process he knew, but this time everything was double. And he had to do it knowing he missing the most critical time of his college recruitment, and he likely wouldn’t be able to play his senior season on the court at Delone.

“It was tough. Right after the injury, you feel pretty down,” Moore said. “But that’s the thing with ACL injuries, you can’t allow yourself to feel bad and sulk. You have to have the attitude that you’re going to get back out on the court.”

At the time of the injury, Moore said he had a fair amount of offers, mentioning Binghamton and several Division II schools, and that most schools would still honor them. But Moore felt he was on the verge of his offer list growing, including more Division I schools. So Moore decided to reclassify as a 2016 recruit, take a year at a prep school and hope for the best.

He visited a handful of prep schools before making his decision, but ultimately some ties to his past helped him land in Malvern at the Phelps School.

As a member of the Warriors, Moore had been close with Phelps School head coach Brian Shanahan for a few years through the AAU program. After a few discussions, both sides felt it would be a good fit, and Moore started classes on campus Tuesday.

Shanahan has also seen Moore play a few times during the summer and thinks he has the capability to return to the court as an all-around improved player.

“I think he is as healthy as I’ve ever seen him,” Shanahan said. “I think he’s stronger, bigger, he’s got good quickness and he’s a smart player. It will be great to see him back out on the court going 5-on-5.”

Shanahan pointed out that Moore is a “tremendous shooter” and views the Hanover, Pa. native as a D-I talent.

“He flat out shoots it, and there are not a lot of kids who can shoot the basketball like he can,” Shanahan said. “He’s a smart player, he can put the ball on the floor with both hands, he can move. As long as he’s comfortable and he’s not hesitant in how he plays, I think he’s a for sure Division I player.”