City of Basketball Love

Ari Rosenfeld (@realA_rosenfeld)
--

The 1,000-plus miles of physical distance doesn’t even begin to quantify the difference between Philadelphia and Jackson, Mississippi.

Philly contains about 3,000 more people per square mile than the Magnolia State’s capital, not to mention the contrast between the more laid-back environment of the South and the hustle-and-bustle of a large Northeast city.

Interestingly enough, Jackson resident Damion Moore was able to find a place just like home upon making his first trip to Temple’s North Philadelphia campus-- so much so, in fact, that he committed to become an Owl before even getting back on the plane to return to Mississippi.

Moore’s been going back-and-forth between Jackson and Detroit since approximately the third grade, and his urban roots helped alleviate any concerns about the stark contrast between his current hometown and the City of Brotherly Love.

“I felt at home, really,” Moore said. “To me, Philadelphia kind of feels like back home in Detroit, because I’m from Detroit. It’s an atmosphere like Detroit, but there’s kind of a southern mentality. So I just felt comfortable either way.”

A 6-foot-10 center, Moore was so enthralled with what he saw at Temple that he gave head coach Fran Dunphy his pledge on his first of five official visits allowed by the NCAA. He ultimately chose Temple over La Salle, UTEP, and Oklahoma.

Moore made his official visit to Temple this past weekend, also making the trip to Annapolis to see the Owls take on top-ranked North Carolina at the U.S. Naval Academy.

His expectations, coming from so far away, may have been a bit off, as Moore thought he’d be walking into a picturesque campus littered with stone buildings and green grass. But while he may have been surprised by the urban nature of Temple’s campus, the surprise seemingly only helped the Owls’ cause, appealing to the recruit’s Motor City roots.

“The campus was really different than I expected,” Moore said. “I thought it was going to be a little smaller and with older-looking buildings, but it was really high-tech and especially the basketball facility. Everybody was nice and just hard-working. Then the city, downtown is right up the street so you can see the city. I just liked everything.”

Unranked by the major recruiting services, Moore could ultimately be a hidden gem in the 2016 class.

Playing for Callaway high school, the four-time defending Mississippi Class 5A state champs, he averaged just 3.9 points and 4.6 rebounds last season, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

However, with the graduation of five-star shooting guard Malik Newman and his nearly 30 points per game, the opportunity is there for Moore to increase his production, and he’s doing just that; in Callaway’s opener to the 2015-16 campaign, Moore led the team with 25 points and also corralled 10 boards.

“I’m really good in the post, not as much back-to-the-basket, but facing the basket,” Moore said. “I’m a face-up guy, and I shoot mid-rangers, I have a soft touch. I run the floor. That’s how I really get my points, I just run the floor.”

Moore signed his National Letter of Intent with the Owls on November 17th, following suit of Bishop Kearney (N.Y.) combo guard Quinton Rose and Friendship Collegiate (D.C.) point guard Alani Moore (no relation) to become Temple’s third signee in the 2016 class. Apparently the three future teammates have already started a group message and are starting to get to know each other before getting to North Broad next year.

As a face-up big man who fits most naturally at the center position, Moore should fit nicely next to current freshman and Archbishop Carroll graduate Ernest Aflakpui, who excels playing in the low post.

However, with just one other young frontcourt player on the roster--that being current sophomore Obi Enechionyia--and two scholarships remaining for the 2016 class, expect Dunphy and his staff to go after another post player between now and the Spring signing period.