City of Basketball Love

Ari Rosenfeld (@realA_rosenfeld)
--

It’s safe to say that this past week has been a fun time for Temple fans.

Back-to-back wins over Penn State, who the Owls hadn’t beaten since 1941, and American Athletic Conference rival Cincinnati have the school’s football team threatening to burst into national rankings.

And while basketball season is still a couple months away, followers of Temple hoops got a welcomed treat on Sunday when 2016 point guard Alani Moore announced his commitment to the Fran Dunphy and the Owls.

At 5-foot-10 and incredibly shifty, Moore will fill a key void at the point guard spot for Temple's future, as he’ll join a young group of current freshman and incoming guards that doesn’t currently feature a natural floor general such as himself.

Moore is Dunphy’s second commitment in the 2016 class, joining Bishop Kearney (N.Y.) combo guard Quinton Rose. With three scholarships remaining, expect the Owls to look to add a big man to the current class, as key frontcourt pieces Jaylen Bond and Devontae Watson are both entering their senior seasons.

Considered as high as a four-star recruit by some recruiting services, Moore’s decision came down to Temple and UMass, and the warm environment that he saw during his official visit to North Broad ultimately sealed the deal.

“It was just a good experience when I went down there,” Moore told CoBL over the phone. “[My commitment] was because of the welcoming of the coaching staff, the players, and also the entire university.”

Moore included Temple in his final list of four schools last month, with Temple and UMass joining both Seton Hall and Georgia Tech in competing for his services.

Of those schools, UMass had been involved the longest, with the other three coming on during Moore’s strong summer on the Under Armour AAU circuit with his DC Premier squad. Dunphy was apparently able to make up for lost time, however, as he and his future point guard have already formed a strong relationship.

“[Temple] came in, it was kind of late, but at the same time we still got close with each other, talked to each other a lot. We came together real good. The camaraderie was really good,” Moore said. “I went to the football game when they played Penn State, and it showed that they really buy into everything. They did a good job of selling me on everything. They brought me in, and I liked it a lot.”

In talks with his future head coach, Moore has already been told that he’s expected to step in right away and play major minutes at the point guard spot.

The Owls lost star lead guard Will Cummings to graduation after last season, and it’s likely junior guard Josh Brown who will be the primary ball-handler for the next two years.

Moore, though, appears ready to play major minutes as soon as he gets on campus.

“I’m going to be that guy they need to run the team and just be that floor general that’s going to do everything for them on the court,” he said. “Coming in and being a leader as soon as I get there, on and off the court. Being a floor general, and just putting everything [Dunphy] says out onto the court.”

Moore likes to play an uptempo style, getting out in transition where he can create for himself and his teammates. He’s a strong distributor, and his quickness allows him to get into the lane off the dribble, although he’s got a strong enough outside shot to keep the defense honest.

Over the next year, he plans on working to refine his mid-range game and improve his leadership skills. In addition, he’ll be keeping close track of his future program, following Temple’s games and staying connected with his future teammates.

“I’m going to be texting them, congratulating them on all their victories,” Moore said. “Just making sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

“And when I get up there, we’ll do what we’ve got to do.”

The Friendship Collegiate Academy (D.C.) product mentioned that he’s planning to sign his National Letter of Intent during November’s early signing period.