City of Basketball Love

Chris Stewart (@CStewTU) &
Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Jaquar Moorman is no stranger to Philadelphia style basketball, growing up in one of the top basketball states in the nation in North Carolina.

Jaquar, who goes by J.P, committed to Temple last Wednesday, becoming the Owls' second committed player for the 2017 Class.

Moorman is ready to showcase his basketball toughness that he learned from his home state.

“I’m from the Hoops State so I don’t know how much better it can get. Next year we will have three guys in the top-10 (Bam Adebayo, Dennis Smith, Harry Giles),” Moorman said. “That’s nothing new to me, high-level basketball, the competitiveness. I feel like Philadelphia basketball is a little different, a little tougher I guess. But that’s the kind of game I play, that’s what I am used to, that’s fine with me.”

After being a key contributor in for Greensboro Day School’s State Championship in 2015, Moorman’s sights are on another one to round out his high school career.

Moorman wanted to make his decision before the season started, so his main focus was solely on achieving that feat.

“It’s amazing, I love it -- love the fact I don’t have to worry about it anymore,” Moorman said. “I wouldn’t say it was a burden but it has been very stressful. Just to know I have a place to call home next year, that’s very important so I can focus on winning a state championship and just doing what I gotta do instead of worrying about what’s going on, I’m glad it’s over.”

Moorman’s recruiting took a major leap after an impressive showing for his AAU team, Team CP3, during the Nike EYBL Circuit this summer.

In about 20 minutes per game, Moorman stuffed up the stat sheet in his allotted time averaging 9.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. The offers started piling in after the summer for Moorman, who then had to schedule his visits.

After visiting UNC Wilmington, Richmond, and Temple, Moorman felt right at home after his Temple visit and thought Temple stood out from the rest. The campus and the impression the coaches made on him sold him on his decision.

“I only visited Wilmington and Richmond because Georgia Tech and Cincinnati basically pulled out,” Moorman said. “But that’s 100 percent fine with me because I feel comfortable at Temple and am 100 percent committed.

"I’m happy I made my choice with coach [Fran] Dunphy and his staff," he continued. "They are great guys on and off the court, they are a winning program. I love the fact the campus is in the middle of Philadelphia, it’s not in its own little world like most college campuses are. You gotta interact with other people, which is cool to me. I’m a social guy so I like that a lot.”

Temple fans may be wondering what kind of player they will be getting in Moorman. He describes himself as a do-it-all type guy that will do whatever the coach asks of him, a luxury coaches love having.

“[A] versatile, positionless player that can do literally everything,” Moorman said. “Not everything great, but I can do everything good. I can dribble, pass, shoot, run, defend. I’m just a ball player that does everything pretty well. I gotta get better at some stuff.

"If I can affect the game in so many different ways, that will also help me get on the court faster," he added. "If my jumper's not falling, I can always pass, rebound, defend, and get to the rim as well. I’m glad to be so versatile.”

Even though Moorman’s Temple career is still another year away, Moorman is already thinking about life after his Temple career ends and what he hopes comes out of it. But, his options are not limited to what he will spend the rest of his life doing.

“I definitely hope to graduate because I do realize that I can’t play basketball forever,” Moorman said. “Plan A is playing in the NBA, it’s every kid's dream. My second plan is playing overseas. If that doesn’t work out, I would like to coach because I feel like I have the mentality and the mind. I have a lot of options, I want to major in Kinesiology or Sports Management, not sure yet. I just want to stay around sports because it is something I love.”

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Just two days after Moorman's commitment, the Owls landed another talented wing prospect in Poly (Md.) small forward De'Vondre "Dre" Perry, who picked Temple over Kansas State and Virginia Tech.

Like Moorman, Perry is actually a native of North Carolina, but spent the last two years in Maryland, averaging over 20 ppg and 5 rpg as a juniors before spending the summer with Team Melo.

With wing forward Daniel Dingle set to graduate after this season and stretch-forward Obi Enechionyia already entering his junior year, there will certainly be minutes for both Perry and Moorman to earn when they arrive on campus.

Perry and Moorman join Roselle Catholic (N.J.) guard Nate Pierre-Louis in Temple's 2017 class. Dunphy and staff have one more scholarship available, and are expected to use it on a forward; Independence (N.C.) High School 6-10 post Justyn Hamilton took an official visit to the school last month.