Charlie Moore in Miami ends college basketball journey as Hurricanes captain
GREENVILLE, SC – Charlie Moore has now meticulously answered every media question, from casual to accusatory, taking every form of joke, from hysterical to noteworthy, in reference to being a well-traveled sixth-year student.
“I get it all the time,” Moore said, laughing. “My teammates say things like, ‘Dang, Charlie, you’ve been all over the place! “They don’t offend me. I understand though, from the outside looking inside, it looks pretty wild.”
Keep busy because this could knock you out: Moore started his career in California before moving to Kansas only to leave Lawrence to fly home to Chicago to play for DePaul, and now he’s wearing a suit in sunny South Florida with Miami.
No one is happier with the final leg of his tour than Miami coach Jim Laranaga, especially after Moore quietly threw two free throws three seconds before the end of the system to help the No. 10 Hurricanes beat seventh-place USC 68-66 Friday in the first round of the NCAA Championship.
“It feels like things are going together right now,” said Moore, who scored 16 points, four assists and three rebounds in the win. “I’ve never lost faith in myself, but there have been times when I’ve wondered if I’d be in a stable position in a team that has a chance to win everything. That feels good. I’ve always been a loyal guy, my plan everywhere I played was to stay with my coach, but things to speak “.
Moore took an early lesson in college basketball management in high school, stepping back from his commitment to Memphis when Josh Pastner left for Georgia Tech.
As a freshman at Cal, Moore averaged 12.2 points per game and helped Konzo Martin win 21 games, putting the coach in the position of the job he eventually accepted in Missouri.
Moore left for Kansas, and after sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules, he struggled to settle into a role with the Jayhawks, averaging just 2.9 points in 13.1 minutes per game.
Moore then left Lawrence to be closer to his father, who was recovering from a stroke. He earned an immediate NCAA assignment and thrived on DePaul, leading the Blue Demons in scoring in consecutive seasons.
When Dave Letao became a DePaul canned coach, Moore wanted a fresh start to end his collegiate career. He chose Larrañaga and the Canes.
“When you go to these schools, you go to play for the coach,” Moore said. “That’s who you are loyal to and that’s who you build a relationship with. If he leaves, you’re left with a coach who doesn’t necessarily believe in you like that. It affects you mentally, but I never lost faith. I knew Miami would be right for me. Everything happens for a reason. .”
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However, Moore is well aware of the negative connotations that accompany a resume with multiple conversions: prima donna. selfishness. a major issue.
“I was worried about what that would look like, but it’s one of the things I can’t control so I don’t give it the energy,” Moore said. “It’s easy to clear up if you talk to anyone you’ve played with before or consider why I’m leaving.”
Of course, a veteran coach like Laranaga did his due diligence on Moore and predicted that Miami would be a perfect fit for a player looking to rebuild confidence in his head coach. Laranaga’s lighter, more supportive style, which he adopted from his late high school coach, Jack Curran at Archbishop Molloy in Queens, New York, made the connection happen naturally.
It’s hard not to trust a coach whose policy is to applaud players who make mistakes.
“Charlie will tell you I never cursed him. I’m not a passive guy, I don’t tear him up, I’m much more than what I consider a teacher,” Laranaga said. And I need to trust him in basketball. He was a great leader.”
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Moore controls a talented quartet of guards, leading the stick in assists (4.5 per game) and steals (2.0 per game) to score 12.7 points.
Seasoned jokes aside, the wand takes their cues from Moore.
“We have really adopted and adapted the Charlie Moore way of playing basketball,” Laranaga said. “He is aggressive on both ends of the field, he shares the ball beautifully, he can shoot, he throws the ball freely, he is just a formidable competitor from start to finish. We have developed this kind of relationship where we trust each other. I trust him very much.”
And herein lies Moore’s full circle moment.
stable. Leadership. trust. happy.
“Every situation I’ve been through, every step, every disappointment, every adversity has prepared me for this moment,” Moore said. “I really believe in that. I know all of these experiences have made me ready to step into this moment. I feel it, and this is how I handle it.”
