UST secures commitment of NCAA standout SJ Moore
By Rob Andrew Dongiapon
There is a new Growling Tiger in the lair.
The UST men’s basketball team has added a new gem to its offseason haul with the acquisition of SJ Moore, an athletic winger who played high school hoops at Arellano University, sources confirmed with TomasinoWeb on Friday, March 24.
Moore, who stands at six-foot-four, was the lone bright spot of the rather hapless Arellano Braves team, which finished the recent NCAA high school basketball season at 3–6.
The 20-year-old combo guard normed averages of 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the NCAA Season 98 boys basketball tournament to establish his name as one of the brightest young prospects in the country.
Aside from his offensive talent, Moore also showed his defensive chops, utilizing his innate tools and athleticism with 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest.
Moore also earned the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) Most Outstanding Player nod last weekend through his efforts in Team Hustle’s 108–91 victory over Team Heart in the off-season league’s All-Star game.
Placed number 15 in this year’s NBTC ranking, Moore dropped 19 points, including 10 markers in the first quarter and two rim-rattling dunks — shining the brightest among 24 of the country’s top-ranked high school players.
The 20-year-old combo guard also attracted interest from the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, and the College of Saint Benilde, but ultimately chose the Growling Tigers to kick off his collegiate career.
Moore is set to be a key cog for the rejigged Growling Tigers, joining the likes of Nic Cabanero, foreign student-athlete Adama Faye, among others, as they try to bounce back from a horrible 1–13 slate last season.
The arrival of Moore marked another successful landing of a coveted prospect for the España-based squad, following the likewise fortunate recruitments of Fil-foreigners Chase Lane and Gab Obusan, alongside NCAA senior recruits James Una of San Sebastian and Rhayyan Amsali of San Beda.
