USC guard Alexis Moore, left, is expected to transfer to Cal Poly or UC Davis according to a media report out of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Alexis Moore, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard who started much of the season for USC, is transferring, and one report has him landing at Cal Poly.
Or at UC Davis.
The report does not credit any source for the statement of expectation that Moore would transfer to one of the two Big West Conference schools, but it would be an interesting pickup for the Mustangs.
Coming out of Long Beach Poly in 2011, Moore was rated as a top-15 player in the state by CalHiSports, according to his USC bio. He played in every game for the Trojans this past season, starting in 17 and averaging 4.3 points in 24.8 minutes per game.
In this video interview, Moore said his top four schools before he committed to USC included Stanford, UCLA and – GASP – UC Santa Barbara. With an impressive academic resume, he also received attention from Princeton and Yale. I wonder if the Gauchos are still interested. They have a lot to replace this offseason.
Division I transfer rules require basketball players to sit out one season before becoming eligible, so Moore’s first year would be the 2013-14 season.
By that time, Cal Poly will have a lot of seasoned guards already. Barring injury, Jamal Johnson, Maliik Love and Kyle Odister will all be seniors, and Reese Morgan will be a third-year sophomore. Mustangs head coach Joe Callero has also said that he’s looking for a high school point guard to round out this year’s recruiting class. And if Chris O’Brien is awarded a medical redshirt for this past season, he could still be around, too.
That would be a crowded back court to break into, but looking at one of Moore’s highlight videos from high school, it would also be really hard to deny this kind of scorer:
Moore did not have the type of season he wanted at USC as the Trojans stumbled to a 6-26 record and he shot just 28.7 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from 3-point range, but a change of scenery could help him flourish. We’ve seen plenty of Pac-12 transfers find scoring success in the Big West.
Cal Poly also needs some immediate help down low, but Moore looks like the kind of transfer you save a roster spot for.
Related posts:
- Maryland JC point guard Amaurys Fermin says he picked Cal Poly men's basketball
- Report: Seattle's Joe Callero next men's basketball coach at Cal Poly
- More movement with Cal Poly men’s basketball recruits
- A closer look at new Cal Poly basketball recruit Will Taylor
- Another (tall) men's basketball recruit headed to Cal Poly
6 comments
Musty
March 22, 2012 at 12:27 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
My first thought would be: no way. By Pomeroy’s Offensive Rating, Moore was the worst player in the Pac-12 last year, and he ranked in the bottom 5 of the conference in Hollinger’s PER. Moore only had 2 other offers out of high school, according to Scout: UC Davis and Portland.
Then again, Chris Eversley had a poor freshman year at Rice as a similar player — raw but athletic. Moore would definitely be a high-risk/high-reward kind of pickup.
Joshua D. Scroggin
March 22, 2012 at 1:14 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Though most of your comment was down on Moore, that was a good point about Eversley, Musty. I should have thought of that.
I think the drop in competition level would give Moore a better chance to star, but my instinct also says Cal Poly needs more help inside.
cpalum
March 22, 2012 at 2:22 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
What gives Musty’s comment even more weight is the fact that the PAC 12 may have had its worst year in decades last season.
I’m with you Josh they need help inside. Cal Poly has viable options at the guard position….but very very little at the the 4/5 spots
Musty
March 22, 2012 at 5:00 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
The other thing that bothers me is that Moore doesn’t necessarily solve Poly’s PG dilemma — I’ve seen him listed as more of a combo guard, and his assist rate this year was 14%, closer to what you would expect from an off-guard (Maliik Love and Kyle Odister posted similar %s).
Joe K
March 23, 2012 at 2:07 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Poly needs to find a big, nasty front court guy to go against that Freshman monster post player that UCSB had this year. We have to see him three more years.
Luis Song
March 25, 2012 at 8:59 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Just what the Mustangs need. Another loser coming to losing program. Dosn’t matter who you bring in or who you recruit, if they are Cal Poly, their destiny is losing. It’s funny, how come the local high schools know how to win but Cal Poly never get’s it.