Wendell Moore had an up and down Freshman campaign, ending the season with averages of 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. We saw flashes of the very high ceiling he has, most notably against Georgetown just before Thanksgiving where he put up 17 points and 6 rebounds on 7-10 from the field. Conference play was not as smooth for Moore as he struggled to consistently maintain a high level of play. He had excellent performances at UNC and Wake Forest, but certainly disappointed in other conference games.
An area he really struggled all year was finding himself repeatedly committing offensive fouls. There were far too many situations where he was out of control and trying to force the issue. Below are a couple examples of charges that could have easily been avoided.
This is a charge that should never have happened. As soon as the defender committed to Moore, the opportunity for an easy dump off pass to Carey was there.
In this instance, Moore’s drive was too predictable. The defender was easily able to identify where Moore wanted to go and this allowed him to set up for the impending charge. Moore had plenty of time to adjust and prevent this charge by either adjusting how he went up for the layup or by making a pass.
Besides turnovers, another area where Moore struggled as a Freshman was with indecisiveness. Too often, he put the ball on the floor with no real plan. This is what so often led to turnovers or a sloppy possession.
The two above plays stand out as remarkably similar. In each occasion, Moore had the ball with plenty of time on the shot clock. These turned out to be wasted touches as he spent the entire time over dribbling/going nowhere. There was no real plan on either of these touches.
His struggles all had the same underlying issue: he was playing too fast. As typically seen with Freshmen, Moore struggled playing under control. He was too often forcing the issue and not letting the game come to him. He will need to become a more patient player as a Sophomore. Fortunately, these are all easily correctable areas that he can significantly improve on in year two.
While he had his struggles, there were certainly promising strengths he displayed as a Freshman. He possesses a strong, sturdy frame that he knows how to use well when finishing around the basket. When he gets moving down hill, he is tough to handle.
This drive and finish against and NC State demonstrates the threat he is in the half court offense, possessing the ability to put the ball and floor and get to the rim. Having a guy like this is a huge advantage as there are times when Moore will be able to save otherwise stagnant possessions simply by driving to the hoop. The biggest issue as a Freshman is that he did not always pick his spots well, but he certainly has this skill set. Due to his strong frame, he is often matched up with defenders that are simply not strong enough to guard him. He knows how to use that to his advantage.
Not many guards possess the ability to grab the rebound and barrel all the way to the rim for an and 1, but Moore is uniquely gifted in this sense. Not only is his ability to attack the basket in the half court offense an asset, but he is a threat to coast to coast as a one man fast break at any time.
The most underrated part of his game as a Freshman is his superb passing ability. This goes overlooked mainly because he often made poor decisions, but the natural passing ability is there in spades.
The most impressive part of this play is how easy he makes it look. He slowed down just enough to allow the passing lane to open up, and delivered the perfect bounce pass in transition. He has the ability to see a pass before it happens, a trait all of the best passers possess.
Again, a perfect pass that he made look easy. He sets Javin up with the layup opportunity. He is the perfect “zone killer” for when Duke squares up against Syracuse.
He also displayed a rebounding ability that is far superior compared to most guards. Averaging 4.2 rebounds a game is quite the feat for a perimiter player.
I love that he is fearless around the rim and relentlessly attacks the glass. You don’t see a whole lot of guards gathering two offensive rebounds on the same play like Moore does against Miami.
This rebound does not look like much, but he displays his rock solid rebounding instincts by keeping in mind where his man is and boxing him out despite his head being turned. Added bonus, he can start the break when he gets rebounds.
He struggled at times with awareness on the defensive end, but his ability to defend is why Coach K would leave him on the court when he was struggling offensively. He showed more than enough to prove he is a quality defender. He moves his feet well and can defend multiple positions.
On this play Moore does an excellent job of picking up and staying in front of Markell Johnson, a guy who was killing Duke that night, and forcing him baseline and into the waiting presence of Vernon Carey. Moore’s defense was missed when he was out with injury and this play shows how helpful it is defensively to have Moore on the court. He can comfortably defend three positions at least and this is especially valuable in today’s era of versatility.
Overall, Moore had a promising Freshmen season. It certainly had its ups and downs, but the upside is obvious. He has a very important role for Duke next year. I will have more to come in my season preview for Moore, but I am extremely optimistic about his Sophomore outlook.