The Recruiting Guy

Pangos camp performance increases Moore's stock

West Memphis basketball player Chris Moore
West Memphis basketball player Chris Moore

West Memphis sophomore forward Chris Moore had a good reputation going into Pangos All-South camp for freshmen and sophomores over the weekend but left even more highly regarded after showing he was one of the best at the camp.

Moore enjoyed competing and learning from the other 200 or so campers at the event in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville, Texas.

“I like to grow as a player,” Moore said. “The people I was playing against, I took some of their game and tried to use it for my game.”

Despite having scholarship offers from schools like Memphis, SMU, TCU, Southern Miss, Abilene Christian and Murray State, Moore is wanting to expand his game.

“I’m not a complete player, and the only way to learn is to watch somebody else’s craft like Kobe Bryant did with Jordan,” Moore said. “So I kind of copied some of my game from the players I was playing against.

“All in all, it was probably one of the best camps I’ve been to.”

Moore, 6-6, 200 pounds, averaged 15.9 points and 11 rebounds for Blue Devils as a freshman and earned Class 6A East All-Conference honors.

It was rare for Moore not to have double-digit numbers in scoring and rebounding for the nationally ranked 15-under Arkansas Wings. He was on a mission over the weekend to show he was more than an inside-the-paint type of player.

“I woke up with the mentality to show people that I’m more than an inside guy,” Moore said. “I’m trying to expand my game to get to that next level. It probably surprised people that I was out there handling the ball like a guard and attacking off the dribble. I was kind of showing off my speed that I’ve always had.”

Arkansas assistant coach Melvin Watkins visited West Memphis on Wednesday afternoon to check on Moore. Marquette is expected to visit the school next Tuesday while Louisiana Tech and Oklahoma State are also expected to visit in the near future.

Playhoops.com rated Moore the No. 3 best performer at the camp. His combination of skill and relentless effort makes Moore the player he is today. He credits his effort to his brother, Alvin, an assistant coach at West Memphis, who took him to play against older guys in pickup games when he was younger.

“I was thinking in order for me to have a chance to play with them, I have to show them I can outwork them,” said Moore, who will visit Memphis on Oct. 27. “It came from playing with my brother. I always tried my best to outwork them in every area.”

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