Men's Basketball 12/9/2011 2:00:00 PM Brian Bohl

MBB: Mike Moore Takes On Leadership Role For Pride

Hempstead, N.Y. - Rain pelted the windows on a darkened bus as it pulled up to the curb on Wagner College's campus. In moments, the Hofstra men's basketball team would depart in the hopes of earning a confidence-boosting non-conference win at the Spiro Sports Center in Staten Island.

But as the eight other gray sweatshirt-clad Hofstra players packed away headphones and finished up conversations, a voice implored the team to stand up and pay attention. Senior guard Mike Moore didn't speak long; the impromptu players-only meeting lasted less than two minutes. But Moore's words about coming together, playing for each other and focusing only on the night's game represented another step in his maturation as a leader.

"He's a tough leader that tells you what you need to hear," fellow guard Stevie Mejia said. "He's always been there for us if we need to talk about anything. He's a good teammate."

Moore already saw his on-court role change coming into this season. After averaging 14.9 points as a junior, the Pride coaching staff was dependent on the 6-5 shooting guard to embrace the go-to scorer role after Charles Jenkins graduated and was drafted by the NBA's Golden State Warriors.

Nine games into his final collegiate season, Moore already has produced six 20-point games and has scored in double figures eight times. Yet Hofstra head coach Mo Cassara named Moore a team tri-captain entering the season to stress how valuable his leadership off the hardwood can be to a program looking to create a new identity following the departure of Jenkins, the two-time Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year and leading scorer in program history.

"Mike's really developed on so many levels and I'm really proud of him," Cassara said. "He's really embraced his role and has been one of the guys our younger players have looked to for leadership."

Moore already earned his Hofstra diploma, graduating with a bachelor's degree in history last spring. The 22-year-old is taking graduate courses in education and plans to pursue a career as a teacher once his playing days conclude. Addressing his teammates and drawing on his experience as a player has already made Moore comfortable imparting advise to others.

"After I'm done playing basketball, I'd like to give back to the community by teaching middle school or high school," Moore said.

The road to Hempstead was a circuitous one for Moore. Growing up in New Haven, Conn., Moore became a dominant high school player for Hillhouse under Kermit Carolina, losing just one game total in his junior and senior seasons in twice being named to the All-Connecticut team by the New Haven Register.

After leading the Academics to two consecutive state championships, Moore went to Fordham University and played two seasons for the Rams. After averaging 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds as a sophomore, Moore said he needed a change but wanted to go close enough that his family could continue watch him play.

The allure of New York City, coupled with immediate interest from Hofstra as soon as Moore asked Fordham for his release, led the guard to Long Island. The fast action on the part of the Pride not only allowed Hofstra to acquire its current leading scorer, but also kept him away from CAA-rivals George Mason and VCU, who also expressed interest in him.

"I knew Charles Jenkins, Greg Washington and Nathaniel Lester was going to be a good core," Moore said. "I also liked New York, I just changed from uptown (in the Bronx) to Long Island. I just liked the location, the conference and the players."

Moore's mother has been to almost every home game this season and almost 30 family members and friends packed the Ryan Center when the Pride played three games in Rhode Island as part of the Legends Classic right after Thanksgiving break.

"It's nice having my own cheering section," Moore said with a laugh before practice last week.

From Carolina to Dereck Whittenburg at Fordham to Cassara, Moore said being exposed to different coaches has helped him improve every season since high school. As a senior, Moore leads Hofstra (3-6) with 19.8 points-per-game average, trailing only Delaware's Devon Saddler and JMU's A.J. Davis for the CAA lead. Moore also leads the team by averaging 6.4 rebound and his six 20-point games are the most in the CAA. Entering the weekend, his pair of double-digit rebounding games was also just one game back for the conference lead.

Moore is also in the league top-15 in rebounds (10th), field-goal percentage (11th), three-point percentage (third), three-pointers made (ninth) and minutes played (seventh).

"I've benefitted by getting instruction from different coaches with different backgrounds, and that's helped me get better," Moore said. "Working in the weight room also made a difference, because now I can get low and get leverage on some bigger players to get more rebounds."

This season also marks the first time Moore has had the chance to play with Lester. Moore had to sit out the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer regulations and Lester took a medical red-shirt last season. Now, the duo has combined for 297 of the team's 584 total points, accounting for more than 50 percent of the team's total output.

Moore also helped the Pride land their starting point guard. Mejia said Moore hosted him on campus when he was looking to transfer from Rhode Island. Moore answered Mejia's questions about the program and developed a friendship with him, helping Cassara land one of his first players.

"He was one of the major reasons I came here, because he made me feel comfortable during my visit," Mejia said. "When he speaks, everyone listens. He has one of those voices that commands attention."

Moore has only failed to score in double figures once this season, though Cassara said the contest against Cleveland State was one his guard's best overall effort of the campaign. Against a Vikings squad on the periphery of the national top-25 rankings, Moore scored five points but grabbed five rebounds and was content to draw defensive attention that freed up teammates for open looks. That resulted in sophomore Stephen Nwaukoni scoring a career-high 12 points.

"One of the things that stands out is his rebounding numbers and he's improved tremendously on the defensive end," Cassara said. "He's also taken on a new role as leader in the huddle and in the locker room, and he's embraced it.

"Against Cleveland State, he was willing to pass the ball and rebound and do the little things necessary to win. That's a real credit to him."

Moore and the Pride will look to snap a three-game losing streak on Saturday when Hofstra hosts Manhattan with a 4 p.m. tipoff at the Mack Sports Complex.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Greg Washington: F; 6' 10"; Senior

#22 Charles Jenkins: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#3 Stevie Mejia: G; 5' 9"; Junior

#1 Nathaniel Lester: F; 6' 5"; Senior

#23 Mike Moore: G; 6' 5"; Senior

#24 Stephen Nwaukoni: F; 6' 8"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#32 Greg Washington
: 6' 10"; Senior
: F

#22 Charles Jenkins
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#3 Stevie Mejia
: 5' 9"; Junior
: G

#1 Nathaniel Lester
: 6' 5"; Senior
: F

#23 Mike Moore
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G

#24 Stephen Nwaukoni
: 6' 8"; Sophomore
: F

Hofstra University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned