Maybe it was good Reggie Moore changed his mind

When Seattle area point guard recruit Reggie Moore committed to Fresno State but later decided not to come to the San Joaquin, it was too late for Coach Steve Cleveland to land another quality point. This was a major setback for Bulldog basketball, especially at such a critical position.

But maybe Moore's about-face was ultimately in the best interest of Fresno hoops.

Go here.

Tonight Fresno State hosts Washington State and...

Mr. Reggie Moore.

Unfortunately, Moore has been sidelined with a wrist injury and probably isn't making the trip, let alone playing.

Moore initially signed a national letter-of-intent with Fresno State -- a great get. This took place in November 2007. Then in late May of 2008, he told the Fresno State coaching staff that he wanted out of his LOI. It left Bulldog basketball in a bad situation because the point is always a tough position to fill and especially so come summer plus after the Bulldogs had long ago said 'no thanks' to any other points they were recruiting.

Vince Grippi of the Spokane Spokesman Review offered this today on Moore: "...The 6-1 sophomore signed a letter of intent with Fresno State in November of his senior season, but changed his mind and asked for a release. It was not granted and Moore spent a season at a New England prep school before enrolling at WSU..."

Plus, former Fresno Stater Mychal Ladd is now also a Cougar but is redshirting this season and won't be on the trip.

But what's most shocking about the Bulldog season to date? Greg Smith has 13 shooting attempts after three games, ranking him ninth on the team. Smith is playing a decent 27 minutes a game. That percentage of shots obviously must change for the Bulldogs to succeed so can Steve Cleveland's outside shooters open up space for maneuvering inside?

Reggie Moore to Washington State

Reggie Moore did make it to the PAC-10. The former Fresno State signee has signed a letter-of-intent with Washington State.


Former Rainier Beach basketball player Reggie Moore signs letter to play for WSU
New Cougars coach Ken Bone lands guard from Seattle who played at a prep school in New Hampshire this last year.
Bud Withers
Seattle Times
April 29, 2009

Barely three weeks into the tenure of coach Ken Bone, the Washington State basketball program has made an inroad that proved difficult even in the best of recent times for the WSU program.

Reggie Moore, a 2008 grad of Rainier Beach who now attends Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, has signed a letter of intent with the Cougars...

Go here for the remainder.

A Reggie Moore update

Jim Basnight at the Husky Digest blog site is THE source for UW basketball news and especially anything to do with recruiting. He also covers what other Seattle and the environs kids are up to elsewhere.

One of his latest entries has a mention that former Fresno State signee Reggie Moore is looking hard at LSU. We didn't know this but Basnight pointed out to us that Trent Johnson was raised in Seattle and that a star Seattle player, Aaron Dotson, is headed to Baton Rouge next season.

Reggie Moore NOT to Washington?

Maybe the Reggie Moore destination is not Washington after all...

At Jim Basnight's Husky Digest, there is word that Washington is not pursuing Moore, who signed a letter of intent with Fresno State, then asked to be released from it and is now at a prep school in New Hampshire.

Of course, not now doesn't necessarily mean never.

Huskies are not recruiting Reggie Moore
Husky Digest
October 1, 2008

Husky Digest just heard from a very reliable source that Washington is not recruiting Reggie Moore for 2009... Go here for the complete post.

Fresno State looking at a point

With Reggie Moore having backee out out of his letter-of-intent to Fresno State, Steve Cleveland must land a point with his final scholarship. Here's one he is looking at, again with the proviso that the recruiting process, on both sides, changes every day. It will take a Rivals subscription to read the entire article.

Bulldogs still hot after NorCal guard
Jed Tai
Special to RedWaveReport.com
July 22, 2008

With the chances of Reggie Moore ever stepping foot on campus apparently nil, the Fresno State basketball coaching staff is working hard on finding another point guard for the Class of 2008. It's difficult to find an impact player at this stage of the game, but Coach Steve Cleveland and his staff may have unearthed a gem recently. It's going to be a battle for the services of Shannon Sharpe, a talented 6-foot, 190-pound point guard from Corona (Calif.) Centennial High School, but after his recent performance at the West Coast All-Stars camp, the Bulldogs program is sold....

Go here for the remainder.

More Moore from the Fresno Bee

Wow. This and the timing of such really hurts Fresno State. There is no true point on the current FSU roster and Moore's earlier signing is the primary reason for this. We will never know but it would be fascinating to learn how this came about -- was it generated solely by Moore? Did another school or schools continue to 'recruit' him after his signing of a letter-of-intent?

Various Fresno State mesage board posters (yes, take it for what it's worth) have Washington, Washington State and Gonzaga individually and collectively as the so-called 'culprits' in this matter. However, Washington has no scholarships to offer and we're unsire where WSU and Gonzaga stand. But that's all speculation anyway. Heck, former Arizona recruit Brandon Jennings, a point with a national reputation, just announced plans for playing in Europe instead. Will Moore be traipsing to Tucson? And yes, in fairness, take that for what's it's worth too.

'Dogs recruit out before he starts
Reggie Moore was expected to take over at point for 'Dogs.
Daniel Lyght
The Fresno Bee
7/15/08

Seattle prep basketball standout Reggie Moore is seeking a release from his letter of intent to attend Fresno State, sending the Bulldogs coaching staff on a last-minute hunt to find another scholarship point guard.

Moore, who was named the Washington state 3A MVP and helped lead Rainier Beach High this past season to a state championship, asked to be released in late May.

Fresno State has not released Moore and coach Steve Cleveland wouldn't comment on when or if it would.

Moore said Monday he never felt comfortable signing with Fresno State during the early signing period in November, but felt pressured to do so.

"Something just didn't excite me about going to Fresno," Moore said....

Go here for the remainder.

Another blow to Fresno State? -- UPDATE The Barkboard says it is so

******* UPDATE -- Mario Gomez, the editor of the Barkboard (the SCOUT site for Fresno State), has a premium article posted indicating Moore has cut his ties with Fresno State. This obviously really hurts as the Bulldogs now have no roster replacement for Kevin Bell. Moore wasn't going to set the WAC alight this coming season but he more than likely would have been a freshman starter. It will be fascinating to see where he eventually re-signs and what darts, arrows and other ordance will be tossed in the direction of that school's coaching staff.

_________________________________________

If we could, we would type this entry in pencil because no authoritative word as yet has appeared about Rainer Beach High point Reggie Moore and his supposed decision not to attend Fresno State.

The Fresno State Save Mart Center message board has a long string about this subject but no official confirmation from Moore, Fresno State Coach Steve Cleveland or any other parties involved.

We've put out several feelers seeking information and are awaiting responses.

Out of Washington state, Moore transformed his game into that of a lead guard after being seen mostly as a shooting backcourter. It's always difficult to put such in perspective but Moore was probably the best Bulldog recruit -- he certainly is the most important since uber-point Kevin Bell has completed his eligibility at FSU.

Here an ESPN description of Moore:

"December, 2007: Moore (Fresno State signee) was the best point guard at this event and clearly demonstrated why he should have been recruited at the Pac-10 level. He has the ideal size, skill and savvy to play at the highest level of college basketball. He is a true point guard (hard to come by nowadays) as he sets up his teammates first before looking for his own shot. He's an excellent open court passer, though he does have a tendency for the spectacular, and can create off the dribble equally as well (solid crossover move). His jump shot is solid out to the stripe as well. In addition, he displays the leadership skills of a point guard and is a tough competitor. Moore should start as a freshman for the Bulldogs during the 2008-09 season and have an excellent career before he graduates..."

In a Seattle Post Intelligencer, Mike McLaughlin-penned article from March 18, this appears:

"...He also earned a scholarship to Fresno State, along with teammate Mike Ladd.

"That's just icing on the cake," Moore said. "To play college basketball and to experience it with one of my best friends is as good as it gets."

Maybe, maybe not.

New names and bodies heading to the WAC

Here is what has fallen into our collection barrel so far regarding new men's basketball signings for the WAC teams.

Nevada easily runs away with the top dog trophy, landing three eventual starters, one of them a deluxe blue chipper:

Pack men's basketball team signs three
Steve Sneddon
Reno Gazette-Journal
November 15, 2007

The recruitment of Galena High star Luke Babbitt was a long, drawn out process that finally ended when the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Babbitt signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play basketball at Nevada, beginning in 2008-09.

He heads a star-studded class of Wolf Pack recruits, which includes 6-5, 175-pound shooting guard Mark McLaughlin from Inglemoor High of Kenmore, Wash., and 6-3, 180-pound point guard London "Cotton" Giles from Dallas' Kimball High. Both McLaughlin and Giles signed their letters Wednesday. Babbitt, who will play both forward spots for Nevada, and McLaughlin are four-star recruits. Giles is a two-star recruit.

The Nevada class has been ranked No. 22 in the nation by Rivals.com and No. 23 by Scout.com.

"Luke's established himself as one of the premier players in the country and he's a better person than he is a player," said Pack coach Mark Fox. "It's not often that you can say that. It's certainly a day we're extremely excited about because I think he's a winner in so many ways. He's just been a terrific kid to recruit and we're glad he's coming."

Nevada recruited him since he was a sophomore at Galena, but it was a rollercoaster process. Babbitt originally committed to Ohio State. But he withdrew that commitment and committed to Nevada on June 11.

"I remember when we had a staff meeting and of the topics was are we going to try to recruit Luke Babbitt because we knew he was going to be recruited by everybody," Fox said. "Today is a special day for our staff because we put a lot of energy in the process and I think Luke is one of those cases because he's local we've gotten to know him and his family very well. That's unique because any more with the phone call limits and contact you can't get to know everybody. With a kid in town, we were able to do that."

Babbitt, who shared the 2007 Northern 4A co-player of the year honors with Nevada freshman Armon Johnson last season, averaged 27.8 rebounds, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals and led Galena to a state title.

"He'll play both forward spots, some three and four," Fox said. "He shoots it very well from three and he's a terrific block player so his versatility allows him to play all over the place.

Go here for the complete article.

AND

Needing size to replace two departing seniors upfront, Coach Marvin Menzies has landed a bulky big man:

Aggies men's basketball team signs center Gabriel
Jason Groves
Las Cruces/Sun-News
11/15/2007

LAS CRUCES - JSerra Catholic School basketball coach Tom Lewis confirmed on Wednesday that 6-foot-11 260 senior center Chris Gabriel signed a National Letter of Intent and financial Aide Agreement to play at New Mexico State University.

Gabriel joins current redshirts Hamidu Rahman, Troy Gillenwater and Robert Lumpkins in the 2008 recruiting class of first-year NMSU coach Marvin Menzies.

Gabriel signed on the first day of the early signing period, which runs through Nov. 21. The regular signing period is April 16-21, 2008.

"We took some pictures and made a nice situation for him," said Lewis, who coached the South Africa native for two seasons. "We had a ceremony on campus for him and took some photos of him signing."

Gabriel came to the U.S. two years ago and played his first year of organized basketball at the Patterson School in North Carolina. He moved to JSerra, located in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Gabriel visited the NMSU campus in September and verbally committed in October after taking an unofficial visit to California-State Fullerton and official visits to the University of San Diego and Santa Barbara.

Go here for the complete article.

AND

LA TECH signs a down-the-road point guard with good basketball genes:

SIGNING DAY: Tech men secure future of point guard position
T. Scott Boatright
Alexandria News Star

RUSTON — It might be a tough season for Coach Kerry Rupp's Bulldogs in 2007-08 as he works to rebuild the team, but the future is looking bright.

And it got even brighter on Wednesday as the Bulldogs looked to lock down their point guard position for multiple upcoming seasons Rupp announced Wednesday that Holton Hunsaker of North Salt Lake, Utah, has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Louisiana Tech.
Transfer Jamel White, who came to the Bulldogs after playing for the Nebraska Cornhuskers last season, has impressed in practices but will have to sit out the current season but is expected to take over as Tech's starting point guard next season.

But there's plenty of time before Hunsacker is asked to take over the position for the Bulldogs as the top high school product in the state of Utah will go on his Latter Day Saint church mission for two years before heading to Tech as a 21-year-old true freshman in 2010.

Hunsaker was named first team all-state as a junior and second team all-state as a sophomore after being named first team all-region as a freshman. Hunsaker has averaged around 17 points and five assists per game during his high school career and is a McDonald's All-American nominee in Utah.

Basketball comes naturally for Hunsacker, whose father Dick is head coach at Utah Valley State and has been named NCAA Men's Basketball Independent Coach of the Year for the past four seasons and the 2001 Los Angeles Times national coach of the year as the interim head coach at the University of Utah.

Go here for the complete article.

We know that Nor Cal two guard Chris Jones will be signing with Fresno State, as Florida junior college frontcourter Joey Camerson is also expected to do but there is nothing in print on either as yet. Steve Cleveland also has two high school kids from Washington state committed, both guards, in Reggie Moore and Mychal Ladd.