2014-15 Player Profile: Quadri Moore

Spending countless hours in the weight room is standard operating procedure for most high-level Division 1 basketball recruits. Incoming freshman, Quadri Moore, though? He dedicated his time in the gym to lose more than 60 pounds while playing basketball in high school.

Yeah, you read that right.

The Bearcats new big man checked-in his freshman year of high school at 290 pounds. A little hard work and dedication led to a chiseled 225 pounds by his senior season.

Imagine what a few years in the Cincinnati strength and conditioning program could do.

Name: Quadri Moore

Height: 6-8

Weight: 230 lbs

Class: Freshman (High School)

Hometown: Linden, NJ

Jersey Number: 0

An all expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas is a decent gift for a college freshman trying to navigate his way through his first year on campus, right? Moore was inserted into the Bearcats starting lineup during their exhibition stint this summer, and he rewarded head coach Mick Cronin with 13 points in less than 23 minutes on the court.

So what can we expect this year?

This is the million dollar question in regards to each Bearcat newcomer for the 2014-15 season, isn't it? The only returning players on the Bearcats front line are Jermaine Sanders and Shaquille Thomas, so the opportunity for playing time is there. Whether Moore can seize the moment depends, in part, on how well he can defend and rebound - obvious staples of every Mick Cronin-led team.

There are other newcomers on the roster I expect to garner a little more playing time than Quadri to start this season (we'll get to those previews in the coming days), but I think he'll have a significant impact as the season wears on.

Noted college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein recently pegged Moore as:

"cut from a completely different cloth than any of his frontcourt predecessors that have played for Cronin at Cincinnati."

Moore's athleticism and face-up game will give Cronin the flexibility to play him at either the 4 or 5 this season. He's learning to better use his body down low, and he can step out to hit a long-range shot. That versatility could make him a valuable part of the 2014-15 squad.

My favorite part of Moore's game? His Chris-Webber-circa-1990s-almost-high-top-fade haircut. Just plain smooth.