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The Numbers
- 3.4 points per game
- 1.7 rebounds
- 0.5 steals
- .333/.317/.676
A lot has been made of Kyle Washington joining Yancy Gates and Justin Jackson in Cincinnati’s mean mug hall of fame. But now that Washington is out crushing it at the Portsmouth Invitational and trying to make it as a pro, there is a need for someone else to take up the mantle. Trevor Moore could very well be the next in line.
But just making excellent celebratory facial expressions isn’t all Moore is going to contribute as he continues his Bearcat career. As a freshman, Moore developed into a key reserve for a 31-win team, and his role is only going to increase next season. The 6’5” swingman is going to be one of the many players tasked with replacing Jacob Evans’ production on the wing. He flashed the ability to do just that through his first year on campus.
Moore began as the second wing player off the bench behind Keith Williams, but he overtook his fellow rookie teammate and by the end of the year could be penciled in for 10 minutes or so per game, with a number of contests featuring much more playing time.
With those opportunities, Moore established himself as a three-and-D style player. He led the team in three-point attempt rate (.781) and at times was lethal from long range. Games against Richmond, Memphis and UConn illustrated that. But as a whole, Moore’s 2017-18 season did not feature the most efficient long range shooting. He only made 31.7 attempts from distance while shooting 33.3 percent overall. That equated to 3.4 points per game and an effective field goal percentage of 45.7. He also posted a PER of just 10.9. However, he was still an above average offensive player, posting an offensive rating of 107.2.
It was on defense that Moore really made his impact. He had a defensive rating of 89.5 and 1.1 defensive win shares, ranking eighth in the latter category on a team filled with defensive dynamos. He also was a top five contributor in steal percentage (2.6) and was pretty adept at holding onto the ball once he got it, tying with Washington for the second lowest turnover percentage (11.0) on the squad.
The Best of the Best
Nov. 21, 2017 vs. Richmond
In a then career-high 24 minutes, Moore drilled three triples to finish with nine points, but he stuffed the stat sheet besides that, adding eight rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Nov. 27, 2017 vs. Alabama State
This was Moore’s first double digit scoring effort, as he netted 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting. He also collected two steals and three rebounds.
Dec. 31, 2017 vs. Memphis
In the American Athletic Conference opener, Moore only took one shot from beyond the arc (which he made), but he scored 12 points on 4-of-7 from the field overall.
Feb. 6, 2018 vs. UCF
14 points in 13 minutes is pretty damn efficient.
Feb. 22, 2018 vs. UConn
This was Moore’s best game of the year as he scored 12 points while draining four three-pointers. Add in the three rebounds, two assists and steal and you’ve got a nice outing from a reserve.
For Next Year
Aside from making sure his celebratory chops remain top notch, there are a few things Moore needs to do to improve as a sophomore. First, he needs to be a more efficient scorer. That goes beyond just making more shots from inside and outside the arc. He also needs to take better advantage of the free-throw line, where he made only 67.6 percent of his shots last season. Additionally, becoming a more dynamic offensive threat would go a long way, since UC needs guys to create offense more than just stand on the three-point line and wait to take shots. That doesn’t just mean cutting to the lane, but also making the extra passes to keep the offense humming.