Aaron Moore Dismissed From Portland State Team

I had heard this rumor earlier in the week, but wasn’t able to confirm it until now – Aaron Moore is no longer with the Portland State basketball team. From the Portland Tribune:

Geving was vague in talking about why Moore — who did not play in Portland State’s 79-62 Saturday road loss to Weber State — is no longer with the Vikings. 

“You’ve got to just, at some point, draw your foot in the sand,” Geving said. “We’re going to move forward, and I still believe we’re going to be better for it, because Saturday night we played hard.” 

Geving said removing Moore from the team was a difficult decision for him on a personal level. 

“Is it easy?” Geving said. “No, it’s not easy. Is it painful? Yeah, it pains me. But I also know our players are going to respond to it better. I’m going to earn the respect of my players a little bit more as opposed to if I just let it continue to go on. Then all of a sudden players are going to go, ‘Well, coach teaches us to act like that, we all get to act like that.’”

Moore averaged 13.2 PPG and 7.1 RPG last season, and often had the look of a guy that could be an all-conference player. Through the early part of this season (he did battle through some injuries), those numbers were down to 11.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG. In their Big Sky opener, he gave Idaho State fans the double bird, which seems as though it may have been the last straw for Moore at PSU.

The Vikings are 0-2 in Big Sky play, and now very thin on the perimeter. JUCO forward Tiegbe Bamba is still out with injury, leaving Kyle Richardson and Brandon Cataldo as the only healthy big men on the roster. They have some talented guards, but they need to hope that the dismissal of Moore brings a lot of addition by subtraction, particularly defensively (where their 1.13 PPP allowed is 332nd in the country) if they are going to turn things around this season.


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The Rest of Friday Night's Big Sky Action

While I was at the Northern Colorado vs Colorado State game, four other Big Sky games were happening. Let's take a quick rundown at what else happened in the Big Sky on Friday night.

Eastern Washington 80, Boston University 68
If you are not familiar with the Boston program - they are solid. The Terriers are a legit America East contender this year, so for the Eagles to go win by 12 on a neutral court is an impressive feat. There are no shortage of eye-popping numbers for the Eagles:

- As a team, they shot 21-39 on twos, and 10/18 from three-point range. They turned it over 16 times, but that will get corrected. They can score the ball in bunches.
- Drew Brandon's stat line - 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists. He is averaging over ten rebounds per game.. Oh yeah, he is their starting PG!
- Tyler Harvey drained five more threes tonight, giving him 20 makes through four games. He is a budding star in the Big Sky.
- Venky Jois is already a star for EWU, and he had 20 points and eight rebounds. After not making any threes last year, he had one in this game - adding that to his arsenal makes him that much more dangerous.
- Freshman Ognjen Miljkovic had 14 points and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes. It's an embarrassment of riches in terms of young talent for Jim Hayford right now.

EWU should be a scary team for the rest of the Big Sky to think about because they are so talented, but still so young. They are going to keep getting better and better, and they're already pretty darn good.

Montana State 59, Central Michigan 54
Road wins are never easy, and this one has to feel very good for the Bobcats. They clawed their way (no pun intended) to a victory in a defensive battle, winning despire shooting 21/54from the field and turning it over 12 times.  They won it with defense, which has been a struggle for them. They also won it thanks to the contributions of Terrell Brown off the bench. Brown had 23 points, hitting from the outside (3/7 3PA) and getting to the line (6/8). They will need those types of performances from different guys this year, as they don't have anyone they can count on to consistently carry the load.

The Bobcats were great on the defensive glass, especially Paul Egwuonwu (11 defensive rebounds). They held Central Michigan to just two offensive rebounds. That is getting things done.

Portland State 67, Loyola 63
The Vikings trailed by 14 points in the second half before coming back for a nice early-season win. They were sparked by 14 second half points each for Dre Winston and Aaron Moore, and another solid defensive effort. Moore finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 9/14 from the floor. Winston was 5/7 from the floor and 6/7 from the stripe, scoring a hyper-efficient 16 points.

Last note... I mentioned earlier this week that Tim Douglas was playing it well but turning it over a bit too much. He turned that around quickly, with seven assists to one turnover. Very nice game for him.

San Francisco 75, Montana 74
I'm not sure anyone would have predicted this chain of events - Idaho State goes on the road to beat San Francisco, and days later, the Dons come into Missoula and take down Montana. Basketball is a funny game. While Jordan Gregory did play (and pretty well), the Grizzlies somehow allowed USF to shoot 30/55 from the field, AND grab 14 offensive rebounds. Put another way, the Dons grabbed 45% of available offensive rebounds in this game, which is bad for Montana. Kareem Jamar did everything he could - 25 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals - but it wasn't enough. The Grizzlies offense looks ok right now (1.12 PPP, though ISU had 1.15 against the Dons), but their ceiling remains limited right now until they can get some type of production down low.

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Who Will Join Aaron Moore in Portland State's Frontcourt?

Last season, Aaron Moore was a revelation for Portland State, as one of the best newcomers in the Big Sky. He was an efficient offensive player and one of the best rebounders in the conference. Clearly, he is the centerpiece of what the Vikings will try to do in the frontcourt this season.

But who will join him upfront? Let's take a quick look at the other pieces that PSU in the frontcourt.

I think the most likely to start might be newcomer Tiegbe Bamba. Bamba is 6'6'', an undersized but athletic four man in the mold of many guys that Tyler Geving has had over the past few years. Last year at Midland College, he averaged over 11 points and 7 rebounds per game. He is said to play above the rim, and is a high energy guy. While not an overly skilled offensive player, I think he has a chance to make a big impact.

Another newcomer is Kyle Richardson, a transfer from Long Beach State. While he put underwhelming numbers last season, he did start five games for a good team last year. He is eligible to play right away after completing his degree at LBSU. He should provide nice depth for the Vikings, and it wouldn't be a shock to see him start with his experience.

Lamont Prosser will be a senior this year, but had a disappointing first season with PSU. He is 6'8'' and 275 pounds, with bulk that not a lot of guys in the conference have. He needs to get into better shape, and he could have a chance to start. Even though he didn't always show it last year, he has some good offensive skills and has the talent to be a good contributor.

The other returnee is Brandon Cataldo, who is a junior in his fourth year in the program (He broke his leg in his senior year of high school which caused him to redshirt his first year). He is starting to get back full movement and dexterity, and should get better. He is a skilled player with a solid post game and good passing skills, but he also struggles with some conditioning. He has the potential to be a solid starter, but I'm not sure if he will ever get there consistently or not.

The other possible contributor is freshman Kyle Benton, who should contribute right away. He has inside/outside versatility, and can step out and hit the three ball. He put up big numbers in high school (over 12 rebounds per game), and should be a very good player in time. He might not start this year, but he could be their next frontcourt star.

Any thoughts on the Vikings frontcourt?

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Portland State Falls to Pac-12 Team

It was a rare case of a Pac-12 team visiting the home gym of a Big Sky team, and for a while it looked like Portland State might pull off the upset. They jumped out to an early lead over Oregon State, leading 22-13 after 11 minutes, as they were forcing turnovers and taking care of the ball.

However, it was then that the Beavers put on a 1-3-1 trap and did some other things to put pressure on the Vikings, which allowed them back in the game. Eventually, it was Oregon State winning 79-74.

"Everything went the way we wanted it to go the first 10 or 12 minutes," said Viking Coach Tyler Geving but acknowledged his team's downfall. "You can't simulate their length and quickness (in the 1-3-1 zone). We got in trouble against it even though we worked on it (in preparation). When (Moreland) is at the top of that thing it is hard to go from one side to the other and attack gaps. All of a sudden they are trapping you with two big, athletic guys."

Portland State did some things really well. They shot 56% from the floor, with guys like Renado Parker (16), Lateef McMullan (16), and Aaron Moore (14) providing efficient scoring threats. They rebounded well, staying even with the Beavers in that category. They forced 18 turnovers.

However, they also turned it over 19 times, including 4 from PG McMullan.They made just 2/11 from downtown, and struggled to get to the free throw line (just 4/7 on the night). When you aren't hitting from outside or getting easy points at the line, that puts a lot of pressure on the offense to keep hitting their shots. Even though they did, they couldn't overcome the -14 advantage that OSU had at the line.

The Vikings fall to 1-5 on the season with the loss.

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Nice Article on PSU Recruit Aaron Moore

When I read and wrote that Portland State had signed JUCO big man Aaron Moore, the name sounded awfully familiar, but I couldn't figure out why. But when reading an article by Rob Dauster of NBCSports, it all became clear.

Moore is a central character in the fantastic book Play Their Hearts Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine, a book I ranked as the third best high school or college basketball book that I had ever read (and one you should check out if you have not read it yet).

From Dauster's article:

Walker gets the majority of the attention because he is the guy that had Sports Illustrated write about him as a 14 year old, but the fact of the matter is that the book is about an entire team, and Walker was far from that team’s most heartbreaking story.

That title goes to Aaron Moore. Moore was a 6-foot-7 freshman that worked his way into Compton’s powerhouse Dominguez program, which has produced talents like Tyson Chandler and Brandon Jennings. But Moore’s upbringing was quite upsetting to read about. He was molested by his step-father before he even entered elementary school. He was propositioned — although, according to the book, never assaulted — by convicted child molester and former Dominguez head coach Russell Otis. His mother, who was receiving payouts from Otis for her son to play at Dominguez, tried to get Moore to return to the school to keep the money coming in. He was missing class and games as early as his sophomore season, and when he should have been attending prom and picking a school to attend, Moore was a homeless dropout.

Moore is a guy that will be very easy to root for, that is for sure. Here's to hoping he has a stellar two-year career for the Vikings.

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Portland State Signs Aaron Moore and Marcus Hall

Portland State also has a couple of additions to their roster for the upcoming season. The JUCO route has been good to Tyler Geving, and he continues to go for that type of player this year.

The first to sign was Marcus Hall, who went to Fresno City College last year. He averaged 12.9 points and 4.1 rebounds there last year. As 6'4'', he can shoot the ball well from the outside (45.2% from downtown), and is a versatile defender and athlete. He is not a big scorer, but will do all of the little things for the Vikings next season.

"Marcus is obviously a good defender, rebounder and athlete and he can really knock down open shots," Geving said. "Marcus does a little bit of everything. But most of all, he has winning qualities, and he proved that by winning Most Valuable Player honors and leading his team to the California Juco championship."

Today, the Vikings also signed Aaron Moore, who is 6'8'' and will be a junior this season. He averaged 14 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last year. While PSU loses Chehales Tapscott and Nate Lozeau down low, Moore, returner Renado Parker, and Lamont Prosser (a JUCO forward that was signed in the fall) should continue to give them a solid trio up front.

"The best thing that Aaron brings to our team is a lot of versatility. He can face up and shoot it out to 18 feet, and he can also get a basket down on the block for us," said Geving. "He is a good athlete and a very good rebounder. Losing Chehales (Tapscott to graduation), that is something we need to address is rebounding. We have to make sure we are getting the job done on the boards and Aaron can do that.

Moore is the fourth member of their class, when including transfer Tim Douglas.

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