Justin Moore’s three-school basketball journey to Drexel

Drexel recruit Justin Moore’s high school journey has taken him to three schools in four years, a challenge that he believes has made him a better player and leader.

“Every program I played for was different,” Moore said. “But throughout each one, I made the best out of what it was. I think every program has brought differences to me in a good way and it has taught me a lot.”

It’s a journey that helped prepare him for his transition to Drexel. Moore signed his letter of intent in December and will be joining the Dragons in the fall.

The 6-foot-3 guard played his freshman and sophomore years at Cheltenham High School. He played right away but decided to leave Cheltenham to play against tougher competition.

Moore played for Bishop McDevitt in the Catholic League last season. He led the team with 12.1 points per game and was named a Catholic League second-team pick as a junior.

“It’s been really fun playing in the PCL,” Moore said. “It’s just a really heavy competition level night in and night out. We’re playing against the best in the city of Philly.”

Moore’s time at McDevitt lasted only one year before the Archdiocese of Philadelphia closed the school because of declining enrollment. Moore opted for another school in the PCL — Archbishop Wood — for the 2021-22 season.

“I felt comfortable with coach John Mosco,” Moore said. “He’s a good guy, he’s a winner. He’s brought a lot of guards out through his program. It seemed like the perfect program for me. He likes his guards and he lets them play with confidence.”

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Moore’s experiences helped prepare him for his time at Wood to lead a young team after the Vikings lost three current NCAA Division I players: Rahsool Diggins (UConn), Daeshon Shepherd (La Salle), Marcus Randolph (Richmond), and Muneer Newton at NAIA’s William Penn.

“We lost five starters, so he walked in and was an instant leader from the beginning,” Mosco said. “He’s helped the younger and more inexperienced guys and they trust him. He’s been through the battles and he knows what the Catholic League is all about.”

Moore had some familiarity with the Wood program. Mosco tried to recruit Moore two years earlier when the player announced he would be transferring from Cheltenham. Moore picked McDevitt because there were so many successful guards already playing for Wood. Fortunately for Mosco, they reunited this season.

The Vikings improved to 12-4 with a 75-38 win over Conwell Egan on Sunday. Moore is averaging team highs of 16.4 points and 5.4 assists per game.

Coming in as a new leader for Wood has been challenging for Moore. “Out of all the situations I’ve been in this is the hardest one,” he said. “Being a senior leader to a team with a lot of young guys can be hard, but it’s definitely prepared me for what’s at the next level. Just making sure that I’m supposed to be the leader that I am.”

Moore credits his journey from school to school as a key factor in his development. “Just being around a bunch of different personalities helped me out,” he said. “Seeing things from every different angle has definitely made me into the person and the leader I am today.”

Moore had other offers from schools including Rider, Boston University, Jacksonville, Merrimack, St. Francis (Pa.), and Central Connecticut State. But Drexel stood out to him.

“I have a good relationship with Coach [Zach] Spiker and everyone else on the coaching staff,” he said. “Throughout the past year and a half, it’s been great.”

Moore’s commitment to Drexel reunites him with former McDevitt coach Will Chavis, who was hired as an assistant with the Dragons.

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Moore, who models his game after Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, says he still has some work to put in to take on the challenge of playing in the Colonial Athletic Association.

“I’ve been working on my jump shot a lot more,” Moore said. “I think it’s getting better every year. And you have to be able to make sacrifices throughout your free time. If you want to go out with your friends, you may have to stay in the gym.

“It’s just repetition, working on your game, getting in shots 24/7. So when the time comes to make the move, it makes the game easier and you have confidence and love for what you’re doing.”