Marquise Moore led Holy Cross to New York’s famed Catholic League’s city championship game last year. But when his impressive senior season ended, the 6-foot-2 guard had only tepid Division I interest.
“I was pretty close to taking a Division II scholarship,” the Queens native said. “But everybody told me prep school would be good for me.”
Good is an understatement.
Moore went to prep powerhouse St. Thomas More (Conn.) — the same school that produced Pistons forward Andre Drummond, by way of UConn — for a postgraduate year and now is within reach of his Division I dream.
He holds scholarship offers from Hofstra, where he will visit this weekend, and Rider. Fairfield, Cleveland State, Rhode Island and Marist are recruiting him.
“I always felt I was a Division I player, I guess in high school I wasn’t seen,” he said. “It now feels good to be [close to becoming] a Division I player. I just want to keep working and getting better.”
At St. Thomas More, Moore’s exposure in front of college coaches increased, and he moved back to his natural position of point guard, which is the spot he will play at the next level. He has excelled there, averaging 11 points, six assists and five rebounds per game for a 24-6 team.
“I was kind of surprised the first time I saw him, growing up in New York City, playing at a program at Holy Cross, he got missed,” St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn said. “It was actually a benefit to us. No complaints.”
One Division I coach who has seen Moore play a few times this winter regrets missing him last year.
“I love his balance, I love his feel for the game,” the coach said. “He’s got some very special ability. He finishes like nobody else.”
* Manhattan College head coach Steve Masiello personally offered Bishop Loughlin junior Mike Williams a scholarship. Villanova, Rutgers, Iowa State, Radford, Niagara and Long Beach State are also recruiting the 6-foot-1 sharpshooter.
West Virginia offered Christ the King guard Jon Severe, joining a host of high- and mid-major programs going after the top unsigned senior in the city, such as St. Bonaventure, Duquesne, Alabama, Indiana, Florida State, Indiana and SMU.
FOOTBALL
Lincoln junior defensive tackle Thomas Holley has landed recent offers from Florida State, Miami, UMass, Penn State, Boston College, UConn, Syracuse and Penn State, where he will visit next weekend. The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder, who transferred from Christ the King in the fall, also will see Rutgers on Tuesday.