The Duke Blue Devils are in a unique situation this year, having the chance to field five first-round picks in Paolo Banchero, A.J. Griffin, Mark Williams, Wendell Moore Jr. and Trevor Keels, seemingly in that order. It is far from a guarantee that Moore or Keels will be first-rounders, but if that did end up being the case, it would tie Duke for the record for most first-rounders in one class which was previously set by Kentucky in 2010 with John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton. However, the most overlooked player from this class so far seems to be Moore who, in the age of the transfer portal, stayed at Duke for as long as he needed to hone his game and transform himself into a potential first-rounder.
In his junior season at Duke, Moore averaged 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, the latter of which ranked tied for 18th-most of all NCAA D1 prospects in this class. Moore excelled in his role as a point forward for the Blue Devils and showed upside on both the offensive and defensive ends, giving him a large set of skills that will translate easily to the NBA and allow him to make an impact sooner rather than later.
Something that seems to be flying under the radar in terms of Moore’s game is the fact that Moore’s shooting splits are beyond stellar, hitting 50% from the floor, 41.3% from three and 80.5% from the charity stripe. When you consider where Moore was at as a freshman (41.6% from the floor, 21.1% from deep) that’s not only a steep improvement but a huge dedication to improving his form, selection and overall shot. Another underrated aspect of Moore is the fact that he’s essentially a young veteran, having three years of college under his belt despite being only 20 years old, the same age lottery picks like Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey will be on draft night.
Defensively, Moore is a scrappy and hard-working guy with a great height-to-wingspan ratio that does wonders for creating steals on the ball. Moore routinely squares his shoulders and defends with his chest, recovering often and fighting his heart out to get through and around screens. Moore is talented at shutting down driving lanes and forcing offensive players into tough shots. With his 7-foot-1 wingspan, Moore uses his length to poke steals out from opposing players and get out in transition. Moore also uses his physical attributes to literally jump players and swarm them with an erratic move to force the turnover.
For being under 6-foot-6, Moore is surprisingly effective at guarding posts, with plenty of tape to work with against guys like the 6-foot-9 Brady Manek. In fact, Moore feasts on these shorter posts, using his quick hands to strip less-than-adept ball-handlers.
In space, Moore is an even better defender and I believe this is where his tape shines the most. Moore has a near-unrivaled ability to disrupt passing lanes in space, intercepting passes at halfcourt and using these turnovers to generate easy baskets.
Offensively, Moore has some untapped potential as a shooter, as evidenced by his solid splits and good shooting from the line and he even shot nearly 46% on catch-and-shoot situations last year. Moore is also an effective mid-range shooter, getting to that shot off the bounce and connecting at a high rate. The Duke product has several games this year where he hit four three-pointers, including the game against Syracuse in the ACC Tournament where he attempted 10. In order to truly flourish at the next level, Moore needs to show that this year wasn’t a fluke and he can’t afford to move back toward the mark he shot in his first two years (28% in 49 games).
As a passer, Moore’s assist numbers don’t do him enough justice. Moore is king at making the extra pass and getting it to an offensive player in the right spot. He can handle the ball in the pick-and-roll and is a strong lob passer. For the right team, Moore can be a secondary ball-handler, especially if playing next to a score-first lead guard. Moore also boasts a stellar 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, higher than most D1 players in the draft class and higher than any potential lottery pick outside Kentucky’s TyTy Washington Jr. and Arizona’s Dalen Terry.
Moore’s main offensive weakness is his explosivity despite his athletic gifts. To truly dominate in a more featured role, Moore needs to work on his elevation which is not a skill I’m personally worried about coming around.
It’s surprising that Moore is as overlooked as he is. In terms of all-around games, Moore has less holes in his game than either Griffin or Keels, though he has less upside. I believe Moore will fall into the early second round but that would be a steal for whatever team comes away with him. Moore should undoubtedly be on a guaranteed contract next season and could be one of the steals of the draft. I would take him in the 20s.