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MHS star Aaliyah Moore builds toward bright future with Texas commitment
By Joe Buettner
Transcript Sports Writer
Everything was perfect.
From the moment she arrived, Aaliyah Moore loved Austin, Texas.
That love grew with four unofficial recruiting visits she’s made to Texas over the past few years. The university was everything the Moore High School basketball star wanted.
“Immediately when we got to the Austin area, I loved it,” Moore said. “I’m a city girl and it was perfect. I love to eat, I love to be around a lot of people and just have a lot of things to do and Texas is perfect for that. They have so many things out there.”
The 6-foot-3 forward, who can post up just as easily as she can run the point, had a plethora of college options. The 2019-20 Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year heavily considered South Carolina and Florida State. UCLA and Notre Dame were in the mix. She also liked Syracuse and Arizona before narrowing her choices.
Her heart was with the Longhorns.
So, shortly after 12 p.m.
on Saturday, Moore posted a video to her Twitter account to announce her Texas commitment.
She captioned the nearly two-minute video, “home away from home.” And it shows Moore around MHS’ campus, a few basketball highlights, throwback photos and ends with her surrounded by family,
donning Longhorn apparel and waving Texas’ “Horns up” hand gesture.
It’s a massive recruiting win for new Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, who took the vacant job earlier this month. With her pledge, he lands ESPN.com’s seventh-best prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.
Moore said Schaefer, who left Mississippi State for Texas, didn’t pursue her nearly as hard when he still led the Bulldogs’ program. He told her he didn’t think he’d get her to come all the way to Starkville, Mississippi.
Once he landed the Texas job, Schaefer instantly made Moore a high priority.
“The first day coach Schaefer and the staff, it got out in the public that they were going to be the new coaches, they immediately called me,” Moore said, “and we probably had like five conversations in maybe a week and I just knew right then and there that this was for me.”
That includes bringing national championships to Austin. Matriculating to the WNBA. And opportunities following her playing career.
Academics were just as important to Moore, and the programs Texas offered fit her.
“I just want what’s best for my future, and so does my mom and the rest of my family,” Moore said.
“And at the end of the day, I have to do what’s
best for me. I have to think about where I’m going to be in 10 years.
“The ball eventually stops bouncing. … There are just so many things that I could do if I just get on the right track and that’s really why I’m looking ahead.”
Along the way, Moore will have the opportunity to go to school not far from home. While she might not be received too well at Lloyd Noble Center, she’ll have a built-in homecoming each year when the Longhorns visit the Sooners in Big 12 play.
She will also get to play alongside fellow five-star prospect Rori Harmon, a 5-foot-6 point guard from Houston. Harmon committed to Texas the day before Moore; although, there was no coordination on either’s part.
“I had no idea,” Moore said, “when she was going to post … And I was like, ‘well, I guess that works itself out,’ you know, we can hit everybody back-to-back.”
Moore’s commitment video had been in the works before the coronavirus outbreak.
After circling Texas for about a month and a half, she finally made her love for Texas known.
“Everything that the coaches were saying, we had the same vision, the same plan,” Moore said.
“I know that if I put in the work they’ll get me to wherever I need to go.”
By Joe Buettner
Transcript Sports Writer
Everything was perfect.
From the moment she arrived, Aaliyah Moore loved Austin, Texas.
That love grew with four unofficial recruiting visits she’s made to Texas over the past few years. The university was everything the Moore High School basketball star wanted.
“Immediately when we got to the Austin area, I loved it,” Moore said. “I’m a city girl and it was perfect. I love to eat, I love to be around a lot of people and just have a lot of things to do and Texas is perfect for that. They have so many things out there.”
The 6-foot-3 forward, who can post up just as easily as she can run the point, had a plethora of college options. The 2019-20 Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year heavily considered South Carolina and Florida State. UCLA and Notre Dame were in the mix. She also liked Syracuse and Arizona before narrowing her choices.
Her heart was with the Longhorns.
So, shortly after 12 p.m.
on Saturday, Moore posted a video to her Twitter account to announce her Texas commitment.
She captioned the nearly two-minute video, “home away from home.” And it shows Moore around MHS’ campus, a few basketball highlights, throwback photos and ends with her surrounded by family,
donning Longhorn apparel and waving Texas’ “Horns up” hand gesture.
It’s a massive recruiting win for new Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, who took the vacant job earlier this month. With her pledge, he lands ESPN.com’s seventh-best prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.
Moore said Schaefer, who left Mississippi State for Texas, didn’t pursue her nearly as hard when he still led the Bulldogs’ program. He told her he didn’t think he’d get her to come all the way to Starkville, Mississippi.
Once he landed the Texas job, Schaefer instantly made Moore a high priority.
“The first day coach Schaefer and the staff, it got out in the public that they were going to be the new coaches, they immediately called me,” Moore said, “and we probably had like five conversations in maybe a week and I just knew right then and there that this was for me.”
That includes bringing national championships to Austin. Matriculating to the WNBA. And opportunities following her playing career.
Academics were just as important to Moore, and the programs Texas offered fit her.
“I just want what’s best for my future, and so does my mom and the rest of my family,” Moore said.
“And at the end of the day, I have to do what’s
best for me. I have to think about where I’m going to be in 10 years.
“The ball eventually stops bouncing. … There are just so many things that I could do if I just get on the right track and that’s really why I’m looking ahead.”
Along the way, Moore will have the opportunity to go to school not far from home. While she might not be received too well at Lloyd Noble Center, she’ll have a built-in homecoming each year when the Longhorns visit the Sooners in Big 12 play.
She will also get to play alongside fellow five-star prospect Rori Harmon, a 5-foot-6 point guard from Houston. Harmon committed to Texas the day before Moore; although, there was no coordination on either’s part.
“I had no idea,” Moore said, “when she was going to post … And I was like, ‘well, I guess that works itself out,’ you know, we can hit everybody back-to-back.”
Moore’s commitment video had been in the works before the coronavirus outbreak.
After circling Texas for about a month and a half, she finally made her love for Texas known.
“Everything that the coaches were saying, we had the same vision, the same plan,” Moore said.
“I know that if I put in the work they’ll get me to wherever I need to go.”
