With the dawn of the transfer portal in college basketball, many athletes have started at one university before moving on to another. The odyssey of Charlie Moore is one that has seen the Chicago-born guard play at four different schools.
Moore’s journey started in Chicago as a highly-touted prospect out of Morgan Park High School. He decided to start on the West Coast, excelling under head coach Cunzo Martin at California-Berkeley. He was the lone Golden Bear to start every game in the 2016-2017 season, leading the team in assists and steals.
After Martin was let go at the end of the year, Moore was a highly sought-after recruit. He landed with the Kansas Jayhawks next, sitting out the first season due to NCAA transfer rules. When eligible, the Moore struggled for playing time behind guards Quentin Grimes, Devon Dotson, and Marcus Garrett, who are now all in the NBA.
Moore’s departure from the Jayhawks was motivated by personal reasons. Moore’s father, Curtis Moore, had suffered a stroke in 2015, and was struggling with his rehabilitation. To help his family, Moore transferred out of Kansas back to Chicago to play for the DePaul Blue Demons.
“I wanted to help my mom and dad,” Moore said. “It was the best decision for me to be happy with myself. With me, it’s always been family first.”
Moore dominated for DePaul, finishing in the top ten in the Big East in points per game and assists per game. Now, Moore is the newest Miami Hurricanes point guard, and is at Miami with only one thing on his mind.
“I’m trying to win,” Moore said. “It’s my last year, and I feel that we have a great situation here.”
With the transfer to Miami, it’s the fourth new system that Moore’s had to learn in the last six years. Learning new offenses and plays is extremely important, especially for a point guard. However, Moore has never been fazed by the change in scenery.
“I just tried to come every day with my hard hat on,” Moore said. “You know, my teammates help show me what they do here as well. I’m just trying to take the initiative to ask questions when I need help.”
Since joining the program, Moore’s attitude has been infectious. His presence in practice has been influential on younger players, and his coaches can’t help but praise how much they love having Charlie around.
“The first thing you notice is the smile,” Hurricanes assistant coach Bill Courtney said. “You notice what a friendly person he is, what an engaging guy he is, and how easily likable he is.”
Courtney first met Charlie over four years ago to recruit him to DePaul before joining Miami’s coaching staff two years ago. Courtney loved Moore’s attitude at the time, and even after five years, he’s still inspired by the person that Charlie has grown to be.
“His resiliency is what I think shows because he’s been through some tough times, and he’s able to bounce back,” Courtney said. “It’s not always happening when things are going great. It’s about what you do when things get tougher.”
In Miami’s preseason exhibition against Nova Southeastern, Moore scored 25 points while also contributing seven assists, earning the respect of his teammates. He produced four of those assists to Isaiah Wong, which helped the third-year sophomore to a 40-point night against the Sharks.
“I love playing with Charlie; he just makes the game way easier for me,” Wong said after the game. “I was getting a lot of looks and just a lot of open threes and I thank Charlie for all that because he’s like a pass-first guard.”
Miami tipped off its season earlier this week, beating the Canisius Golden Griffins, 77-67 on Tuesday night. Moore flashed during the game, scoring 13 points while chipping in four rebounds and four assists. With one game down, and over thirty to go, the excitement is still there for Charlie.
“Playing at Watsco… it’s a great gym,” Moore said. “We just got to do our jobs and compete every night. We know if we do that, it’s going to lead to a successful season.”