This Mizzou basketball recruit had a big spring playing on a loaded AAU team
Cuonzo Martin’s summer recruiting trips essentially revolve around Bradley Beal Elite, the AAU program out of St. Louis that features E.J. Liddell, Mario McKinney and Terrence Hargrove among others.
Just as Liddell raised eyebrows last summer by playing a year up, Moses Moody has done the same. And now he’s becoming a high priority for Missouri's 2020 recruiting class, which also includes in-state targets Caleb Love and Cam’Ron Fletcher.
From Little Rock, Ark., Moody sometimes gets overlooked because of the star power Liddell, McKinney and Oregon pledge Francis Okoro bring to Bradley Beal Elite.
But Moody has made it work.
After a strong showing on the Nike EYBL circuit, Moody has picked up offers from Missouri and Illinois to go Florida State and Oklahoma State, Arkansas and eight others.
A four-star recruit and top-30 prospect nationally according to 247Sports, Moody loves playing on a team with so much talent and doesn't mind sharing the spotlight with other blue-chip recruits.
Moody played lower-level AAU last summer but decided to make the move up to the Nike EYBL circuit, even if the decision came with a five-hour drive to St. Louis.
“It was a great move,” he said. “The team is amazing. All the right pieces in all the right places. And then the coaching staff tops it off.”
Bradley Beal Elite enters next month’s Peach Jam as a heavy favorite and Moody credits the team’s ability to leave egos on the bench and have each player stick to their role.
“We don’t have to worry about that because we have all the pieces to the puzzle,” he said, “E.J. and Francis clean the boards. I’m scoring, Yuri (Collins) and (McKinney) are distributing the ball.”
A natural 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Moody fits the build of the kind of prospect Martin is looking for. At North Little Rock High School, Moody says he plays all five positions but prefers staying outside on the wing.
In St. Louis at the Nike Elite 100 camp, Moody showed his ability to play point guard while also being a high-level scorer.
"He can create his own shot," Love said. "And with his pull-up game, you can't stop him."
One college coach recruiting Moody said "he's the difference between a good team and a championship-caliber team." Coaches can't publicly comment on recruits until they are signed.
Moody said he was told to sit out the camp in order to rest for the under-17 USA national team tryouts, which start on Friday in Colorado Springs, Colo., but said the high-level competition he faced at the camp should give him a leg up. Should he make the team, Moody will travel to Argentina in July to play in the under-17 world championships.
“It was great playing against elite guys,” he said. “Measuring my game and catching their tendencies.”
Aside from Team USA tryouts, Friday is also a big day for Moody because college coaches are able to start calling 2020 recruits directly. Currently, only recruits can reach out to coaches.
Moody said he’d like to take some visits but isn’t certain when he will be able to, especially if he makes the national team.
He likes what he’s heard about Missouri and has received good reviews on Martin and assistant coach Chris Hollender from his AAU teammates that the Tigers are targeting.
For now, Moody's attention remains on making the national team.
“It’s a blessing to be invited,” he said. “But I’m just in the door, I’m trying to make the team.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2018 at 4:25 PM with the headline "This Mizzou basketball recruit had a big spring playing on a loaded AAU team."