This transfer guard made his KU debut Saturday. He could be Jayhawks’ best defender
After missing two exhibition games and the first three games of the regular season, Shakeel Moore was thrilled to make his Kansas men’s basketball debut against Oakland on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
“It felt great to be out there with my team, my first night in Allen Fieldhouse,” said Moore. The 6-1, 190-pound senior from Greensboro, North Carolina, scored two points with two rebounds and one assist while playing 4 minutes, 45 seconds in the Jayhawks’ 78-57 victory over the Golden Grizzlies of the Horizon League.
“It felt good,” Moore added of the foot he had surgery on in early September. “Yesterday was the day I knew I was going to play. I’d only been back two practices. I got sick the other day, so we were going to chill out (and not play) this game. I felt good yesterday in practice. That’s what it was, so we were out there today.”
Moore, previously described as a stellar defender, explained his process of getting back on the court.
“There was never really a setback,” he said. “I came back early, week seven or eight (after surgery). I practiced that whole week and it got sore. We re-evaluated at that point. Just a bunch of therapy sessions before and after practice, at home on my own trying to get on top of it all.
“Now there’s a lot of excitement. It’s been a rough summer for sure. I’m excited to be out there with it feeling good.”
Moore did not play the second half.
“That’s mostly managing minutes,” Moore said. “I started to feel a little bit of soreness too, so we’ll get back to it tomorrow, practice tomorrow and Monday.”
The Jayhawks play UNC Wilmington at home on Tuesday.
“Shak is not quite whole,” added Kansas coach Bill Self. “He had a five-minute limit on him. I wanted to get him out there. Hopefully by next week he can be close to (being whole).”
Moore’s teammates were thrilled he’s ready to play.
“Shak is a good defender on the ball and off the ball,” said freshman forward Flory Bidunga, who had nine points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. “I think he is someone we really like having on the team. Getting him back makes us all better.”
Noted junior guard AJ Storr, who had 16 points and three assists in 19 minutes: “He brings energy. He has a lot of experience he brings to the team. He will help us out a lot.”
Moore, a senior transfer from Mississippi State, said he never considered the possibility of redshirting if his foot remained sore another week or so. He said that was not discussed, just trying to get him back on the court as soon as possible.
