WATCH: Wendell Moore speaks about journey to NBA
The Duke Blue Devils made ACC history in Thursday night’s 2022 NBA Draft. They had five players selected, the first time any school from the conference has accomplished such a feat in the two-round draft era. One of the five players selected was their ultra-athletic small forward, Wendell Moore, Jr. who showcased his remarkable dunking ability at times during the 2021-2022 college basketball season. After he was drafted on Thursday night, Moore took the time to speak about his journey to the NBA.
Check it out.
“Man, I mean, this moment right here means everything to me. Like you said, I basically battled through everything. I’ve been through the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highs. But man, just staying the course. I made it. I made it here. So, I mean, the work is just beginning. I can’t wait to get to Minnesota. Can’t wait to get to work,” Moore said.
With the No. 26 pick of the first round, Moore was selected by the Houston Rockets — who traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A four-star recruit in the Class of 2019, Wendell Moore became an increasingly important member of the Duke Blue Devils over the years. His final season at Duke was also Mike Krzyzewski’s last. Moore and his teammates did their best to make Coach K’s final season memorable, but they fell short in their final home game to North Carolina, the ACC Championship Game against Virginia Tech, and the Final Four to the Tar Heels again.
In the 2021-22 season, Wendell Moore made a huge impact on the court. His season-high in scoring came against Syracuse when he put up 26 points. On the year, he was named to the second-team All-ACC and the All-ACC Defensive Team. He also won the Julius Erving Award, as the top collegiate small forward.
For his career, Wendell Moore averaged 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He also shot 45.9% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range.
In the pre-draft process, there was debate as to where he would be drafted. Most experts agreed that he would fit somewhere in the second round. ESPN placed him at 36th overall in a mock draft.
There is a lot to like about Wendell Moore at the next level. He has a massive wingspan and is an excellent ball-handler. That’s going to make him versatile on both sides of the court. He’s also a smart player who rebounds well, due to that length.
At the same time, there’s room for him to improve as a shooter, especially off the dribble. He’ll also need to keep working to clean up turnovers at the NBA level, or he’ll become too much of a liability as the ball-handler.
Wendell Moore has all the potential in the world. The question is whether or not he can live up to that potential.
On3’s Daniel Morrison also contributed to this article.