ESPN 60 junior Justin Moore out of DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland became the second player to give Villanova an early verbal commitment in the Class of 2019, following an unofficial visit to campus on Tuesday. Here's a look at what he'll bring to Philadelphia.
Why he committed: Villanova has made the DMV region a recruiting priority for years and has deep in-roads in particular into Moore's AAU program, Team Takeover, which has produced the likes of Josh Hart, Phil Booth and Brandon Slater in recent years. Villanova made an impression on Moore by making him an early priority. The Wildcats offered him last fall, when he was just in the first stages of returning from an ACL injury. They had him on campus unofficially and continued to pursue him throughout the year. They were one of four programs, along with Louisville, Maryland and Wake Forest, that Moore and his family hosted for in-home visits last month. It reportedly made an impression on Moore when the entire staff showed up at his house. Wright and his assistants were also fixtures at all of Moore’s games the past two weekends of the April recruiting period.
What he brings: The characteristics that Villanova typically prioritizes in its recruiting efforts are character, versatility and skill. Moore checks all of those boxes. He’s a big guard who can play and defend multiple positions. He’s skilled on the offensive end with an emerging weapon from behind the 3-point line and a more-than-capable secondary ball-handler and playmaker who was actually being developed as a big lead guard earlier in his career. His body is as mature as his floor game with a physically strong frame and good positional size. The intangibles are there as well with his competitiveness, toughness and character.
How he fits: Moore fits the Villanova prototype to a tee. Defensively, the Wildcats' system is based on being able to switch 1 through 4 as often as possible. His perimeter size and body type are ideal for that. Offensively, it's a team that wants to have multiple playmakers and 3-point shooters on the floor at all times. There’s a clear fit there as well, especially given the rapid development of Moore's jumper over the past year. Villanova is also one of the rare programs that practices what it preaches when it comes to recruiting to its culture. Again, he fits that mold, given his intangibles and the way in which he prioritizes winning above all else.
How the class is shaping up: Moore joins Eric Dixon in the Wildcats' 2019 class to date. Dixon is a slightly undersized but very long, wide-bodied big with great hands and touch who is one of the most efficient frontcourt players in the class. While Nova is likely to add more pieces before it is done, the Cats are undoubtedly off to a strong early start. Coming on the heels of a 2018 class that was perhaps Wright’s best at Villanova with a trio of players who finished in the top half of the ESPN 100 (five-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly, sharp-shooting forward Cole Swider and Slater, a long and versatile lefty wing), the Wildcats now appear to be recruiting at an unprecedented level, which is hardly a surprise after winning two national championships in the past three years.
Who he reminds us of: It’s not a perfect match, but Moore shares several characteristics with Hart, not just in terms of their local roots and shared grassroots experiences but also in terms of their body type, hard-working approach and the consistent progression of their skill set. While that’s anything but a guarantee for Moore, it does provide him with a clear example and player after which to model himself.