DESPITE REPORTS circulating online, athletic guard SJ Moore’s transfer to the College of Saint Benilde (CSB) Blazers is still unconfirmed.
CSB backer Strong Group Athletics announced Moore’s potential comeback to the NCAA on Tuesday night, July 2, in a Facebook post. However, the post was deleted after about an hour.
“[First] of all [,] SJ is not yet leaving UST as of my knowledge,” Growling Tigers’ manager Waiyip Chong told The Flame.
Speculations that the 6’2 guard from Bohol would leave UST after a one-year playing stint mounted last Monday after he posted a photo on his Instagram story with the caption, “[I]t was a good run.”
Moore boasted superstar numbers in his lone year as a high school standout in Arellano University, averaging 19.25 points, 7.26 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
However, the winger struggled to find his footing with the bottom-dwelling Tigers, averaging just 2.36 points and 1.36 rebounds in no more than eight minutes per game in Season 86. He only touched the floor six times out of 14 games.
Moore’s lackluster rookie season was further hampered by a leg injury he suffered after a bad landing during a game against the UP Fighting Maroons last November 15.
The 20-year-old cager competed in the UAAP Season 86 3×3 men’s basketball tournament but averaged a lowly 1.75 points. UST secured a fourth-place finish during the contest.
If Moore transfers, he would have to sit out for one full academic year before he is allowed to play in the NCAA tournament.
With or without Moore, UST will be seeing the debut of new recruits in the upcoming UAAP Season 87, comprising of former Ateneo guard Forthsky Padrigao, former UE guard Kyle Paranada, bigman Zain Mahmood, Fil-Ams Ashon Andrews, Geremy Robinson and Leland Estacio. F
