Saturday, April 23, 2011
Posted: 5:48 p.m.
By Ryan Feldman
CSNPhilly.com Contributor
Its amazing how so much can change in just a matter of hours.
Temple fans can breathe easy. Ramone Moore has changed his mind and will not be filling out paperwork to enter the NBA draft.
Moore confirmed via text message that he would not be entering the NBA draft.
I care a lot for Temples basketball program, my teammates, and especially the fans, Moore said. I want to leave a legacy before I move on to the next stage of my career, and the best way I know how to do that is by staying another year and helping to bring the A-10 title home where it belongs.
Moore decided yesterday that he would declare for the NBA draft. He wanted to test the waters, go through an NBA workout and get feedback from NBA teams. He wasnt going to sign with an agent, but he wasnt ruling it out.
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As late as early this morning, Moore was quoted as saying he was planning on declaring for the draft today. A Temple spokesperson confirmed the report this morning as well.
But something or someone changed his mind between then and now, and he ultimately decided to return to Temple for his senior year.
I talked to him last night and he said he was going to declare, said a source close to Moore. I talked to him this morning and he had a change of heart.
The source spoke with Moore after he changed his mind and opted not to enter the draft.
He said, Its all behind me, the source said. He said hes going to just focus on next year.
If Moore had declared for the draft, he was hoping to be invited to the May 7-8 group workout for underclassmen hosted by the New Jersey Nets, which is expected to include scouts from all 30 NBA teams.
The guy I talked to (from the New Jersey Nets) said there was an 80 percent chance he would get invited if he declared, the source said, but I guess that wasnt enough.
Its a normal occurrence for juniors that have a chance to make the NBA to declare for the draft and at least test the waters. There is no harm in juniors going through an NBA workout or two and getting some feedback before returning to school.
The source added that Moore decided to return to school for one last shot at unfinished business, and that he hopes to attend a few camps this summer to improve his NBA draft stock and measure himself against top competition.
The deadline to declare for the NBA draft is Sunday, but the source said its doubtful Moore will change his mind again. Once underclassmen declare for the draft, they have until May 8 to withdraw.
Moore, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard, averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season as a redshirt junior. He shot 44.7 percent from the field and 38.3 percent on three-point attempts.
With Moore set to return for the Owls, they lose only one significant player in senior Lavoy Allen. The only other senior is Dutch Gaitley, who played sparingly.
The Owls, which reached the third round of the NCAA tournament this season, are expected to be ranked in the Top 25 going into next season. Their starting lineup will likely include Moore, Juan Fernandez, Micheal Eric, Scootie Randall and either Khalif Wyatt or Rahlir Jefferson.
Ryan Feldman covers college basketball and the NBA Draft for his website, TheHoopsReport.com. He can be reached at rfeldman@thehoopsreport.com.