College Basketball:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Omari Moore has been on quite a journey during his young life.

Moore began his prep basketball career at Pasadena High School.

He spent his sophomore and junior years at St. Francis, and then returned home to PHS for a memorable senior year.

During that 2017-18 season, the Bulldogs resembled a high school version of an ESPN SportsCenter highlight reel.

The all-star like roster featured Bryce Hamilton (UNLV), Darius Brown II (CSUN), Tavian Percy (New Mexico/Weber State), Darius Mason (Northern Idaho) and Moore.

The Bulldogs, led by longtime coach Tony Brooks, went 25-8 overall, 13-1 in the Pacific League and they competed in their second consecutive CIF-SS title game.

While they fell just short to ‘Big O’ and Chino Hills, PHS continued to represent their families, school, program and community so well.

They weren’t just a group of really talented basketball players, they were also bright, polite and well-spoken young men.

The chemistry on and off the court came naturally, because they were and remain very good friends to this day.

During that run, the 6-foot-6, 165-pound Moore looked like he didn’t eat much and hadn’t spent much time a weight room.

But despite his very lean frame, Omari played big.

He averaged 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals & 2 blocked shots per game for a team that won 16 consecutive before heading into the CIF title tilt.

And in spite of all the talent and just one basketball, they found a way to not care who got the headlines or most touches as long as they were winning games.

Moore would graduate from PHS with a 3.67 GPA.

But instead of going D-1 like Hamilton, Percy and DBII, Moore decided to attend Middlebrooks Academy in Los Angeles.

It was one of the best decisions in his life.

“Prep school is a different kind of grind,” Moore said. “The biggest thing at that time was that I was able to get stronger. It allowed me to get a lot stronger. It was a really good experience. I had nothing but time to concentrate on basketball and working out.”

Fast forward a year, and Moore himself is playing Division 1 basketball at San Jose State.

He’s still tall (6-foot-6 and some change as he put it), but he’s put on nearly 25 pounds of muscle.

And to no one’s surprise, he’s kept his grades above 3.5 and has made the Dean’s List both semesters at SJSU.

He also earned the accolade as a Mountain West Conference Scholar Athlete.

The Spartans didn’t have the year they wanted (7-24 overall, 3-15 in Mountain West Conference), but Omari’s game is definitely on the rise.

Moore played in 31 games and started in 20.

Omari averages five points, two assists, three rebounds and one steal each night.

His .504 shooting percentage is best among all SJSU starters and he converts on 74-percent of his free-throw attempts.

Moore was third on the team with 14 blocked shots and fourth in assists (55) and rebounds (116).

In a Thursday night phone interview, Moore talked about loving the community and its diversity in San Jose, as well as understanding now what his parents (Dana and Brent) were teaching him well before his college days.

“My mom tried to teach me how to cook and I thought I could follow directions, but I found out the first week I was here that it’s not that easy,” Moore said. “When I was younger, my parents made us do a lot of chores around the house, which prepared me well for what we have to do here. They also taught me how to communicate through disagreements. My dad helped me learn how to be confident in myself. When I was younger, my confidence was easily blown. He taught me to believe in myself and staying true to myself in all that I do.”

Moore also appreciates Tony Brooks, his former teammates at PHS and the community.

“Coach Brooks is such a giving and loving man. If anyone ever needs something, he finds a way to help them get it. He also held us to very high standards both on and off of the basketball court, and taught us to be selfless. We were a family in that program. And I couldn’t be more appreciative of the Pasadena community, because I see your support on social media and it means a lot to me.”

Omari’s favorite individual college moment was being able to play against UCLA in front of family and friends at Pauley Pavilion.

His top team moment was giving undefeated San Diego State a run for their money, which also came at a time that SJSU was on a major skid.

So, where does Omari Moore’s game stand now as the 2020-21 basketball season nears?

Said Omari Moore: “The toughest transition is playing against guys that are 6-foot-10 and 7-footers. I am now able to hold my own with (positions) 1-4 because of the improvement in strength, and I think my biggest attribute right now is being able to play good defense against our opponent’s best guard. I am going to continue to work as hard as I can to be the best player and teammate that I can be.”

Quotable:

Pasadena High School coach, Tony Brooks: “Omari Moore exemplifies what every coach in America wants in a student-athlete. Omari is a high character, highly-intelligent person who has one of the best upsides as a college basketball player. He truly has reached only the tip of his basketball capabilities and will continue to get better and better as he learns all of those intangibles that make a college basketball player great. He is an obvious example of how to do things the right way and in these days and times it is refreshing that a “good guy” is excelling.

On top of all of those accolades, Omari’s most valuable trait is his unselfishness and natural way to put his team and the players around him first. Omari is a winner and understands the value in team play and has always wanted to be an integral part of a team’s success. On his high school team at Pasadena, Omari sacrificed lot of his being “the man” to being one of the men. His talent was undeniable and I am so happy that his journey landed him a division one scholarship. You can’t help but cheer for Omari. He’s one of the nicest kid’s you’ll ever know, but one of the most fierce competitors.

Omari makes coaches look better than they are. He makes teachers better and for that, I’m sure his family is very proud. That’s what he did for me. For these reasons, I can’t wait to continue to follow his basketball and academic career as he continues to make everyone around him better.”

Former PHS point guard/current Cal State Northridge PG, Darius Brown II: “Omari is one of the most genuine guys I know and is a great teammate and person. His strength will be a great factor in Omari’s game and huge for finishing and getting to the paint and defense. It will make him great and I can’t wait to see it.”

Former Muir forward/current Elon guard, Hunter Woods: “Omari and I have a lot in common. We are both tall and lanky and we both needed to put on some muscle and strength to compete at a level we knew we could play. He’s also a very smart basketball player and person. Omari is an outstanding competitor and a very good guy. I know he’ll continue to work hard and succeed in a game we both love.”