‘Fearless’ freshman Shakeel Moore starts to shine at the perfect time for NC State
Kevin Keatts said what N.C. State fans were probably thinking about freshman guard Shakeel Moore.
“I’m glad he’s on my team,” Keatts said after the Wolfpack knocked off No. 17 UNC, 79-76 Tuesday night at home.
Moore’s starting to shine at the perfect time, showing up in primetime against the rival Tar Heels. Late in the game, Keatts said his upperclassmen, Braxton Beverly and Thomas Allen, earned the right to be on the floor. But it was Moore who showed off the characteristics that drew Keatts to him on the recruiting trail in the first place.
Keatts said Moore was fearless, tough and he hadn’t seen a freshman guard like him since Peyton Siva, who played at Louisville when Keatts was an assistant coach there.
Moore scored a season-high 17 points in 15 minutes and made his debut in the rivalry game a memorable one. UNC came into the contest with a touted six-man freshman class, including two first-year guards, Caleb Love and R.J. Davis, in the starting lineup.
Love and Davis, both McDonald’s All-Americans, came into the season with more accolades and stars. None of that mattered to Moore, who wanted to prove that he, along with his classmate, Cam Hayes, were just as talented.
It was Moore who got the last laugh.
Shakeel Moore is ‘fearless’ against UNC
Moore hit only three 3-pointers coming into the game against North Carolina. His first two baskets were from behind the arch. His next basket was a dunk on a fast break. The dunk came after he stole the ball at half court from Davis and finished at the rim, something he did often during his high school days at Moravian Prep near Hickory. His game there caught the eye of Keatts and even though he wasn’t ranked as a Top 100 type player, the intangibles are what made Keatts offer him a scholarship.
“One of the things we talked about in recruiting is we want to get guys who are super tough, or skilled,” Keatts said. “With him, as we saw him, he was a really good basketball player.”
It was another word Keatts used to describe Moore.
“Fearless,” Keatts said.
The moment wasn’t too big for Moore and it was key on a night when State (5-1) needed an additional scoring threat to help Devon Daniels and Manny Bates. Moore came into the contest against UNC having scored eight points against Campbell, one shy of his previous season-high. He had eight points in his first three trips on the offensive end of the floor and it was obvious early that the 6-1 Moore had had this game circled on his calendar.
Moore played AAU basketball with Hayes, who scored seven points in his first game back after missing two straight due to the coronavirus, and the duo wanted to show they were equally as talented as Love and Davis. It’s something they discussed in the days leading up to the UNC game.
“Pretty much, yeah, it definitely was,” Moore said when asked if the matchup was personal. “We saw those guys all summer and it wasn’t new to us and it was just something to keep the chip on our shoulder and show that we’re just as good of guards as they are, if not better.”
Love and Davis combined for 22 points, Moore and Hayes combined for 24. Love missed his last four shots from the floor and the Pack was still energized from a baseline dunk Moore had late in the second half to spark his team. It was a perfect highlight of the athleticism Keatts talked about he saw in Moore during his recruitment. It was just half the story on what sold Keatts. The fourth-year Wolfpack coach knew Moore would bring some fight to N.C. State.
“Shak’s tough,” Keatts said. “He’ll fight you, he’ll claw at you. He’s super athletic, he’s super competitive.”
Will Moore have another game like the one against the Tar Heels?
Daniels said the freshmen had no fear against North Carolina. In practice, he’s seen this type of performance from Moore and knows there is more to come.
“Shak is a monster,” Daniels said. “And he’s still getting his feet wet.”
Being a North Carolina native (Greensboro), Moore admitted this game meant a little extra something to him.
“Everyone talks about Carolina, blue bloods this, blue bloods that,” Moore said. “It just meant a lot for me to come in, handle what I can handle and show coach he can trust me out there making plays for my team.”
N.C. State and UNC won’t play again until Jan. 23. It’s tough to say if Moore will have another game like the one he had Tuesday, but if you listen to him, he’ll always play with an edge, even if it’s not the Tar Heels on the other end.
“I’ve always kept a chip on my shoulder,” Moore said. “That chip got me to where I am today and I’m never going to let it leave my shoulder.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 11:20 PM with the headline "‘Fearless’ freshman Shakeel Moore starts to shine at the perfect time for NC State."