🏀 5 Things to Know About KU's Newest Player

• 🧐 5 Things to Know about Shakeel Moore 

• 🤔 Quick Links: Big 12 considering $1B in private equity?  

• 🔒 Is KU Hoops still recruiting for this year?

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

5 Things to Know About Shakeel Moore

I Heard from two sources familiar with KU’s newest player, Shakeel Moore. Both sources requested to remain anonymous, but I trust their insight into his game.

Everyone I’ve talked to really likes Moore. They’ve either complimented his personality or how hard he plays.

You can read about Moore from KU with a quote from Bill Self here.

I think this pickup may be better than we realized. Here’s what I learned:

1) He’s a Gambler on Defense

Anything you read about Moore starts with his defense. I’ve already noted he ranks in the 96th percentile nationally in shooting defense, per Synergy.

Here’s what the sources said about how he guards.

• “A solid overall defender.”

• “He’s a quick twitch player. Very quick hands.”

• “Tremendous instincts.”

• “He’s better at playing passing lanes and slapping down on the ball than just being a lockdown defender.”

  • Note: slapping down on the ball is when a player essentially knocks the ball out of someone’s hands.

• “He gambles for steals, which gets him in trouble.”

• “One of his best traits is creating turnovers.”

  • Note: He ranked second in steals divided by personal fouls in Feb. You can see the rankings and a better explanation here.

• “He gives up a lot of size but has long arms.”

• “Smaller guard but big-time athlete.”

2) He’s Best Going Downhill on Offense

The second thing you’ll read about Moore is that he isn’t a major factor on offense (though he seems to be improving). Here’s what the sources said:

• “He’s at his best attacking the rim in both half-court and transition".”

• “Best in transition.”

• “He’s a plus passer.”

• “A much improved three-point shooter.”

• “He hasn’t shown the ability to be a reliable shot maker.”

• “Good free throw shooter and cutter.”

  • Note: KU ran the fourth-most cutting action in the country last year. Moore’s off-ball movement could be really valuable.

3) His Numbers Compare Favorably

There are plenty of stats you could pull from that may tell a different story. Here are player stats measured by analytics expert Bart Torvik, and they look pretty good for Moore.

2023-24 Stat Comparison (data from BartTorvik.com)

4) The Dunks ❤️

Check these out.

5) Right Place, Right Time

I don’t want to overhype Moore or anything like that. He’s never been a huge scorer and will be coming off the bench for KU.

But bringing in a veteran role player who can add stability and steal extra possessions is the kind of thing that can make a real difference.

Moore isn’t splashy like AJ Storr or Rylan Griffen. But he doesn’t need to be. He just needs to help KU win.

As one of the sources said: “He’s a steal of a pickup this late.”

Please forward this to any friends who may enjoy it!

Do you want more player breakdowns like this for KU’s other additions? We’re building KU Hearings together.

Your feedback directly steers what I write in these newsletters!

Let me know what you think. 👇

🏀🏈 The Big 12 is reportedly considering taking up to $1 billion in private equity money (CBSSports). I’m tracking this story closesly and will keep you posted.

🏈 KU Journalism student Austin Eckert made a montage of the KU football stadium demolition that I thought was pretty cool. He also shared a new pic of the construction.

⛳️ Here are KU golfer Gunnar Broin’s tee times for the US Open. You can track his score here. For good measure, here’s Gary Woodland’s player tracker, too.

Become a paying subscriber of Premium to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.

A subscription gets you:

• • Real-Time Text Alerts – Never Miss a Breaking KU Story
• • Exclusive Scoops – Content Only for VIP Members
• • VIP-Only Newsletters – In-Depth Analysis and Insights
• • Direct Access – Text 1:1 with Mike
• • Secret Discord – Join the Exclusive Jayhawks Community