East guard Moss coming into his own as top 2018 prospect
In a city with as much basketball talent as Memphis, it’s easy to get overlooked. But it would be a mistake to overlook East’s T.J. Moss.
Moss, who helped lead the Mustangs to the AAA state championship in March, is one of the area’s top prospects in the class of 2018. That class and the one the next year are stacked with potential high-major players.
D.J. Jeffries of Olive Branch is ranked fifth nationally in the class of 2019 and Cordova rising junior Tyler Harris wows observers with his Steph Currylike shooting range.
Even on his own team, Moss sometimes takes a back seat. Alex Lomax won the Mr. Basketball and Gatorade state player of the year awards and Chandler Lawson is, well, the latest talented Lawson.
But Moss is carving out his own niche.
“Sometimes I do (feel overlooked), but on our team, anybody can have a great game,” he said. “The exposure helps all of us ... I’m just trying to take advantage of it.”
Added local trainer Scottie Mason, who has worked with Moss for several years, “I think he is overlooked to a certain extent. If he was on a .500 team, he could easily average 30 points. But you look at how (East coach) Penny (Hardaway) plays. He uses 12, 13 guys and substitutes (frequently).
“That team has a lot of talent. So T.J. really doesn’t have to be a big-time scorer. And he’s winning, that’s what matters most to him.”
The 6-3 guard was nicknamed “Easy” by an uncle who thought he made the game look easy. And he does.
Moss has a great shooting stroke out to the 3-point line and beyond and his great athleticism makes him very effective in the open court and slashing to the rim. With his long arms, he has the potential to be a lockdown defender and will surely improve in Hardaway’s relentless, pressing system.
“The (college) coaches would like to see me do more off the dribble,” he said. “And talk more on the floor.”
Mason, who also counts two-time Pepsi Best of the Preps girls basketball winner Myah Taylor of Olive Branch and fast-rising 6-4 Ridgeway junior Elizabeth Dixon among his athletes, has been most impressed by Moss’ mental improvement on the floor.
“He has a high basketball IQ and understands the game very well,” he said. “And he’s learned to adapt to the adversity in a game; how do you handle winning and losing or what do you do after a bad shot or a turnover?
“You have to have a short memory in basketball.”
Moss’ first offer came from Tennessee-Martin and since then Iowa State, Florida, TCU, UMass, Ole Miss and Alabama have joined the list. The University of Memphis offered under Josh Pastner but when asked if he had heard from the Tigers since Tubby Smith took over, Moss said no.
Moss has also visited Arizona and Arizona State and said he “loved” everything about those trips. Even the weather.
“I love the heat, not the humidity,” he laughed. “When I go on a college visit, I’m looking at how they can help me develop into an NBA player and also how to develop into a better man.”
TSSAA RECOMMENDS STANDING PAT
The Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association has recommended that Division 1 high school football remain at the current six classes while keeping three classes for basketball, baseball and softball.
The TSSAA’s Board of Control will meet July 27 to vote on the new classification plan that will take effect starting in 2017-18. The board was presented with several alternate classification plans Tuesday. A plan to expand to four classes for basketball, baseball and softball — which would effectively end district tournaments and reduce the state tournament from eight to four teams — is also on the table.
A plan for Division 2 football could add a third class, with the three classes being equally divided or with the 12 schools with the highest enrollment comprising the top class.