For those of you who have been on the edge of your seats, waiting for those Kipp Schutz and Broderick Lewis season-in-review posts, I'm sorry. This is it. Daniel Moore received more playing time than any other walk-on by far, and more than scholarship player Tijan Jobe. Moore, a freshman walk-on, isn't a typical walk-on. Moore was an Indiana All-Star as a high school senior and he entertained low Division I offers (he was headed to Boston University for a basketball scholarship before deciding to walk on at IU). Still, Moore was forced into action far earlier than would have been expected and on a team with little college experience.
Moore's game log shows that as Verdell Jones improved, Moore's playing time waned. Moore started 11 games, but one one during Big Ten play. He averaged 17 minutes per game overall but only 10 per game in Big Ten play. After playing more than 20 minutes in 10 of IU's non-conference games, he did so only twice in Big Ten play. Still, Moore played early because he was the most prepared to play point guard. Other than Verdell Jones (3.6/3.5), he was the only Hoosier to end up in the black on his assist/turnover ratio (2.5/2.1). Unfortunately, Moore brought little to the table as a scorer, and rarely took any shot that wasn't a layup. On average, Moore took 2 shots per game. He shot a respectable 36 percent from behind the arc but only 60 percent from the line. As with so many Hoosiers, it's tough to criticize Moore for any of these "failings." He was forced into a tough situation and was a very reliable player, particularly early in the season when Tom Crean had no one else to rely upon. Moore's career stats will be fairly unusual. He's unlikely to ever again play as much as he did as a freshman. Still, he was a steady hand when needed, and hopefully he will have the chance to contribute on some teams that are better than 6-25.
The highlights:
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Moore scored a season-best 10 points and added 5 assists in IU's Maui win over Chaminade.
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While he scored only 1 point, he had 5 assists and only one turnover in a decently competitive home game against Ohio State.