Becca Schulte
Reporting Student
Adrian Rashad Moore, better known as “Ace” by his friends, came to Butler in January to join his new teammates on the basketball team. He will be a freshman on the court in the fall of 2017 as a business major hoping to become an insurance agent.
Moore came to Butler from the University of Texas at El Paso where he played basketball as well. Even further back though, he came from Conway, Arkansas where he grew up. Moore attended high school at North Little Rock High School.
Basketball became a part of Moore’s life at a very young age
“I’ve been playing basketball since I was in sixth grade, but I’ve been practicing with my dad for even longer,” Moore said.
His dad played basketball as well and that had a lot to do with Moore’s decision to play the sport.
Before basketball, Moore played on a competitive baseball team. He had to give it up in sixth grade due to the season’s schedules conflicting with the new basketball campaign he would be starting.
“I chose basketball because it just came more naturally to me,” Moore said.
Perhaps that sport came more naturally because of all the hours he put in practicing from a young age. Moor’s dad would practice with him every day before school when he was young.
“He taught me a lot of ball handling and shooting drills that we practiced every day,” Moore said. “Once I got older, a group of us would lift weights and work on drills every morning at 5 a.m.”
It was all of those early mornings and hard work that pushed his high school team to such a high level. Moore’s team won the state championship his freshman, sophomore and junior year. They were champions all except his senior year.
With that kind of success, it is no surprise he landed a scholarship at UTEP. Moore liked the school and enjoyed his teammates there. But when the season started, Moore received news that changed his path. His mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
“I felt like I needed to be closer to home and closer to her,” Moore said about why he decided to transfer.
He hoped to transfer to another Division I school, but because of the timing, the roster were full. Moore had heard of Butler through multiple people.
“It came highly recommended to me,” Moore said.
So he decided to give the Grizzlies a shot, and Butler has quickly become his new home.
Sports are not just a way for athletes to find a career, but they also teach the players life lessons along the way.
Moore said basketball has taught him just how important it is to network in life. He said it taught him how to build “long lasting relationships.”
It was these lessons that helped the transition to a new school seem so easy to him.
Many students are uncomfortable within the first months of a transition to a new school, but not for Moore.
“I’ve loved every second of it,” he said.
“The biggest difference here is the people,” Moore said. “It is so much easier to connect and find friendly people here.”
Now that he is at Butler, he is working out and practicing only with the basketball team. He hopes that he will receive Division I offers this spring and be back at that level again in the fall.
“Leaving after the spring or staying and playing a season next year are both best case scenarios to me,” Moore said.
He knows he has the talent to compete at a high level and that this school has the connections to get him there.
Watching the Division I National Tournament gave Moore a lot of motivation to work while he is at Butler. He followed it very closely and picked North Carolina to win it all in his bracket even though Kansas is his favorite team. Those big-time games and tournaments make him want to get back to that level that much more.
Basketball has always been a part of his life. Moore hopes to continue playing basketball for the rest of college, but is planning on parting ways with the game and pursuing his career after that.
“The NBA isn’t my goal, but I would never pass up an opportunity like that if it came along,” Moore said.
Moore has been through a lot in this past school year, but has kept his positive attitude and dreams alive throughout it all. He should be an inspiration to every athlete on and off the court.