The 2021-22 season is the gift that keeps on giving for Providence.
Clearly, the on-court success of the team is paying immediate dividends for Ed Cooley and his staff, as they secured three critical transfer commitments in three days this weekend.
One of those commits, 6’10 La Salle center Clifton Moore, has a long history with a certain Friar who can tell him just how impactful a season in Providence can be to his career.
Moore wasn’t just teammates with Al Durham at Indiana, they were high school prospects who spent their official visits in Bloomington together way back in 2016.
It’s one thing to hear from a coaching staff on how they will utilize you, but it’s entirely different when it comes from a former teammate — and one as respected as Durham.
When CBS went behind the scenes with the Friars during the NCAA Tournament, Durham was emotional following Providence’s Sweet 16 loss to Kansas — not only due to the end of the season, but as he put it, because he felt like Cooley and the Friar coaching staff let him be himself on the court for the first time in forever.
So much has changed since Durham and Moore were in high school visiting Indiana in the fall of 2016. Tom Crean was the head coach of the Hoosiers at the time, but he was replaced by Archie Miller before Durham and Moore officially registered as students. Both players decided to stick with Indiana through the transition. Durham played four years there before spending a graduate season at PC, while Moore opted out in 2019 after being used sparingly through two seasons.
It was off to La Salle for the Pennsylvania native, who sat out 2019-20 after transferring (per NCAA rules at the time). That season he watched as Ed Croswell dominated the offensive glass for the Explorers before Croswell decided to transfer at the end of the year.
That opened up an opportunity for Moore, who saw steadier minutes in 2020-21 before taking off this past year for La Salle. The Explorers struggled to an 11-19 finish to the season, resulting in the firing of head coach Ashley Howard. Howard’s termination led to a sizable exodus of players, including Clifton Moore.
The defensive end is where Moore figures to make the biggest impact in what will be his only season in a Providence uniform. He blocked nearly three shots a game (2.8) and his 83 swats on the season were good for fifteenth in the country. It also set a new La Salle single-season record.
For some perspective, Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner blocked 89 shots in 34 games. Moore blocked his 83 in 30 contests.
He also averaged 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds a game this season. Moore was particularly effective offensively at the rim, where he shot 72.5% (66-91) from the field — which is well above the national average of 64.8%.