Marshall "Cole" Moore '16 Recruiting Profile

I graduated from Rio Grande High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 9, 2016.    Even though I struggles with a few of mid-season games and fell into a bit of shooting slump during my senior year, I am very proud of my accomplishments.  I was recently ranked by NMPreps as the #4 top wing in the class of 2016 for the state of New Mexico.  I was also awarded the John Hood Outstanding Athlete Award at graduation.  

I have signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Johnson and Wales University in Denver beginning with the fall 2015 term.  I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to play basketball at the college and I look forward to continued growth both academically and athletically.

During my senior year in high school our team finished our regular 2015-16 season ranked as #7 in our 6A state division.  We won our first round game in the state tournament but lost our second game in the quarterfinals. Although I am very sad to see my high school basketball career come to an end, I am looking forward to moving on to college and continuing to play and improve my skills.  

Our 2014-2015 season went well and I am pleased to say that I grew considerably over the season.  My coaches have helped me improve my shooting average, and my skill in getting the ball to the basket from the inside.  My confidence level in being able to drive to the basket has soared. One of the things that has improved the most is my defensive skills.  Learning to be quick on my feet and more flexible has helped me to become a defensive threat.  This past summer I played on several AAU teams and my focus was to continue to improve my game basics. I also staying in the gym to work on my strength and endurance

In July 2015 NMPreps Basketball began naming the top 60 basketball players in the state of New Mexico.  I was ranked number 11 in the state.  I feel very honored at this distinction.

In 2014-2015 I was awarded All-Metro 3rd Team, NMPreps 6A All-State 3rd Team, NMPreps All-Tournament 2nd Team, All-District Academic Team, and All-District Honorable Mention.  I was also award All-Metro Athlete of the week (February 21st) for scoring 30 points in our game against Albuquerque High and scoring 19 points in our upset over the top 6A team in our district (Valley High School).

I have been playing basketball since I was in the first grade.  I began playing basketball for the local YMCA and later moved up to more competitive teams ( Albuquerque Youth Basketball League and AAU).  I played for a number of years on an elite youth team and was able to travel to competitions in Utah, Arizona and Texas.  I have been lucky enough to be on teams with several committed coaches who saw my potential and worked with me to develop my athletic skills.

During my Freshman year I played starting guard for the Rio Grande High School Junior Varsity team and was also a floater on the Varsity team.  During my sophomore year I played shooting guard for the Varsity team.  Last year and this year I played starting Varsity - I generally played shooting guard, point guard or small forward but sometimes I also float in as power forward or center when needed.  

My current coach, Sean Jimenez, is always telling us that academics come first.  Therefore, I strive to keep my grades up and I usually take at least 2 honors or AP courses per year.  My current GPA is 3.5.  I have never been benched for poor grades.  I like to think of myself as a scholar athlete.  

Basketball is my passion but I know that I have to continue to work hard to achieve my academic and athletic goals.  Right now I have the support of my coaches and my family to make my dreams and goals happen.  I also know that there are thousands of other players who have these same goals and that I must continue to raise my goals and reach for the stars if I want to be noticed.  I believe that I am ready to play at the next level and I look forward to the upcoming competitions that will help me become a better player.