The Connection

Khory Moore struggled with academics in his early years at Wakefield High School. A standout basketball player, Moore missed the first half of his sophomore season due to poor grades.

Moore eventually got his act together in the classroom and returned to the basketball court. During his senior year, Moore and the Warriors had a season to remember.

Moore, a 2013 Wakefield High School graduate, earned National District Player of the Year and first-team all-region honors. He guided Wakefield to the 2012-13 district championship, a berth in the Northern Region championship game and trip to the state semifinals. Moore drained six 3-pointers and scored 37 points in an overtime loss to Woodson in the region tournament final.

The sharpshooting guard will continue his basketball career at Division III Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk.

Q: What made Virginia Wesleyan the right fit for you?

Moore: Well, VWC is/was the only school recruiting me heavily, and the grades I got in my first couple years of high school didn't really attract DII or DI schools, even though athletically I probably could have played on that level. But just their play style is very up and down, similar to Wakefield’s, and coach Dave Macedo is a great coach and I love his coaching style. This was a great fit because this is probably one of the best programs in Division III and it felt like home.

Q: Any word on playing time as a freshman?

Moore: No, not at all. I do feel like there is a lot of pressure on me to go in and play immediately because of my high school career and the fact that coach Macedo recruited me heavily. With my go-getit mindset and ambition, I probably see myself getting some playing time as a freshman, but I also know that it's a bunch of guys, soon to be teammates, that have the same mentality as me, so I just have to go in and work hard and compete for every second of playing time.

Q: What is your favorite memory of playing basketball at Wakefield?

Moore: My favorite memory has to be my whole senior year. It was a great year. Senior year was just a result of hard work and dedication to the game day in and day out. I've been through a lot as a member of the Wakefield community and just having a great season like that just makes me realize that hard work does pay off! This season was just great, and glad that I got to do it with my Wakefield family. Warrior Nation!

Q: If you could go back and change one thing about your high school athletic career, what would it be?

Moore: Taking it for granted. I never knew how special it was until it was over. Everything happened so quick, didn't get a chance to really enjoy it or let it sink in. But that's the thing about something great; it never sinks in during the moment, only afterward do you realize how great it really was.

Q: At what age did you start playing basketball? When did you realize playing college basketball was a possibility for you?

Moore: I believe I started at the age of 7 or maybe 8. But I was never that good. I always played with kids one or two years older than me. I didn't really start to get good until my eighth-grade year. Since then, basketball was everything to me. I think basketball means more to me because I worked hard to get where I'm at today, and it's just that much more exciting to be in the position I'm in now, getting ready to play college ball! Didn't really think about college ball until the summer before my senior year, when I was killing the AAU scene, playing for my high school coach Tony Bentley and his team, Team Pro Look. Started getting a couple college looks and said to myself, "You could really play at the next level." That's when I knew that I was most likely continuing my basketball career in college.

Q: What are you most looking forward to about the transition from high school to college?

Moore: Growing up. I need college for more than just basketball and school. Those are very important to me, but I need to learn how to become independent and responsible. I'm a mama’s boy and I'm a spoiled brat. I just think it’s time for me to grow up and what better place to do that than at college? College will teach me responsibility, college will give me a little taste of what the real world is like and that's what I need. Always got to prepare for the next step in life; I always think about my future more than I do the present.

Q: You played a primary role in the Wakefield boys’ basketball team’s “Harlem Shake” video. What kind of a response did the team receive when the video came out?

Moore: LOL, the team actually got a lot of buzz from that video, way more than we expected. We just did it for fun and to loosen up during tournament time. That was a fun experience. I think we got voted for one of the best “Harlem Shake” videos in the DMV if I'm not mistaken.

Q: Who is your favorite music artist? Why?

Moore: I would have to say my favorite music artist is J. Cole. I love more of his old stuff than his new, but he is a great artist. I respect him because he talks about more than just drugs, money and sex. He talks about real life situations, school, friends, etc. He is just very versatile in his music and it’s good because he's not coming off as something that he's not. He also played ball and relates that in some of his music as well.

Q: What is your favorite hobby outside of basketball?

Moore: Probably would be spending time with my family and my girlfriend. If I'm not in the gym or in the books, I'm either with my family or my girl. The most important things in my life. And they're the reason I am where I am today. My mom, granddad, brother and girlfriend helped me get to this point and I love them to death and couldn't thank them enough for all that they have done for me.

Q: What location is the farthest you’ve traveled from the Washington, D.C. metro area?

Moore: Las Vegas, baby! Traveled there for my last AAU basketball tournament and it was great. It was hard for me because I hate to fly, but it was worth it. Ended up making it to the final four in the gold bracket. A big shoutout to coach Tony Bentley and Team Pro Look! Remember that name!

— Jon Roetman