R.J. Moore, son of UConn great Ricky Moore, commits to Rutgers and Steve Pikiell

2027 prospect R.J. Moore, the son of former UConn men’s basketball player and assistant coach Ricky Moore, developed under the guidance of his father, arguably the program’s most beloved defender

Now, R.J. Moore will learn from another pass-first former UConn point guard with a passion for defense after announcing his commitment to Rutgers and head coach Steve Pikiell last Friday. Dan Hurley’s staff displayed early interest in the legacy recruit, but Moore ultimately chose Rutgers over interest from Vanderbilt, Alabama and Wake Forest, among others. 

“The reason I chose Rutgers is because they did a phenomenal job building a great relationship with me,” Moore told The Knight Report. “They have terrific resources and the players really enjoy spending time with each other. I definitely want to be a part of a basketball family like Rutgers.”

Moore is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in North Carolina and a top-50 overall prospect nationally, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, which makes him the highest-rated Rutgers commit since the star-studded duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. Growing a bit taller than his father at 6-foot-6, Moore has emerged as a standout perimeter shooting prospect on the wing, looking to add a bit more size and physicality to his game in order to match his dad’s famed defensive impact. 

Ricky Moore also emerged as a high school standout from the South, earning All-American honors at Westside High School in Augusta, Georgia, before enrolling at Jim Calhoun’s UConn program ahead of the 1995-96 season. In keeping with his flamethrowing high school reputation, Ricky Moore became a steady nine-point-per-game scorer for Calhoun by his sophomore season. However, the 6-foot-2 guard instead assumed a defensive stopper role during his final two seasons in Storrs, and his work guarding Duke’s William Avery and Trajan Langdon helped the Huskies spring a memorable upset in the 1999 national title game. 

After his senior season at Ambassador Christian School this fall, R.J. Moore is set to join Rutgers ahead of the 2027-28 campaign. Pikiell, who grew up in Bristol and was a two-time captain at UConn from 1987 to 1991, announced Wednesday that he’s battling cancer and plans to remain involved with the Scarlet Knights “to the best of my ability” while undergoing treatment.

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This article originally published at R.J. Moore, son of UConn great Ricky Moore, commits to Rutgers and Steve Pikiell.