Countdown to Tipoff: Moses Wright

Forward | 6’9 | 233lbs. | Senior

2019-2020: 13.0PTS 7.0REB 1.1BLK

Entering his senior season, the fact that Moses Wright will be considered one of the centerpieces of the team is almost shocking to believe. In his first two years on Tech’s campus, Wright was a raw, unpolished athlete still figuring out how to play basketball. Last season as a junior, he transformed into a potent, low-post offensive threat for the Jackets as a complement to guards Jose Alvarado and Mike Devoe. Tech’s significant improvement last season, when they finished 5th in the ACC, can almost exclusively be attributed to the jump in play from Wright. Now as a senior, with center James Banks having graduated and moved on, Moses will be asked to do even more as the team’s only returning front court threat.

Looking at the sophomore to junior leap that Wright made, it was evident in every area of his game. His scoring and rebounding numbers almost doubled and his shooting percentages improved in every area on the floor. Most notable among these efficiency stats was the uptick in free throw percentage as he improved from 49% to 62%, removing himself as a liability from the stripe. A couple areas that Moses can still improve in entering his senior year are playmaking and outside shooting, neither being areas where he has excelled in. It will also be interesting to see if his role changes at all this year, with Tech not rostering any returning centers. While they will have options at that spot in the form of freshmen and transfers, coach Pastner may elect to move Wright away from his usual power forward position at times. I think this makes even more sense with the bruising nature of Moses’ games, as Tech can try to position three or four shooters around him to improve floor spacing. If Moses shows up with a vastly improved outside shot, this will be less necessary but I would expect to see it at least a little bit this year.

Overall, the sky is the limit this year for the big man from Raleigh. He should have the opportunity to stuff the stat sheet each night and I think has a great chance to make a run at one of the ACC all-conference teams. Moses will play a big role in getting the Jackets back to the big dance, so here’s to hoping his broad shoulders are ready to carry those expectations. Check out his junior year highlights!