www.bviolympics.com Basketball Moses was allowed to practice with the team and this past season made the cut. While he has not had lots of playing time, he made the best of the time he had in whatever role he’s called on to play. In a Bucs game against Caribbean, with an 83-80 lead after several starters fouled out and four players on the court had foul trouble, Moses who was in the game earlier, was called up on to step to the line. He made a valuable contribution to the Bucs, as his free throws gave them their first victory of the season, 85-80 as time ran out on Caribbean. “I’m very proud or Moses. He really stepped up,” Georges said. “It was a growing point for the guys. In past situations, something like that would happen and we’d normally lose the game.” Moses said that was the highlight of the season. “We really didn’t have any highlights at that point. A lot of people called and they tapped me up at the gym,” he recalled. “I’ve changed from playing a power forward role on Tortola to the guard position, so I had to get more accustomed to dribbling the ball. I’ve gotten more accustomed to the outside game, so the role is coming to me.” Moses says he likes playing with the Bucs and said the atmosphere is like a family and he gived it his all. “I’m a Buccaneer to the ground,” the computer science major said. “When I came down I came to the team and said I would stay two years then transfer, but I said nah. I’m going to remain a Buccaneer for four years until I get my Masters.” Before matriculating at UVI, Moses played with And One and said it’s a big difference in games. At home he knew everyone and what they could do. With UVI, he’s meeting players for the very first time. “You don’t know the strong points of the players so you go in with a blank slate, until you get in a game and see what they can do,” he pointed out. “You see somebody at 6’2”, that’s the average height for a guard. You know he can dribble the ball and shoot treys, but you play him hard. “If you have a bigger man you adjust your game accordingly.” In preparing for games with the Bucs, there was a big difference tan what he was accustomed to. There was a lot of running, fast break drills, plays, free throw and defensive drills. Practices run between 2-2½” hours. “It’s a lot different to training here. Up here, you run two courts laps, do some stretches then get into practicing,” he explained. “During the off season, I worked in the gym, run some miles on the treadmill. We also ran on the beach in the loose sand and in the water.” What advice does he have for young players aspiring to play collegiate ball? “You can’t forget your school work. To play on a college team you have to get the work done,” he noted. “At UVI, you must have a minimum 2.25 GPA in order to play. So, you can’t forget the schoolwork while in school. If you are playing basketball, you are on the team for a reason because you love the sport. If you don’t love the sport, you don’t belong there,” he noted. “When you are on the team, you have a role. You can’t play around with it or take it for granted because there’s no guarantee you’ll be on the team next year. You play hard this year, to try and be safe for next year.” © Copyright 2007 BVI Olympic Committee |
