In the “get old and stay old” gospel that Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner likes to preach, perhaps no other team member represents his vision more than forward Moses Wright. The long-armed sophomore didn’t grow up playing organized basketball, played for his high-school varsity team only as a senior and wasn’t even among the 515 prospects in the 2017 class rated by 247Sports.
As a freshman, Wright showed glimpses that he had ACC-level ability, but had difficulty consistently playing with effort. As a sophomore, Wright is getting better in that regard.
“He’s been way more consistent this year than he was last year,” Pastner said. “I’m proud of him for that.”
While his minutes have varied and his role has been reduced since Pastner has switched his lineup to start James Banks at center and Abdoulaye Gueye at forward, Tech will likely need a full effort from Wright on Saturday when the Yellow Jackets play Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla. The Seminoles are long, deep and athletic, and given their prowess at drawing fouls, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Wright plays a role in the outcome.
“He’s got to be great for us with his athleticism, his length,” Pastner said of Wright’s role in general.
Wright shows the ability to make the multiple-effort plays that Pastner demands, often evidenced in his fighting for position on rebounds. Wright is averaging 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game, numbers that extrapolate to a decent 9.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per 30 minutes.
“I feel like every single day I’m maturing more with my game and my mental focus,” Wright said.
Pastner said that “absolutely” he’d like to see more rebounding from Wright but acknowledged that he’s often not positioned to do so. In Tech’s 1-3-1 zone, he has been flanked on the perimeter as part of the three-man middle line, where his 6-foot-9 frame and long reach can be put to use harassing perimeter shooters, but it also means he’s often not near the basket to rebound. He also has only eight blocked shots, one in ACC play.
On offense, Wright is often in the corner spacing the floor, which has two limitations – he is not a 3-point threat and, given Pastner’s decision to send more players back on defense when a shot goes up to prevent fast breaks, he’s often not attacking the offensive glass.
“I’ve talked about this (with the staff) – maybe we need to do something to keep him around the hoop (on defense),” Pastner said. “Some of our offense does have it where he’s on the perimeter, as well, so that’s not all his fault also.”
Wright mirrors his team – an effective defender but not fearsome at the other end. He is shooting 48.9 percent on 2-point baskets, one of the lowest rates in the ACC among forwards. He doesn’t get fouled often and doesn’t make his free throws (46.9 percent).
“He’s got a good-looking stroke,” Pastner said. “It’s just (that) he makes a lot in the shooting drills in practice. He just has not made them in games. And he’s had some wide-open looks, as well.”
He’s also prone to bad decisions with the ball. He has 20 turnovers in 20 games. Against Clemson on Jan. 16, Wright gave a picture of where he stands. Midway through the first half, Wright wiggled around a box-out attempt by a Clemson player to win a defensive rebound, an effort play. At the other end, on the wing just inside the arc, he attempted a pass of no more than eight feet to guard Michael Devoe on the sideline, apparently not noticing Clemson guard Marcquise Reed rushing to jump the lane. Reed stole the ball and raced downcourt for an easy layup.
It doesn't quite match his preseason aspiration, when he said that he felt like he could be a double-double player and that "getting 10, 11, 12 rebounds a game should be easy."
The mixed results perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise for someone who played only one season of varsity basketball, a player signed in the spring of 2017 after Tech coaches swung for the fences in the fall and fell short, signing only guard Jose Alvarado in the early signing period.
For Wright, learning to be an energy guy also is a challenge, as is learning to be a sub with inconsistent minutes. Pastner acknowledged that he can be quick with a hook for subs. Wright has started 14 games, but has come off the bench four of the past five games.
“It’s hard to play (in a role of energy giver) because everybody doesn’t like practice every day,” Wright said. “Those days, I have to learn how to bring the energy I still have.”
It is part of the challenge of a team that is trying to gain experience and be competitive in the most rigorous conference in the country. When Wright is a junior and senior, he’ll presumably have a more rounded and productive game. In the meantime, the Jackets have to try to win as he and his teammates develop.
“He’s still got to have carryover from practice into games because he does some great things in practice,” Pastner said. “He’s got to have the same mentality in the games, but he’s still young and he’s still improving and there’s a lot of good that he’s done.”
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