Matthew Moyer is ready to be the last great Orangeman under the Jim Boeheim regime at Syracuse University. “Hopefully, we can win him a national championship before he retires.” Said the 6’8”, 205lb Power Forward.

Moyer, a high school senior, committed to Syracuse on August 8, 2014, the summer before the start of his Junior year. Since then, he has gone on to dominate the high school circuit at South Kent School (South Kent, CT), along with fellow basketball superstars Myles Powell (2016) and Tremont Waters (2017). “Matt is the perfect teammate,” explained Powell. “He’s always there when you need him.”

 

Moyer’s team first attitude is a key component of his game. While most power forwards are focused on their ability to score the basketball, Moyer is willing to do whatever it takes to win. As he says, “If I need to bring the ball up the floor, I can bring the ball up the floor. If I need to rebound, I can rebound. If I need to play Center, I can play Center. So, my greatest strength is that I can be the utility man that Syracuse recruited me to be.”

It’s clear that his unselfishness on the court has really resonated with his teammates. As Myles Powell said, “Matt never complains about anything. As long as the team is winning, Matt doesn't care what's going on. He can have zero points while the worst teammate on the team can have 40 points and at the end of the day you'll think it was Matt was the one who scored 40.” Powell continued. “He has such a big heart and I love that kid to death.”

 

Not only does Moyer excel as a teammate, but he has also done a tremendous job handling the pressure that comes with being a top prospect in the Class of 2016. Although he is ranked by ESPN as being the #57 prospect in his class, you wouldn’t know it from talking with him. Throughout his high school career, Moyer has stayed focused on his game and has refrained from getting distracted by rankings or scouts. “I don’t care about the attention. I’m just here to get better and I’m just blessed to have a scholarship. If I let the stress get to me, I wouldn’t be able to play. It would break me into pieces.”

Instead of being broken into pieces, Moyer has shined. Ever since he started to play at the age of five, Moyer has modeled his game after NBA legend, Paul Pierce. Watching Pierce play has definitely helped him transform his game, making him one of the toughest players to guard in high school basketball. “My favorite player of all time is definitely Paul Pierce.” Moyer explained. “Paul Pierce is the G.O.A.T. to me. I study him, l try to get all of my moves from him and he is my idol.”

 

Despite growing up as a Paul Pierce fan and holding an offer from Pierce’s alma mater, Kansas, Moyer decided to choose a different path in Syracuse. Before committing, Moyer held nearly 50 scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, Florida, and Texas, but there was only school that Moyer had in mind. “At Syracuse, I just feel like I fit. I fit as far as playstyles, campus life, and the program,” explained the Syracuse commit.  “I liked the coaching staff. I have a really good relationship with Coach Gerry McNamara. I just felt like it was home. Every time I went to the campus, I went twice before I committed, it just felt like home.”

Although he committed relatively early in the recruiting process, before the start of his Junior year, he wouldn’t recommend that for everyone, He advises, “Go at your pace. Whether that means waiting until the last day to commit or signing Freshman year, whatever is the best fit for you or the best fit for your family, go at your own pace.”

 

While there is no doubt that Moyer is a dominant force on the court, there are many things that people don’t know about him. “I play the violin,” said Moyer. “I really enjoy that in my free time and I take pride in that. I played in the orchestra through 11th grade and it was fun.”

Not only is he an avid musician, but Moyer also mentioned that he likes to play chess in his free time. Having hobbies away from basketball, such as playing chess and the violin, haw helped Moyer become a well rounded student-athlete.

 

Matthew Moyer’s high school career came to an end on March 8, and now he has the opportunity to truly make a name for himself next year at Syracuse. He will definitely be a player to keep an eye on next season in college basketball, and as he sums it up best: “It’s not really like I need motivation. I’m playing a sport I love, I get to go to a school that I dreamed of going to as a kid, and it’s just a blessing to be able to play the sport I love at the level that I’m playing at. I know I can’t sit back and complain, so motivation is always gonna be there, from this point out, especially because I’ve done things over the summer that I’ve never thought I would do. I watched players Jared Sullinger and Trey Burke, and see what they can do and I’m blessed. There’s really nothing I need to motivate me.”