Moore pays tribute to family

Senior guard Ramone Moore changes his number to honor his cousin.

Redshirt-senior guard Ramone Moore is wearing a new number this year to show that family support is more significant than personal pride on the court.

A recent family tragedy prompted Moore to further devote his final season as an Owl to his family. This past summer, Moore’s 10-year-old cousin, Zaire, died in a car accident and Moore decided to honor him by changing his jersey number from 23 to 10.

“It’s big for me to change my number and dedicate my season to my little cousin,” Moore said. “I thought this was the biggest thing that I could do for my family and for myself to pay tribute to his life and just give back.”

Moore, a Philadelphia native, said Zaire was his “biggest fan.”

“This year actually my cousin would call me in the summertime and tell me he couldn’t wait for my games to start,” Moore said.

“So anytime I get a chance to think about him and just think about that number change, it just means a lot,” he added.

The loss taught Moore to remember the importance of family, he said. Moore’s four-year-old daughter, Simone, never misses a home game, he said.

“It’s a joy to look in the stands and see her walking around, enjoying the game and smiling,” Moore said. “That just gives me that extra push to come in each day and work hard, just to try to give her the best life possible.”

“I’ve always been a family person,” Moore added. “That was one of the main reasons I stayed home to play at Temple, for my family to be able to see me continue to play. Basically I just want to go out here and give it my all and be the best Temple Owl that I can be.”

Moore has progressed throughout his career to become the cornerstone player that the Owls’ lineup will look to rally around in the upcoming season. A Second Team All-State honoree in high school, Moore redshirted his first year at Temple due to academic ineligibility.

“[Ineligibility] was a little downfall, but I got back on my feet with the help of my teammates and my coaches,” Moore said. “I kept working and I went to class and got my grades together.”

In 2010, Moore was named the Atlantic Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year after playing in every game, while averaging 7.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

Last season Moore started every game and led the team in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per contest.

“[Moore] is a really good basketball player,” coach Fran Dunphy said. “He’s got a great knack for scoring, which is what we’re going to need. We’ll also need him to make plays.”

Moore said he is not only looking forward to seeing how the team competes in the conference and against the top teams in the nation, but also to his graduation day.

“[Moore] is going to graduate in May, and it’s just really a terrific thing for [him] and for his family,” Dunphy said. “He deserves a lot of credit and I think Temple University deserves a lot of credit for giving him the opportunity and nurturing and guiding him as he has gone throughout his academic career. I’m very happy for [Moore] for the position that he’s in.”

Moore said he is looking forward to his senior year.

“Every year I’m just trying to get better as a player and a father, and I think I’ve done that,” Moore said.

Connor Showalter can be reached at connor.showalter@temple.edu.