Temple University Athletics
A Basketball Life – J.P. Moorman II Looks to Shine for Cherry and White
7.12.17 | Men's Basketball
When J.P. Moorman II was 10 years old, his dad sat him down and told him it was time for him to make his own decisions. After coaching him in a league since he was three years old, his dad thought it was time for Moorman to decide if he wanted to play basketball for himself.
"He told me if I wanted to be good at basketball it was up to me," Moorman said. "He told me he would help me and he would be happy to go to the gym with me, whatever I wanted. But he wouldn't make me go to the gym anymore."
Moorman decided he wanted to stick with the sport and that's when he fell in love with the game.
His love for the game helped him get through hard times, especially during his younger days. When he was in sixth grade, Moorman was going up against players that were better than him and he started to question whether or not he really wanted to play. In the end, instead of driving him away from the game, those challenges drove him to improve.
"I realized I had a gift and I wasn't bad," Moorman said. "I could still compete with guys my age, so I just worked harder and got better."
Seeing competition wasn't something new for Moorman, who had been playing and competing with boys who were older and bigger since he was three years old.
While most toddlers were still shaky on their feet, Moorman was the youngest player in the league, going up against five year olds on Fisher Price hoops. The next year, he once again showed that he was ahead of his time when he entered the league's dunk contest and came in second place.
While Moorman started dunking when he was four years old, it wasn't until 10 years later, in May of 2013, that he made his first dunk on a 10-foot hoop.
"It was kind of surreal," Moorman said. "I had to try it again to make sure it wasn't a fluke and I made it again. I've been dunking ever since then."
At first, his nerves were getting the best of him and the first time he dunked in a game it wasn't clean. But one year after he dunked for the first time, his nerves were gone and he started dunking over people, including 6-11 defenders.
When he wasn't dunking over players nearly four inches taller than him, Moorman was helping lead his high school team to two North Carolina state championships and two appearances in the Dick's National Tournament. Those efforts helped earn him a spot on the all-state first team his junior and senior years.
But none of that matters anymore to Moorman, who's ready to take what he has learned to Broad Street and help lead Temple to an NCAA Tournament appearance.
"That's all in the past now," Moorman said. "I'm ready to move on with this new journey and play in Philly, I'm excited."
Moorman said he hopes to contribute to the team through his versatility of being able to guard multiple positions, being a distributer with the ability to find the open man. He also wants to be seen as a leader, even though he is only a freshman.
"I'm really hoping to earn some minutes and bring a positive energy," Moorman said. "I feel like I have a good basketball IQ, so I'm going to try to be a good student of the game as well."
Success at Temple would help Moorman achieve his biggest goals of playing in the NBA and providing for his family back in Greensboro, N.C.
"Obviously being a basketball player and playing for so long, I have dreams of making it to the NBA," Moorman said. "And taking care of my family to make sure they don't have to work again."
Moorman knows it will take hard work to prove himself as an Owl, but he is confident that the work he has put in for the past 15 years has made him ready for this moment, and he wants the fans to know that.
"They're getting a dog in their program," Moorman said. "I'm going to bring energy and intensity, toughness and tenacity. That's just something to expect."
-----
J.P. Moorman caught up one-on-one with OwlsTV's Morgyn Seigfried. Click here to watch video.
"He told me if I wanted to be good at basketball it was up to me," Moorman said. "He told me he would help me and he would be happy to go to the gym with me, whatever I wanted. But he wouldn't make me go to the gym anymore."
Moorman decided he wanted to stick with the sport and that's when he fell in love with the game.
His love for the game helped him get through hard times, especially during his younger days. When he was in sixth grade, Moorman was going up against players that were better than him and he started to question whether or not he really wanted to play. In the end, instead of driving him away from the game, those challenges drove him to improve.
"I realized I had a gift and I wasn't bad," Moorman said. "I could still compete with guys my age, so I just worked harder and got better."
Seeing competition wasn't something new for Moorman, who had been playing and competing with boys who were older and bigger since he was three years old.
While most toddlers were still shaky on their feet, Moorman was the youngest player in the league, going up against five year olds on Fisher Price hoops. The next year, he once again showed that he was ahead of his time when he entered the league's dunk contest and came in second place.
While Moorman started dunking when he was four years old, it wasn't until 10 years later, in May of 2013, that he made his first dunk on a 10-foot hoop.
"It was kind of surreal," Moorman said. "I had to try it again to make sure it wasn't a fluke and I made it again. I've been dunking ever since then."
At first, his nerves were getting the best of him and the first time he dunked in a game it wasn't clean. But one year after he dunked for the first time, his nerves were gone and he started dunking over people, including 6-11 defenders.
When he wasn't dunking over players nearly four inches taller than him, Moorman was helping lead his high school team to two North Carolina state championships and two appearances in the Dick's National Tournament. Those efforts helped earn him a spot on the all-state first team his junior and senior years.
But none of that matters anymore to Moorman, who's ready to take what he has learned to Broad Street and help lead Temple to an NCAA Tournament appearance.
"That's all in the past now," Moorman said. "I'm ready to move on with this new journey and play in Philly, I'm excited."
Moorman said he hopes to contribute to the team through his versatility of being able to guard multiple positions, being a distributer with the ability to find the open man. He also wants to be seen as a leader, even though he is only a freshman.
"I'm really hoping to earn some minutes and bring a positive energy," Moorman said. "I feel like I have a good basketball IQ, so I'm going to try to be a good student of the game as well."
Success at Temple would help Moorman achieve his biggest goals of playing in the NBA and providing for his family back in Greensboro, N.C.
"Obviously being a basketball player and playing for so long, I have dreams of making it to the NBA," Moorman said. "And taking care of my family to make sure they don't have to work again."
Moorman knows it will take hard work to prove himself as an Owl, but he is confident that the work he has put in for the past 15 years has made him ready for this moment, and he wants the fans to know that.
"They're getting a dog in their program," Moorman said. "I'm going to bring energy and intensity, toughness and tenacity. That's just something to expect."
-----
J.P. Moorman caught up one-on-one with OwlsTV's Morgyn Seigfried. Click here to watch video.
Ep. 4: Temple Athletics Weekly Recap; Men's Soccer Captain Lukas Egarter
Tuesday, September 16
Temple Men's Basketball | Babatunde Durodola Day In The Life
Saturday, September 13
Ep. 3: Temple Volleyball Head Coach Linda Hampton-Keith || Lacrosse Student-Athlete Jenna Facciolli
Friday, September 12
Ep. 2: Temple Football Alum Tyler Matakevich || Gymnastics Junior Amelia Budd
Friday, September 05
