Plenty in reserve
Junior guard is excelling in his role this season for the Falcons
By: Bill Bordewick
Issue date: 2/6/08 Section: Sports
Brian Moten is definitely the exception to the rule.
While not a stone cold lock, the general rule of thumb in basketball is the cream rises to the top.
The cream in this case means that the best players will start and the less-talented, less-experienced players will come off the bench.
This is not the case with Moten. The Saginaw, Mich., native is experiencing his best season as a Falcon in his third year with the program.
"I'm playing with a lot more confidence," Moten said. "That comes from my teammates and the coaches expecting that out of me."
Moten's role on the team is to come in and bring energy off the bench while the starters are getting a breather.
He has taken his role and ran with it since the start of the new year. When the calendar turned from 2007 to 2008, Moten just took off.
The junior is averaging 11.4 points per game in the nine games played since the start of the new year. He had previously been averaging 3.5 points per game in the 11 games prior.
Moten's play over the last month has re-wrote the records books per say. He has now recorded personal career-highs in points, rebounds, field goals made, field goals attempted, free throws made, and blocks in his last nine games alone.
Moten attributes this success to the greater playing time that he has received over the last nine games.
"Like I said earlier, it's all about what they are expecting out me," Moten reiterated. "It's not like the guys I'm playing with don't expect me to score points."
"They know I came from a high school program and a prep school program - and I scored a lot of points," he said. "I'm just trying to prove I can do it on the college level."
He has certainly proven that he can do that with his play of late. He is shooting at a 50 percent clip this season, including 42 percent from three.
His three point threat has made it easier on players like Nate Miller and Darryl Clements because they now have wider driving lanes because the opposition knows they can not leave Moten alone.
While not a stone cold lock, the general rule of thumb in basketball is the cream rises to the top.
The cream in this case means that the best players will start and the less-talented, less-experienced players will come off the bench.
This is not the case with Moten. The Saginaw, Mich., native is experiencing his best season as a Falcon in his third year with the program.
"I'm playing with a lot more confidence," Moten said. "That comes from my teammates and the coaches expecting that out of me."
Moten's role on the team is to come in and bring energy off the bench while the starters are getting a breather.
He has taken his role and ran with it since the start of the new year. When the calendar turned from 2007 to 2008, Moten just took off.
The junior is averaging 11.4 points per game in the nine games played since the start of the new year. He had previously been averaging 3.5 points per game in the 11 games prior.
Moten's play over the last month has re-wrote the records books per say. He has now recorded personal career-highs in points, rebounds, field goals made, field goals attempted, free throws made, and blocks in his last nine games alone.
Moten attributes this success to the greater playing time that he has received over the last nine games.
"Like I said earlier, it's all about what they are expecting out me," Moten reiterated. "It's not like the guys I'm playing with don't expect me to score points."
"They know I came from a high school program and a prep school program - and I scored a lot of points," he said. "I'm just trying to prove I can do it on the college level."
He has certainly proven that he can do that with his play of late. He is shooting at a 50 percent clip this season, including 42 percent from three.
His three point threat has made it easier on players like Nate Miller and Darryl Clements because they now have wider driving lanes because the opposition knows they can not leave Moten alone.
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