Tai Wesley
July 23, 2020
Armani Moore
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 25/03/94
- Place of Birth: Swainsboro, Georgia (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 193
- Weight (KG): 98
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Tennessee (2012–2016)
- NBL DEBUT: 11/10/18
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 16/02/19
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: New Zealand 2019
- Championships: 0
- None
NICKNAME/S: Moe Money
BIO: Armani T’Bori Moore was born and raised in Swainsboro, Georgia and attended Swainsboro High School for three years. He transferred to Mount Paran Christian School in nearby Kennesaw, Georgia before his senior year.
As a senior, Moore averaged 22 points, 9.3 rebounds, 30.9 blocks and 2.6 steals as Mount Paran went 24-6 and advance to the second round of the 2012 Georgia High School Association Class A playoffs. He committed to play for the University of Tennessee over offers from Mississippi and the College of Charleston.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Armani Moore made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 24 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.
In 2018, a new regime was brought about at the Breakers organisation. In February, a consortium headed by former NBA player Matt Walsh became the majority shareholders via a newly formed company called Breakers Basketball Ltd, thus ending the 13-year Liz and Paul Blackwell ownership team.
Next came the exodus of four of the franchise’s most long-serving figures during the off-season. Paul Henare’s 15 years as player and coach came to an end, New Zealand’s all-time leading scorer Kirk Penney retired, and Alex Pledger (to Melbourne), Mika Vukona (to Brisbane), and young talent Robert Loe (to Cairns) all signed deals elsewhere.
Thomas Abercrombie would step into the role of captain with Vukona’s exit, and former player Kevin Braswell signed up to be the team’s new head coach. Braswell was tasked with remaking the Breakers squad, which included bringing back Tai Wesley (via Melbourne) and Tall Blacks star Corey Webster (via Europe) on a three-year deal. Jarrad Weeks (via Cairns) and Majok Majok (via Melbourne) were later added to finalize the team’s local roster, while Patrick Richard, Armani Moore, and Shawn Long signed as import players.
The Breakers headed to the USA and faced the Phoenix Suns in a preseason NBLxNBA exhibition game to start their season. Despite being heavy underdogs, New Zealand pushed the Suns to the limit, making a late surge to cut the lead to four in the final minute before falling just short in a 91–86 loss. Corey Webster (27 points and 7 assists) and Tai Wesley (15 points and 7 rebounds) led the Breakers offensively. Phoenix, who were without star Devin Booker, relied on Deandre Ayton (21 points and 15 rebounds) and Trevor Ariza (16 points and 6 assists).
New Zealand’s season was marked by inconsistency, injuries, and roster changes, leading to a difficult start with a five-game losing streak in late November and early December. The team struggled to find their footing, winning just four of their first twelve games.
New Zealand’s lacklustre season was also due to several key players not delivering as expected. Corey Webster, who was once a premier scorer in the league, experienced his worst statistical season in five years. Thomas Abercrombie (8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) and Shea Ili (7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) both saw a decline from last season, while imports Patrick Richard (11.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) and Armani Moore (7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) fell short of expectations.
Despite ups and downs, Moore delivered several strong performances for the Breakers. His best games included a 17-point, 4-rebound, and 3-assist effort against Adelaide (28 Oct 2018), where he made 6 of 9 field goals. He followed this with a 13-point, 6-rebound, and 2-assist game against Illawarra (21 Dec 2018), contributing 2 steals and 1 block while shooting 5 of 9 from the field. Moore also recorded 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists against Illawarra (14 Feb 2019), adding 2 steals and hitting 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
In January, New Zealand (8-12) fell to the bottom of the ladder following three consecutive losses, including one to last-placed Cairns. Despite their efforts to regain form, the Breakers ended their season with a 12-16 record, finishing in sixth place and missing the playoffs.
Alongside Moore, the Breakers saw strong contributions from Jarrad Weeks (10.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), who enjoyed a career-best season and was a runner-up for both the Best Sixth Man and Most Improved Player awards. Tai Wesley (14.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) continued his consistent play, while Shawn Long (18.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) ranked second in the league for both rebounds and blocks, earning a spot on the All-NBL Second Team and winning the Breakers Club MVP.
Armani Moore played one season in the NBL. He averaged 7.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 24 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 25 | New Zealand | 12-16 (6) | 24 | 477.3 | 171 | 102 | 42 | 18 | 84 | 21 | 14 | 26 | 54 | 64 | 153 | 42% | 21 | 62 | 34% | 22 | 35 | 63% | 50% | 49% | 17 | Totals | 24 | 477 | 171 | 102 | 42 | 18 | 84 | 21 | 14 | 26 | 54 | 64 | 153 | 41.8% | 21 | 62 | 33.9% | 22 | 35 | 62.9% | 51% | 49% | 17 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 25 | New Zealand | 12-16 (6) | 24 | 19.9 | 7.1 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 6.4 | 42% | 0.9 | 2.6 | 34% | 0.9 | 1.5 | 63% | 50% | 49% | 17 | Total | 24 | 19.9 | 7.1 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 6.4 | 41.8% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 33.9% | 0.9 | 2.6 | 62.9% | 51% | 49% | 17 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 17 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
|---|
COLLEGE
Armani Moore played four seasons at the University of Tennessee from 2012–13 through 2015–16, appearing in 129 games and starting 111, becoming one of the most durable and defensively impactful players of the Rick Barnes era and his predecessor Cuonzo Martin.
As a freshman in the 2012–13 season, Moore played in all 35 games and made 31 starts, averaging 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while earning SEC All-Freshman Team honours and helping Tennessee reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, where the Volunteers were eliminated by Michigan.
Moore’s role expanded significantly as a sophomore in 2013–14, when he started all 34 games and averaged 8.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, ranking among the SEC leaders in rebounding while anchoring Tennessee’s frontcourt defensively throughout conference play.
During the 2014–15 season, Moore continued as a full-time starter, appearing in all 35 games and averaging 9.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game as Tennessee reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons, falling to eventual national runner-up Michigan State.
As a senior in 2015–16, Moore produced his most complete season, starting all 25 games he played and averaging 10.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while leading Tennessee in rebounding and steals, and ranking among the SEC’s top defenders.
That senior campaign earned Moore All-SEC Defensive Team honours, recognizing his versatility, physicality, and ability to guard multiple positions, as well as his consistency as a rebounding presence on both ends of the floor.
Across his Tennessee career, Moore finished with 1,039 points and 890 rebounds, ranking among the program’s career leaders in games played, starts, and total rebounds, while becoming one of only a handful of Volunteers to approach a 1,000-point, 900-rebound career combination.
Moore’s collegiate tenure also included multiple deep postseason runs, with Tennessee making three NCAA Tournament appearances during his four seasons, including two Sweet 16 trips, establishing him as a core contributor during one of the program’s most stable stretches of the 2010s.
AWARDS
Polish League champion (2017)
Related
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