The Gatorade State Boys Basketball Players of the Year were selected based on athletic production and impact in the 2015-16 fall season. Each winner also demonstrated high academic achievement and exemplary personal character, including volunteerism, sportsmanship and community leadership.
For the complete list of Gatorade State Boys Basketball Player of the Year winners, click here.
THE WINNER: Charlie Moore
THE BASICS
School: Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.)
Grade: Senior
Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 155 pounds
Athletic achievement: He had led the Mustangs to a 26-3 record and a berth in the Class 3A Super-Sectional round at the time of his selection. A First Team All-City honoree by the Chicago Sun-Times, he averaged 25.1 points, 5.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 steals through 29 games. Moore, who received Honorable Mention All-State recognition from the Associated Press and Chicago Tribune as a junior, was shooting 65.0 percent from the field, 41.8 percent from 3-point range and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line entering the state postseason round of eight. Moore led Morgan Park to Class 3A state championships as a freshman and sophomore. He averaged a team-high 15.8 points and 4.5 assists to go along with 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game for the Mac Irvin Fire in Nike’s 2015 Elite Youth Basketball League.
Academic excellence: Moore has maintained a 3.86 weighted GPA.
Exemplary character: Also an accomplished artist, he has volunteered as part of the Mac Irvin Fire Turkey Drive each of the past two Thanksgiving holidays in addition to mentoring younger players in the program.
THE PRAISE
“Charlie loves the game of basketball and gives everything he has got every time he steps on the court,” said Morgan Park head coach Nick Irvin. “Off the court, he’s quiet and laid back, but when he steps on the court, he is all about doing whatever it takes to beat you and have his team win.”
THE FUTURE: Moore has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at the University of Memphis this fall.
