STARKVILLE — On Jan. 25 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Shakeel Moore entered Mississippi State’s starting lineup for the first time all season.
For the Bulldogs’ first 17 games, Moore came off the bench while Southeast Missouri guard Eric Reed Jr. began the game on the court. Moore still played solid minutes — between 16 and 30 every night — but he wasn’t the starter.
By that night, though, Mississippi State coach Chris Jans had had enough.
“It was just time,” Jans said after the Bulldogs’ loss at Alabama. “We felt like we needed to switch it up.”
The move didn’t pay dividends right away, as Moore scored 5 points on just 2-of-10 shooting in the 66-63 defeat. But in the two games since, the one-time NC State guard has proven Jans’ instincts right.
Moore’s career-high 22-point game Tuesday in a road win at South Carolina vindicated a decision that seemed long overdue.
It has just as much to do with Reed’s ineffectiveness as it does Moore’s improved play.
Reed hasn’t scored in double digits since totaling 11 points in a Dec. 20 loss to Drake. He’s scored a grand total of two points in 30 minutes over the Bulldogs’ past three games, ever since losing his starting job. While still a strong offensive rebounder, Reed has lost his shooting touch, making just 25.7 percent of his 3-point attempts this season.
Moore, of course, has had his own share of struggles. Even after going 2 of 4 from deep Tuesday, he’s sitting at 25.6 percent from 3 on the year — a hair below his teammate.
But Moore’s two-way contributions have been crucial for the Bulldogs.
Moore’s 5.6 percent steal rate ranks third in the nation, and he’s racked up 43 steals on the season — almost two per game.
“He’s a pest on defense,” Jans told the SEC Network after Tuesday’s win. “He gets his hands on a lot of balls.”
Moore has gotten more involved in the Bulldogs’ offense, too. He was its focal point in the victory over the Gamecocks, running the show efficiently: 9 of 11 from the field and 2 of 3 from the foul line, where he’s making 80 percent of his free throws.
Moore said he’s been working on shooting night in and night out, although Jans said he’s had to build the junior guard’s confidence.
How, exactly?
“I tell him to shoot that thing, man,” Jans said. “Shak’s got a killer shot fake. It’s like you got a toy at Christmas and it’s worn out by the New Year. He just uses it over and over, and it’s a really good one, but we need him to score for us, obviously. He’s gotten a lot more confident recently.”
Moore has reached double digits in five of his past seven games after doing so just twice in his first 13 contests of the season.
Despite an inefficient shooting night, he got up to 15 points Jan. 11 at Georgia. On Jan. 17 against Tennessee in Starkville, he was just 5 of 13 from the field but 8 of 8 at the line in a 20-point game.
Moore played a big role in Saturday’s win over TCU with a pair of 3-pointers in overtime, and he delivered the Bulldogs another victory with his 22-point performance Tuesday.
When it comes to starting or coming off the bench, Moore said he’s willing to do “whatever Coach wants from me,” but he acknowledged being able to start feels different.
“At the collegiate level, I’m pretty sure everybody would love that job, and it’s a great thing to do,” Moore said.
With the way Moore is playing, he’s unlikely to give up his new starting spot anytime soon.
“His confidence is at an all-time high, at least from my time with him,” Jans said. “I’m really excited for him.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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