The Kansas men’s basketball team’s latest addition, Shakeel Moore, didn’t arrive with significant fanfare. On3 ranked him as the 285th-best transfer in the portal, and 247Sports placed him at 274th. By comparison, AJ Storr, another standout Jayhawks’ offseason acquisition, is a top-10 transfer on both sites.
Moore’s transfer also manifested differently than others. Unlike Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen, who was linked to the Jayhawks for weeks, Moore’s name only began circulating as a KU target shortly before his commitment. His decision on June 5 was overshadowed by the loss of guard Elmarko Jackson to a torn patellar tendon, confirmed by an MRI just hours earlier.
However, Moore’s addition makes a lot of sense for KU’s already impressive 2024-25 roster. Despite modest rankings, he provides instant defense and backup point guard capabilities to a team that saw one promising possibility at that position decommit and another suffer a season-ending injury.
“Shakeel is a combo guard who can play on and off the ball,” head coach Bill Self said in announcing Moore’s official signing on Tuesday. “He’s a terrific athlete, and we feel like he will be a nice complement to the personnel already on the roster. His experience and maturity should allow him to be a good fit here. He’s a tremendous young man that will graduate from Mississippi State this summer.”
Moore’s acceptance of a scholarship offer to KU, given the talent already coming in, shows his willingness to play a smaller role. Self described him as a “complement” to KU’s 11 healthy players, matching what Self had said he was looking for in another roster addition: “How do we have somebody that can come in and be a nice asset to us and benefit the other ones’ skill levels?”
Moore’s not a top-notch scorer, averaging 8.4 points per game for his career, and at 6-foot-1, he’s a bit small. However, he has started 68 career games between tournament-caliber teams in two of the nation’s most prestigious conferences. He could have found a team to play a more prominent role in his final year of eligibility, but he picked KU, likely as a seventh to ninth man.
Self recently said, “Guys that have been in college for a while … if they haven’t won consistently where they’ve been, winning does kind of drive their motivation many times.” Tournament success was a motivating factor for Moore last offseason. Mississippi State earned a No. 8 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament but took a resounding loss in the first round to Michigan State. Moore is still seeking his first tournament win.
In a video posted by KU on social media, Moore expressed his excitement: “I can’t wait to get on the floor with my new brothers. I definitely have goals of winning a ‘natty’ this year, and conference championships, and all of the above.”
Moore’s role in helping the Jayhawks achieve these goals will likely involve using the point-guard portion of his combo-guard skill set, especially given that Harris, KU’s primary point guard, was overtaxed last season. South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo was also considered for the backup point guard role before Moore’s commitment. Mayo’s shooting and shot-creation could limit Moore’s minutes, though Moore could still play off the ball.
Moore’s defensive background, as a top-15 candidate for national defensive player of the year honors as a junior, makes him an appealing addition for KU. His experience ensures he won’t be squeezed out of the rotation entirely.
After acquiring top players early in the transfer portal, Self and his staff focused on positional need with Moore’s acquisition. It won’t be a surprise if this move pays off significantly.
