Quadri Moore picked Cincinnati over Seton Hall on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-8 Linden (N.J.) High School big man first informed his AAU coaches and the Seton Hall coaching staff of his decision, and then called Cincinnati later Tuesday.
The news was first reported by SNY.tv Tuesday afternoon.
Moore had previously considered Wake Forest, Miami and Temple.
“It’s definitely a relief to have it over with,” Moore told Gannett New Jersey Tuesday night. “As it got to the end, it did get a little stressful and kind of confusing for me. I feel like I made a good decision.”
Moore, who averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots last year as a junior, has a terrific body and is strong outside shooter. He needs to develop his inside game going forward under head coach Mick Cronin.
“Obviously, Quadri brings a lot of skills to the table,” Sports U director Ed Bright told SNY.tv. “He really has improved over the last summer with us with his ball-handling and his decision-making with the ball. He’s not just a guy that wants to spot up all the time. But he’s got to grow his post play, being more dominant, which he absolutely has the ability to do.
“I think the most important thing for Quadri is by him committing, this gives him the opportunity to have the most important decision of his life out of the way and to focus on his academics, focus on his schoolwork. Make sure that he’s the best that he can be and prepare himself to be at the University of Cincinnati.”
New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski previously told SNY.tv: “He’s a guy who’s got to develop a back-to-the-basket game. Right now he has a nice touch, he’s a little too infatuated with stepping outside and shooting 3’s. He’s gotta rebound more. He’s got to learn to play 6-8. He’s lost 60 pounds, he’s in the best shape of his life, but he’s gotta learn to play 6-8.”
Seton Hall has enjoyed terrific momentum in recruiting circles in recent weeks, and had hoped to add Moore. The Pirates last week added 6-3 Brooklyn Bishop Loughlin combo guard Khadeen Carrington to a 2014 class that already included 6-9 Huntington (W.V.) Prep forward Angel Delgado and 6-7 combo forward Ismael Sanogo of Newark East Side.
On Saturday, Brooklyn Lincoln guard Isaiah Whitehead — one of the top shooting guards in the Class of 2014 — visited Seton Hall with Lincoln coach Tiny Morton.
Meantime, Cincinnati, which features New Jersey native Darren Savino as an assistant, continues its recruiting success in the New York/ New Jersey area under coach Cronin. The Bearcats previously landed Lance Stephenson, Jermaine Sanders, Shaq Thomas and Jermaine Lawrence.
“They have been to the NCAA Tournament the past couple of years,” Moore told Gannett. “That was something I looked at. And they did have a lot of bigs who had great careers there.”
