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McDonald's Nuggets: Moses Wright's rise, Baylor, more

In this week’s edition of McDonald’s Nuggets, Dan McDonald talks with ACC Player of the Year Moses Wright about his rise to stardom and also names his Team of the Week and the 2022 Commit of the Week.

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MORE: Cassidy's Takeaways from showcase in Florida | Rivals Roundtable

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

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SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK: Moses Wright’s rise to ACC Player of the Year

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Moses Wright
Moses Wright (AP Images)

After seeing Moses Wright go from an under-the-radar recruit with very limited options to an underclassman at Georgia Tech not getting much playing time all the way to becoming the ACC Player of the Year on Monday, I decided it would be interesting to learn more about his story. He discussed the recruiting process, how he ended up at Georgia Tech and why he never left for another school when that is such a popular move these days.

Dan McDonald: How frustrating was it to not have your recruitment pick up until late in your senior year?

Moses Wright: “It wasn’t really that frustrating, to be honest. I wasn’t really fazed by it. I knew if an opportunity did come, I would make the most of it. My mom and my coaches told me something was going to come, and I just listened to them and kept my head from going to a bad place.”

DM: Which schools recruited you?

MW: “Catawba was my first offer. I had Catawba, UNC Charlotte and Wake Forest interested. Kansas State was interested, too. Georgia Tech was the only high-major school to offer. UNC Charlotte was the only other Division I school to offer.”

DM: How did Georgia Tech find you?

MW: “I’m pretty sure coach (Darryl) LaBarrie called my coach with Garner Road and he was asking for a forward. My coach sent him clips of me. He got me in touch with coach LaBarrie and I went on an official visit. I ended up getting an offer when I went down there for my visit. They watched high school clips of me from my senior year because it was the dead period after the season when it happened.”

DM: Why didn’t you leave Georgia Tech when you weren’t getting a ton of playing time early in your career?

MW: “Because Georgia Tech was the only major school that offered me. My mom wanted me to leave because I wasn’t playing, but I told her I couldn’t leave because they gave me a chance when nobody else would. I was never the type to leave. I wasn’t about to leave because I wasn’t playing. I just needed to get better.”

DM: What advice would you give any young player in high school not getting recruited like they want or any underclassman in college not getting the playing time they want?

MW: “Keep your head down and stay grinding and your time is going to come. If you put in the work, it’s going to show. You can’t just talk about doing the work and not do it and make excuses like the coach doesn’t like you. If you put in the work and are grinding, the coach is going to see it and it’s going to happen. Personally, I kept an inner circle. My mom was the only person in my inner circle that wanted me to transfer. I love my mom to death and everything, but that was one thing I didn’t listen to her on. I have my inner circle and don’t really listen to what everyone else out there says because they don’t always have your best interest in mind like the people closest to you.”

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TEAM OF THE WEEK: Baylor

Jared Butler
Jared Butler (AP Images)

There were several choices for this week, but I’m going to combine the last week-and-a-half for Baylor and give the Bears the award. To bounce back from their first loss of the season to Kansas with wins over West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech is ridiculously impressive. The Bears looked a little shaky coming out of the pause from action, but they look like they’ve got their momentum back in time to make a deep run this month.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH BAYLOR FANS AT SICEMSPORTS.COM

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2022 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Nick Krass to Ole Miss

Earlier this week, Kermit Davis and the Ole Miss staff secured a commitment from Nick Krass, an under-the-radar guard from Mississippi. Before choosing Ole Miss, not many schools knew about the 6-foot-4 combo guard who has a nice jump shot and brings some toughness to the table. Southern Miss had offered, and interest had come in from others like Colorado State and Drake. The Rebels ended up offering Krass a scholarship after watching him go for 40 points against East Marion, and obviously it didn’t take long for him to jump on the opportunity.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OLE MISS FANS AT REBELGROVE.COM

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