WATSONVILLE — Recent Monte Vista Christian graduate Delaney Moore signed her letter of intent to play basketball for the Idaho State Bengals over the weekend, the former Mustangs’ star told the Pajaronian Monday.
While several athletes decided to commit to their respective schools early on, Moore kept a couple of programs on hold as she finished off her final year of AAU basketball with the West Valley Basketball Club and searched for the perfect fit.
The next few days will be a mad dash for Moore, as she signs up for classes and housing and fills out media forms. But she said she had no regrets about waiting to make her commitment.
“I didn’t want to rush anything and I think by waiting so long I feel really comfortable about the situation I’m going into,” said Moore, who leaves for school in eight days. “I’m excited to head out there and start working.”
Moore took her first visit to Idaho State, which reached out late in the recruitment process, last weekend. The Bengals’ coaching staff, players and environment made it a no-brainer.
“What it really came down to was the people,” Moore said. “Meeting with them and seeing their approach to the game really sold me. They had the same thoughts that I did about being a team, about hard work, about everything really.”
Gifted with a 6-foot-1-inch frame and sharp basketball mind, Moore worked tirelessly over the last four years to develop her game under M.V.C. head coach Jennifer Keathley in the winter and also trained with W.V.B.C. head coach Bobby Bramlett in the offseason. She entered the Mustangs’ program as a blank slate with loads of potential and left as a complete player with a solid jump shot, respectable handle and underrated athleticism.
“I’m happy for her because she deserves this for the time and energy that she’s put in over the last five years,” Keathley said.
Moore was arguably the most dominant basketball player in Santa Cruz County last season.
Playing her fourth varsity season as the Mustangs’ starting center, she led the team in points (17.8), rebounds (10.2), assists (2.9), steals (4.6) and blocks (4.4) per game, while powering M.V.C. to its seventh straight Central Coast Section playoff berth.
She set the school’s single-game record for points (33) and blocks (12) this season, while also earning Monterey Bay League Gabilan division co-Most Valuable Player honors for the second straight year.
Moore said she still has plenty to improve on as she makes the transition to the NCAA Division I ranks and from playing in the post to out on the wing.
Keathley said that wouldn’t be a problem for her former player.
“She can go as far as she wants to,” Keathley said. “I’m actually excited to see where they can take her. At the high school level, she kind of tapped out. The competition only goes so high at the high school level and she didn’t really have many people that would push her. That’s not going to be the case [at Idaho State]. She’s starting all over. She’s a freshman again. It’s going to be fun to see her grow and to see what she becomes.”
Idaho State is located in Pocatello, Idaho — about three-and-a-half hours away from Boise — that competes in the Big Sky Conference. Last season, the Bengals finished 19-14 overall and advanced to the conference championship game for the second straight season under head coach Seton Sobolewski.
The Bengals have all but three players returning from last year’s team and also have a talented incoming class, which features international players Amanda Betlere, Nuria Barrientos and Paula Barghout Gili.
“I know it’ll be difficult but it’s also going to be a lot of fun,” said Moore, who gave credit to her mother, Paige, father, Jason, and brother, Teddy, for always pushing her. “At this moment, I just feel blessed that I get to keep playing.”
