By Mark Ambrogi
Beech Grove High School girls basketball coach Amy Selk was well aware of Harper Moore’s talent before she began her freshman season.
“She is a high-profile athlete and a great competitor,” Selk said. “Her basketball IQ is very strong. I was expecting this time of play. But as a freshman at the varsity level, you never know how they’ll handle it. She’s handling it as a true competitor. The expectations were already high for her coming into the high school level.”
Moore, who is primarily playing in the point guard spot, averages 12.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
“From middle school to high school, it’s definitely a lot different,” Moore said. “But after a few games, I feel like I definitely got used to the more intenseness of the games. I feel like I have to compete more than I did. I feel like I’m more aggressive. I have to push myself knowing I’m going against bigger and stronger girls.”
The Hornets are 9-5 entering the Dec. 28 game against Sheridan in the Alexandria Invitational.
“I feel like we’ve done pretty well this year,” Moore said. “We have good chemistry as a team. I think we work well together and I’m excited to see what the rest of the season is going to look like.”
Selk, who is in her third season as coach, said she tries to bridge the gap between middle school, feeder youth program and high school.
“The freshmen class is strong. I try to do some team bonding and team chemistry where the high school kids attended the eighth-grade games last year and eighth-graders came to high school games,” Selk said. “We tried to make sure those kids got to know each other and play together in summertime and fall workouts.”
Moore, who is shooting 37 percent from the field and 60 percent from free throw line, said she is better mid-range shooter than a 3-point shooter.
“I drive a lot to the basket, that’s definitely how I get most of my points,” she said.
Selk said Moore has the ability to go both left or right on the drive.
“She is athletic and has the basketball mobility to attack the rim going off 2 feet or 1 foot,” Selk said. “Her attacking the defender’s hip is one of her strengths and finishing around the rim,”
Moore’s father Drew played basketball at Southport High School and Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana, which no longer has an athletics program. Her mother Meredith played basketball at Beech Grove.
Moore plays both travel basketball and travel softball in the summer.
“There’s a lot of running around between the two,” Moore said. “For softball, I play center field, but I can play anywhere. I’m kind of a utility player.”
Like her sister, softball is Moore’s favorite sport, and she is hoping to play softball in college.
Moore’s sister Malone is a senior pitcher and has signed a National Letter of Intent to play at University of Coastal Carolina in the 2024-25 season. Malone played varsity basketball for two years before concentrating on softball.
Selk said the coaching staff knows they have to share Harper Moore with high school and travel softball coaches.
“We have to be flexible,” Selk said. I think basketball is important to her, but we are well aware she will commit at the next level for softball.”
THE MOORE FILE
NAME: Harper Moore
AGE: 15
HEIGHT: 5-foot-7
SCHOOL: Beech Groveaz
CLASS: Freshman
SPORTS: Basketball, softball
HOBBIES: Swimming, hanging out with friends.
FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Math
FAVORITE TV SHOW: “The Vampire Diaries”
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Kobe Bryant
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Colorado
FAVORITE MUSICIAN: Drake
PARENTS’ NAMES: Meredith and Drew Moore
