By ZACH SMART
NEWARK, N.J.--A powerful, versatile 6-foot-4 and 180-pound point guard at Bishop McNamara HS (MD), Prince-Alexander Moody has adapted to the role of a traditional point guard buoyed by explosive athleticism and a wired to score mentality ingrained in him. Part of Moody’s transformation process has been reading the flow of the game, never forcing the issue and orchestrating McNamara’s high horsepower attack with mindful awareness.
The Class of 2026 prospect wants himself and a tight-knit core which has been playing together since middle school to leave a lasting legacy at McNamara. In doing this, Moody is cognizant he needs to operate offense first and get everyone involved.
“I watch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a lot, and some people see a little bit of his game in mine,” Moody, who is hearing from the likes of Georgetown, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan State, Louisville, Xavier, LSU, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall, and Boston College, said at the Iverson Classic New Jersey Blackout.
“I like watching Ja Morant and how he gets to the rim. With myself and Smitty (AAU teammate Jordan Smith), we just play off of each other. We’ve really been playing together since the seventh grade, so our chemistry has really been developed. It’s just hard to guard both us when we’re on the court together. Now that we’re on the perimeter more, and with how we’re built and the athleticism we like to bring to the game, I think we’re able to capitalize on each other’s strengths.”
Moody and Smith are likely to visit Alabama at the same time. Both have been hearing from the program consistently. While Georgetown has been in most heavy pursuit of the local DC product, Moody said he’s likely to set up visits with Seton Hall and Boston College following the 2024-25 campaign. Vanderbilt is another visit. Moody said he’s likely to take prior to the summer of 2025.
While he’s discussed the prospects of potentially moving up to the 2025 class, Moody said it is more than likely he will stay put in the 2026 class. Of course, with the unpredictability of today’s recruiting climate, anything can unfold.
Moody’s deceptiveness and versatile, crafty offensive repertoire has been a major component in his acceleration process. He possesses an adeptness for changing directions, permeating the driving lanes and finishing with his off-hand in traffic. With his adeptness of feel for the game, Moody has sustained a natural mismatch recognition. He can post up smaller and like-sized defenders and also create an issue for bigger defenders with his knack for spacing the floor out and sticking shots on the move. His dual threat presence is evident with his affinity for hitting jarringly open teammates around the rim and feeding the post. Spanning back to City of Palms last month, the DMV product has garnered credibility on big stages with his knack for drawing defenders in off the dribble and delivering no-look passes.
Moody broke down some of the main schools recruiting him on Friday:
On Georgetown: “It’s just like on a personal level that they connect with me. I speak a lot with (assistant coach) Kenny (Johnson). They even text me after games, coaching me up. Coach Kenny, it’s just on a personal level with him. I feel like I can really trust him. They are definitely recruiting me the hardest out of everyone I’m hearing from. It doesn’t even matter what college I go to. As long as it feels like home, I will be comfortable with it. Me being a DC guy, it literally is home at Georgetown.
“They want me to come in and be the point guard. I think what (Georgetown) is doing is right now really allowing them to be seen on a national level. It’s definitely not a coincidence that they are turning the program around, knowing what coach (Ed) Cooley did at Providence and the success he had with that program. I love coach Cooley. I speak with Kenny most of the time. I’ll be going to the game against UConn (Jan. 11).”
Georgia: “(Assistant coach) Anthony Goins, that’s my guy for sure. I met him in person recently at DeMatha. They want me to come in and be a point guard too. They want me to be one of the main guys. I haven’t set up a visit yet. We are in the process of talking about when I am going to set it up. I definitely like the way the way they play. They definitely fit my style of play. It is a really fast-paced attack. I like to play at my own speed. As long as I’m controlling the game and I’m being held accountable, I got nothing to complain about.”
Michigan State: “I’m looking forward to visiting them. They offered me back on October 24th. The same time that Louisville offered me. I love the way they play, especially with all the weapons they have. It’s different out there. They fit my play style, too. They like to play downhill, they have a lot of lob catches. They shoot the heck out of the ball. I’m definitely interested in them with their style of play and the way they execute.”
Alabama: “They text me almost every day. We’re trying to set it up so that me and Smitty go on the same visit. The way they play is different. They definitely have some serious athletes. I spoke with Coach (Preston) Murphy. They keep up with me. They update me with everything that’s going on in the program.”
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