The list of Bryce Moore’s attributes as a player is long.
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But when asked what sets the senior guard apart, Carmel coach Zack Ryan starts with other traits.
“Bryce is always striving to get better, both as a player and a person, and he has such high character,” Ryan said. “He’s mature and respectful and is a great steward for our program and the school.”
The 6-foot-4 Moore, the 2021-22 News-Sun Boys Basketball Player of the Year, is one of the Corsairs’ all-time best. The Niagara recruit scored 1,368 career points and was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s Class 3A all-state second team after scoring 47 points in Carmel’s last two postseason games.
“It’s an honor to be recognized because it shows what all of the hard work I’ve put in can accomplish,” Moore said. “But I don’t really like thinking individually because one person can never win a game by himself.”
Moore averaged 19.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals, all team highs, and 3.0 assists, which ranked second. He scored a career-high 41 points against Latin on Feb. 10 but had one of those “take over” games in a Class 3A regional final against host Notre Dame on Feb. 25.
The Corsairs (23-12) had lost their two previous games against their East Suburban Catholic Conference rival, and Moore was determined to prevent another setback that would have ended his Carmel career. He scored 20 of his 29 points in the first half as the Corsairs rolled to a 65-48 victory.
“Talk about rising to the occasion,” Ryan said. “He had that look, like he was going to do whatever it took to get the win.”
Moore contributed to 64 wins over the three full seasons in which he competed. But another nod to his maturity, and humility, came in a loss during his freshman year.
Moore missed a key free throw down the stretch of Carmel’s regular-season finale and texted Ryan afterward, apologizing.
“I texted him back, saying that loss was absolutely not on him,” Ryan said. “But that just speaks to who he is as a person.”
Moore’s personal growth is reflected in his responsibilities at home. His mother, Tongela Wingard-Greene, is a medical assistant whose work duties made it impossible for her to supervise Moore and his two younger siblings, Verton, 11, and Vertongela, 9, as schools shifted to remote learning at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Moore was up to the challenge, handling his class load while helping his brother and sister.
“Because he’s the way he is, I knew I had nothing to worry about,” Wingard-Greene said. “He’s always been a self-starter. It wasn’t something I coached into him.”
Moore looked at the extra work not as a burden but as an opportunity.
“I definitely try my best to keep them on the right path,” he said of his younger siblings. “I try to instill in them how important it is to build good habits when they’re young.”
Moore’s role as big brother extends into basketball. In the fall, he helped coach in Carmel’s feeder program, which included working with his brother’s team. His dedication was such that Moore would stop by Ryan’s house before games to pick up a dry-erase board he could use to diagram plays.
“That was pretty fun and gave me the belief that I can lead people,” Moore said. “Once basketball ends for me, coaching is something I’d like to try.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.