2013 Draft Profile - Mike Moser

Moser switched from UCLA to UNLV after only a handful of minutes in the first part of the season. He sat out a year, essentially. But last year had something of a break out season. Moser is another a the seemingly endless new generation of "tweeners". You can think Derrik Williams, or Andre Roberson, or even the more obviously power forwards of the Mike Scott variety. At 6 8" and 230 Moser is an exceptional rebounder. He does it more through force than a Roberson, who is quicker and more instinctive. Still, Moser gets it done and he has pretty slick face up game. He is a good shooter, but hardly elite. That may improve and it's going to be something scouts are watching this season.

Moser has a certain toughness to his game, and in that sense reminds one of another former Aztec in Kawhi Leonard. He hasn't shown quite the upside of Leonard, but Moser certainly shows he understands the game, where to be, and what to do. The only question is the classic one of can he play the three. One would have to say no, at this point anyway. That said, his ball handling is pretty good, but he just lacks the quick twitch factor an NBA three needs. Can he be a useful combo forward? That's the question. But unless his shooting spikes, its hard to see him as more than a career back up.
Player profile submitted by: John Steppling

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2012 Draft Profile - Mike Moser

Strengths: Moser, a transfer from UCLA, is a versatile defender. He can guard a similar size post defender, a wing, or the other teams point guard as evidenced by him guarding Sam Maniscalco from Illinois. He has great body balance when guarding the dribbler which allows him to guard smaller defenders. His greatest asset right now is his ability to rebound the ball. The one statistic that typically translates from one level to the next is rebounding. In other words, if you can rebound in college, you will be able to rebound in the NBA, regardless of size. Moser is averaging more than 11 rebounds per game in only 29.5 minutes. He relentlessly pursues the ball and rebounds outside of his zone – the mark of a truly great rebounder. When he grabs a defensive rebound, he will start the UNLV fastbreak by dribbling the ball up the floor rather than making an outlet pass. He makes solid decisions in the open court and looks to distribute the ball to the open teammate with a fundamental pass. Moser definitely subscribes to the philosophy, “don’t be pretty, be good.” Another strength of Moser is his motor; he is a high energy player who competes on both ends of the floor. He is all business on the floor and carries himself in a professional manner. Offensively, Moser has a solid midrange game. He can effectively create space for himself with a variety of triple threat moves. He will either shot fake or jab step his defender and put the ball on the floor once or twice and shoot the pull up jumper. Moser will also attack the rim with his above average athleticism or post up a smaller defender. Moser has a solid fundamental base when shooting the ball, his elbow is underneath the ball, he has nice extension and arc on his shot and a classic follow through.

Weaknesses: The major flaw in Moser’s game right now is his inconsistent three point shot. Right now, Moser is shooting only 33% from the college three point line. His form is solid, he simply needs to spend hours in the offseason getting up the necessary repetitions to improve this facet of his game.

Comments: Moser has positional size and an NBA skill (rebounding) right now. Most importantly, his motor is second to none. Picture this, during the game versus San Diego State, Moser came from out of nowhere to save a ball from going out of bounds where the baseline and sideline meet – giving his team an extra possession in a one possession game. Moser wound up in the bleachers, hustled back onto the court and while a teammate attempted a shot, Moser attacked the offensive glass and tipped the missed shot in over his head with two hands. It was truly a remarkable play and epitomizes the kind of player Moser is. I anticipate Moser being a first round draft choice this year, somewhere in the 18-25 range. He is similar to former Mountain West player Kawhi Leonard, who was a first round draft choice in the 2011 NBA Draft. Moser’s role at the next level will most likely be that of a rotation player.
Player profile submitted by: Michael Murphy

NCAA Basketball Stats

Mike Moser Videos

Mike Moser - UNLV Runnin' Rebels #43 Back to Back Ally-Oops Reverse Dunks

Mike Moser Dunk

Mike Moser highlight reel

Mike Moser Highlight Reel from 2008 Arizona Cactus Classic

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