This past year, Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif., topped many national polls, including USA Today's, for the second year in a row after going on to win their second straight California Division I title. One of the people responsible for that success is Loree Moore.

Also a member of the 2001 bronze-medal U.S. junior national team, Moore averaged 14.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 6.5 steals per game as a senior at Narbonne. Now she's taking those impressive stats to Tennessee, where she's one of four freshmen on the Lady Vols squad. The school saw some stellar players graduate last year, but with newcomers like Moore and Shyra Ely--Naismith High School Player of the Year and USA Today's top-ranked female high school player last year--they're once again poised to be contenders for a national title this year.

You've been practicing with the team for a few weeks now. How's it going?
I think it's going really good. You're going to make mistakes and you just have to make sure you don't make those mistakes twice. That's what practice is for. To work on the mistakes.

And I think as a team we're doing really good. We still have to work on some points, but as a whole we're coming along really well.

What was the transition like into college--and not just any college but somewhere like Tennessee?
I think high school was like the tip of the college-level game. In high school you could get away without doing a lot of sprinting up and down the court, 'cause some of the teams weren't that good. But in college, you can't do that. Everybody runs. You have to be able to run up and down the court AND be mentally tough.

I think that's the biggest transition, to be able to stay in the game when you're tired. That's what it's been for me. To try to keep my head on and stay focused and still b
le to play when I'm tired.

How has the rest of the team welcomed you?
They've been really good. I think they looked at it like, Śwe need your help,' and I need their help. Because I won't be able to get through it without them. I think it's a give and take; I can help them any way I can and they can help me in my game too.

Tennessee has four freshmen this year. Has there been a lot of work to get the new players on board?
I don't think so. I think we came in really good as freshmen. I think we're just ready to go and ready to start the season. We all just came and took things as they come.

You're playing now with Shyra Ely, who some people rated as the top high school player last year. What's that been like?
She's a really good person and she's a really good player too. Plus she's my roommate, so I'm getting to know her.

And there's been some talk about Courtney Young not being on the team this year as expected. Will you have to fill some of the void at the two-guard position?
Yeah, but I think my main position will be to play point guard. And if we go to a two- or three-guard then that's where I'll go, but I'm mainly playing point.

Has anything changed in the way you see your role on the team from when you first started practicing with them?
I wasn't really thinking anything when I first came on. I was just thinking, 'I'm going to come in here and do the best I can--just work hard and not really think about what's going to come at me. Just take it as it comes.'

How did you start out playing basketball?
My main sport was soccer at first, but after a while I got kind of tired of it. I asked my mom to put me in a different sport and she just decided to put me in basketball.

How old were you then?
I started in the fourth grade. I played at a YMCA. And I was doing pretty good, so after that I played in a summer league and then just kept with the sport.

At this point, what do you think your strengths are?
Coming in on offense, I think getting people open off my penetration. On defense, putting pressure on the ball.

Are those things that you've always had to work on or did they come naturally to you?
It comes kind of natural, but during the summer I work hard and focus on certain things more.

And what's that like for you, to have to work on certain parts of your game? Is that fun or just hard work?
It's fun, but you also have to push yourself. If you're going to be nonchalant about everything, you're not going to get anything done or help yourself get better. You have to come in focused and be able to push yourself. If you mess up, you have to be able to get up and do it again. I try not to ever let up.

Have you always had good coaches doing that for you, or have you been good about pushing yourself?
I've had good coaches. They're always on me. Like my coach when I was in junior high and high school, he was there pushing me every single day and making me better. And just myself too, 'cause I hate getting things wrong. Sometimes I push myself even more than my coaches. I always get mad at myself and want to work harder. I think you have to be able to push yourself to get better.

At this point, what's your sports dream. If you could achieve anything, what would it be?
I want to win a national championship. That's my dream.

It sounds like you have a good chance at that at Tennessee. Good luck!

Interview conducted by Gball Associate Editor Guillermo Metz.

Check out last year's High School Hero story on Loree Moore by clicking here





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