Recruiting Update: Moroni Seely-Roberts (2023 Lincoln)
If there were any lingering doubts, you can completely erase them now because it’s clear that Moroni Seely-Roberts Moroni Seely-Roberts 6'6" | SF Lincoln | 2023 State OR can play at the state’s highest level. The strong 6-foot-6 forward has…
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Continue ReadingIf there were any lingering doubts, you can completely erase them now because it’s clear that Moroni Seely-Roberts Moroni Seely-Roberts 6'6" | SF Lincoln | 2023 State OR can play at the state’s highest level. The strong 6-foot-6 forward has been getting it done night in and night out for Lincoln this season just like he’s done his entire high school career. Seely-Roberts would be the first to tell you that it’s a team game though and Lincoln recently made a statement with a win at Grant – one in which they overcame a double-digit halftime deficit, thanks to an impassioned locker room speech from his coach and mom, Heather Seely-Roberts.
“She was just telling us to stop playing soft as we were playing soft in the first half,” Seely-Roberts said. “She said to play the way that we know that we can play. I feel like we started trusting each other more and trusting our offense and system more. Since the Capitol City Classic, we talked about buying into the team and buying into the system and we started doing that and playing at the height we know we can play at.”
The Capitol City Classic, where the Cardinals lost three of four games, was definitely a turning point for the team. For Seely-Roberts though, he’s remained incredibly consistent as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. He was able to dominate 3A competition at Yamhill-Carlton last season so there were some questions whether or not things would translate to Lincoln and the PIL. Well considering he’s averaging over 24 points per game, showing the ability to score at all three levels, you could say that he’s successfully made the leap.
“I don’t know if there’s been a huge difference but 6A has been more athletic and more physical,” Seely-Roberts said. “I’ve had to adjust and it took a couple of games to do that, but I feel like basketball is basketball and there’s good basketball everywhere.”
Part of preparing himself was this past summer as Seely-Roberts played with Team Fly, which traveled to a number of tournaments. Some of his teammates included guys he’s playing with and against in the PIL. “Getting to play with them was awesome,” Seely-Roberts said. “They’ve got some good guys and the coaches, Donrale (Campbell) and Josiah (Lake), are cool. I felt like my outside game improved as I was able to shoot the three and drive a little bit more.”
After AAU ball ended, Roberts had a busy time with his college recruitment. Along with twin brother Malachi, he attended camps at Brown, Yale, and Southern Utah, and also made unofficial visits to Idaho State, Portland State, and Oregon State. Eastern Washington has also been in contact. The trip to the East Coast and the Ivy League schools in particular made an impression. “It was a little intimidating – I was reading how about only 10 percent of the highest in the class even get in there,” Seely-Roberts said. “But going to Lincoln the academics are a lot better and the basketball has been better too.”
Seely-Roberts is keeping things wide open at this point and hoping college coaches are watching his production on the court. He’ll just keep doing his thing while trying to help Lincoln win games and keep the momentum going. “We knew that (Grant) was one of the top ranked teams in the state,” Seely-Roberts said. “So to be able to come out on their floor and get a win against a really good team gives us a lot of confidence, especially going into the rest of the PIL.”
Seely-Roberts currently ranks as the #5 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2023 rankings.