Ricky Bell noticed Andrew Moten play basketball lengthy earlier than Moten turned a standout at Quincy Shanks Excessive and the College of Florida.
Bell, who arrived at Shanks in 1980, had the underclassman in a bodily schooling class. When Bell divided college students into basketball groups, he purposely paired Moten with less-skilled classmates.
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It nonetheless wasn’t sufficient to gradual him down.
“No person may beat him,” mentioned Bell the top soccer coach at Leon Excessive . “I imply, he’d win each time with whoever was on his staff.”
Bell ultimately approached Shanks basketball coach Joseph Barnes about Moten, whom he described as “respectful, quiet and an ideal basketball participant.”
Moten would show him proper, growing into probably the most achieved gamers in College of Florida historical past. The guard completed his profession with 1,930 factors, fourth on the Gators’ all-time scoring record, and helped UF attain the NCAA Match for the primary time in 1987.
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That legacy got here full circle this previous weekend as Moten, 60, and former UF teammate Vernon Maxwell, identified collectively because the “M&M Boys,” have been amongst eight athletes inducted into the College of Florida Athletic Corridor of Fame. On Saturday, they served collectively as honorary “Mr. Two Bits” on the Gators’ homecoming soccer recreation in opposition to South Carolina.
“I consider in timing,” Moten informed Florida Gators.com. “The timing for this was proper.”
Andrew Moten was additionally profitable in basketball as a coach
Florida basketball nice Andrew Moten is widely known throughout the first half of an NCAA soccer at Steve Spurrier Subject at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 10, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
After UF, Moten performed 15 seasons abroad earlier than returning stateside to complete his diploma on-line and coach highschool basketball in his hometown. In 2017, he led West Gadsden Excessive to the Class 1A state title. Moten at the moment stays employed by the Gadsden County college system.
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Jamal Holt had a front-row seat to Moten’s teaching profession for greater than a decade, working alongside him from their years at West Gadsden by the transition to Gadsden County Excessive.
What impressed Holt most was Moten’s willingness to demand from himself precisely what he demanded from his gamers. If follow began at 3 p.m., Holt mentioned, Moten may arrive at 2 or 2:15 to verify every thing was prepared.
“Expectations are excessive, however he is keen to match that with the vitality that he desires from the gamers,” Holt mentioned.
That method helped Moten set up one thing Holt believes turned important to this system’s success: consistency.
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Moten by no means wavered and the expectations by no means modified. Moten challenged his groups with troublesome regular-season schedules designed to arrange them for the postseason, whereas protection turned a cornerstone of this system.
Holt mentioned Moten’s biggest energy, nevertheless, may need been his capacity to persuade gamers they belonged.
“He by no means let youngsters really feel like they could not compete or they could not beat them,” Holt mentioned. “It did not matter whether or not a participant was a starter, the final participant off the bench or nonetheless growing on the center college or junior varsity stage. He handled everyone the identical with respect.”
Try Andrew Moten’s UF basketball profession
Nov 1985; Unknown location, USA; FILE PHOTO; Florida Gators guard Andrew Moten in motion in opposition to the Kentucky Wildcats throughout the 1985 season. Necessary Credit score: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports activities
Andrew Moten (1983-87) is Florida’s fourth-leading scorer in males’s basketball historical past, tallying 1,930 profession factors in 125 appearances regardless of enjoying only one season with the 3-point line. He helped lead the Gators to their first NCAA Match bid in program historical past in 1987.
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Moten averaged 15.4 factors for his profession, scoring 16 or extra factors per recreation three of his 4 seasons. The Quincy, Fla., native earned SEC Freshman of the Yr honors in 1984 averaging 11.9 factors per recreation and went on to be a three-time All-SEC honoree and a member of the 1985 All-SEC Match Group.
Along with factors, Moten stands amongst Florida’s all-time leaders in discipline targets (fourth, 711), video games began (fifth, 124), minutes (seventh, 3,930), free throws (seventh, 447) and assists (tenth, 411). He’s one in every of three Gators to attain greater than 1,300 profession factors in SEC play (1,306).
Bio compiled by Florida Gators.com.
This text initially appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Andrew Moten’s basketball journey: From Quincy Shanks to UF Corridor of Fame
