Lawrence Moten, one of the great basketball playmakers produced by Syracuse University, is gone. He was 53 years old and passed away unexpectedly in his home in Washington D.C. Moten exhibited both his jaw-dropping athleticism and crafty playmaking ability on the floor. He’s left an indelible mark during his time at Syracuse in the early 1990s. Currently he holds the program’s scoring record, a reflection of not only his immense talent but his work ethic and love for the game.
Moten had a successful two-season run with the Syracuse Orange, reaching national prominence from 1991 to 1994. In that time, he netted a jaw-dropping 2,334 points, 1,405 of those scores occurring against Big East competition. His single-season scoring record in the conference, set as a junior, remained for the next 25 years until it was broken in 2020. Lauded as a “giant 6-foot-5 guard,” Moten was called “Poetry in Moten” for the fluidity of his game.
… the soaring success that Moten experienced on the hard wood of collegiate basketball. In the 1995 NBA Draft, he was selected as a second-round pick by the Vancouver Grizzlies. He has played at the highest level, with a short-lived NBA career, appearing in eight games with the Washington Wizards in 1998. He served up some indelible moments for Syracuse basketball. During a special pregame ceremony at the Carrier Dome on March 3, 2018, they retired his jersey number 21.
Jim Boeheim, Hall of Fame coach at Syracuse who recruited and later mentored Moten, went on record as being impressed by Moten’s talent and legacy.
“Lawrence’s passing is such a sudden thing — it’s very hard to take,” – Jim Boeheim
He further stated, “He was one of the most underrated college basketball players of all time. I believe some people took his ability for granted because he made it look so easy. Lawrence was one of our greatest players and one of the best in the history of the Big East Conference.”
Moten’s influence extended beyond his playing days. John Wildhack, Syracuse University’s Athletic Director, underscored the impact Moten will have on the program long after he arrived, saying,
“His accolades as Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer and holding the Big East scoring record for 25 years speak for themselves, but his style of play is what energized the Dome. … He was a fixture around the program long after his playing career, always with a smile on his face.”
Adrian Autry, now an assistant coach at Syracuse, recalled Moten with great affection, adding,
“I can’t think of anybody that was more positive or who loved Syracuse more than he did.”
Moten’s teammates had the privilege of watching his special impact on and off the court for three years, creating a brotherhood that surpassed the confines of basketball. His impact will forever be seen by the people he touched both in the Syracuse community and far outside it.
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