guided cthulhu: What?s next? Temple athletes navigate life after college basketball

By Drew Thomas

By Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports Images

In this Dec. 10, 2010 photo, Temple?s Ramone Moore (23), goes against Georgetown?s Julian Vaughn.

So you?re a college basketball star, but you don?t get drafted into the NBA.

What?s next?

For two former Temple University basketball players, this has been their journey.

Standouts Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt, patrolled the hardwood of North Broad Street in Philadelphia together from 2009-12 under Temple men?s basketball coach Fran Dunphy. Both players had very similar beginnings, using limited minutes and a lot of hard work behind the scenes to rise up the depth chart of Dunphy?s bench.

When given the opportunity, the two wasted no time in making contributions to the team, and he ended up earning the 2009-10 Atlantic 10 Conference?s Sixth Man of the Year award. Dunphy then promptly inserted Moore into the starting lineup.

?Ramone was an excellent scorer, but paramount to his scoring was the fact that he was a great teammate,? Dunphy says. ?The players, the team became an extension of his family.?

The rest of the conference was aware of Moore?s arrival as a major force on the court. After he led the Owls to their second straight NCAA tournament appearance, Moore was named to the 2011-12 All-Atlantic 10 first team.

Following in Moore?s footsteps, Wyatt received similar accolades when he saw his playing time increase. He won the Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year award in his 2010-11 season, and after a spectacular final year at Temple, Wyatt was named 2012-13 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.

?Khalif is an extraordinary offensive basketball player. He can really score and pass,? Dunphy says. ?What sets him apart is his superior basketball knowledge. He is one of the smartest guys I?ve ever had the pleasure to coach.?

However, these stars have another thing in common: They both went undrafted.

By Tom Mihalek, AP

Temple?s Khalif Wyatt drives past Duke?s Austin Rivers (0) during a NCAA college basketball game Jan. 4, 2012, in Philadelphia.

?I do sometimes get tired of always getting questioned, ?You still playing ball, or what you been up to??? Moore says.

These questions are not unique to these players; they?re common for many players after the university lights dim.

Where are they now?

Moving on from their careers at Temple, both Moore and Wyatt are still looking to make it in professional basketball.

South Philadelphia native Moore wasted no time in pursuing his dreams in 2012, playing five games for the Chicago Bulls? summer league team in Las Vegas. Afterward, he took his talents to Italy and signed a contract to play for Italian club team Angelico Biella.

Moore reminisced about his time overseas favorably. ?My main goal is the NBA, but there is a lot of money overseas,? he says. ?I needed to take time to get better, time to take care of my family.?

Due to the growth of basketball as a global sport, professional status can be attained by playing in leagues worldwide. This route is becoming more popular with younger players today. Playing basketball overseas is an alternative to the NBA Development League and, in most cases, offers higher salaries and tougher competition, which could lead to a future job in the NBA.

However, playing overseas can have its downsides, especially for a player like Moore, who just graduated college and had never lived outside of Philadelphia before moving to Italy. Language barriers and cultural differences alone can be considerable obstacles.

Moore has completed other stints with a team in Israel, the D-League team Springfield Armor and the Orlando Magic and its summer league team. He now continues to workout at Temple on a regular basis.

Wyatt, also a Philadelphia native, has taken no days off this offseason. Since he left school in the spring, Wyatt has continued to work out at Temple and in Las Vegas for a few months at the Impact Basketball Academy. Recently, Wyatt finished playing with the Philadelphia Sixers? summer league team where shined bright, displaying his spectacular scoring ability.

The potential signee?s affinity for the offensive end of the floor has not gone unnoticed. Sixers forward Thaddeus Young recently told Philadunkia that Wyatt ?really impressed me. Scoring?s what he does and I think he would definitely be able to add that off the bench for us next season if he?s signed.?

But at the highest level of competition, nothing comes easy.

?Trying to really get established is the hardest part about the next level,? Moore says, ?It?s different in the pros, especially adjusting to the league?s style of play.?

Wyatt faces a different challenge. ?Everyone is very good in the pros, everyone is stronger and faster ? (but) since I have competed against a lot of these guys in the league at a high level, I?m motivated by the fact that I know I am just as good as them,? Wyatt says.

Since he?s been overseas Moore says he has a very unique perspective on being in the limelight.

?In college you?re the man, overseas you?re not as known. It was definitely a big difference for me,? Moore says.

Wyatt says he?s had a different experience, noting that he has seen his popularity increase in the recent months.

?So many people know me or know of me,? Wyatt says, ?Especially lately, being a local kid, playing for Temple and then playing for the Sixers this summer.?

Looking back

As much as Dunphy praises the success of two of his former players, Wyatt and Moore attribute their success on the basketball court and in life to their former coach.

?Coach Dunphy was always teaching me a lot of life lessons. He harped on the importance of being prepared and the true meaning of life is about doing what you can, whenever you can to help other people,? Wyatt says.

Moore echoed similar sentiments about his former coach. ?My time at Temple under Coach made me much more responsible and greatly helped the growth of my maturity not just as a player, but as a man as well,? he says. ?I learned a lot in my five years at Temple. I entered as a young kid and left as a grown man who is now prepared for the next chapter in my life and basketball.?

Drew Thomas is a student at Temple University and was a summer intern at USA TODAY.