Alemany Looks a Lot More Remote to Moses

Chances are slim that James Moses will return to Alemany High for his sophomore year, according to his father. Moses, 15, is considered one of the best basketball players for his age in the nation.

“Alemany is becoming more and more remote as the school year approaches,” James Moses Sr. said Tuesday evening from the family’s home in Carson. “James would love to remain at Alemany but it looks like transportation will be too difficult. We are in the process of selecting a school closer to home.”

Alemany, a parochial school located in Mission Hills, is 40 miles from Carson. Assistant coach John Carr drove Moses to school last year, but Carr has since taken a position at Pius X High in Downey. Moses is registered at Alemany in the event reliable transportation is found before the beginning of school.

The younger Moses said that the choice has been narrowed to Serra, Verbum Dei, St. Anthony or Carson. All four schools are within 12 miles of the Moses home.

The 6-4 1/2 guard, who averaged 17 points per game for the Alemany varsity last season, indicated that his plans are to graduate from the school he attends this year.

“My parents and I are taking our time because this is a three-year decision,” Moses said. “We’re talking to principals, coaches and teachers at the schools we are considering.”

The family would prefer a Southern Section parochial school. Serra, St. Anthony and Verbum Dei fit those requirements. Carson, a City Section public school, hasn’t been ruled out because Moses played with returning Carson players over the summer and enjoyed the experience. Carson is expected to have one of the top City teams this season.

Said Moses: “My cousin goes to Serra, I have friends at Verbum Dei and St. Anthony, and Carson has a nice chance at the State title.”

The school Moses ultimately decides upon will be blessed with a one-of-a-kind talent, according Rich Goldberg, who coached Moses this summer in the Las Vegas Invitational National High School Championships.

“James will be the No. 1 sophomore in the country,” said Goldberg, who is president of the American Roundball Corp. “There is no question about it. The best players in the nation were in the Las Vegas tournament and James was the class of his class, so to speak.”

Goldberg added that the Western Basketball Prospects Scouting Service, a respected authority, also ranks Moses as the top sophomore in the nation.

Moses also led the ARC Mid Valley team to first place in last year’s Las Vegas Easter Invitational National Ninth Grade Championships. He scored nearly 30 points a game, according to Goldberg.

Alemany Coach Joe Anlauf said he didn’t expect Moses to return to his program.

“I was pretty sure it wasn’t in the cards,” Anlauf said. “His parents want to keep him close to home and I can’t blame them.”

The commute was tolerated by the family last year so that Moses could play varsity as a freshman.

“I wasn’t sure he could play against 18-year-olds in the 5-A Del Rey League,” Anlauf said. “I was wrong. He showed maturity and confidence all year. And, certainly, he could play.”

Moses broke his wrist midway through the season and missed 13 games. According to Anlauf, the freshman exhibited as much character from the sidelines as he had on the court.

“The day after he broke his wrist, James was at practice cheering on his teammates,” Anlauf said. “He didn’t miss a practice the entire time he was injured.”

If he is unable to find reliable transportation to the Valley, Moses would like to locate a school with the qualities of Alemany.

“I liked Coach Anlauf, the kids and the teachers,” Moses said. “I’m using Alemany as a standard while looking for another school.”