MIDDLETOWN – SUNY Orange basketball star Anthony Pacciarelli transferred to Division I Manhattan University, but not before providing the Colts with one final assist.
Pacciarelli helped Orange land guard Omari Moore, who left Manhattan after his freshman year and will play for the Colts this season. Moore first learned about Orange and coach Tom Rickard during Pucciarelli’s visit to Manhattan.
“I received the call from Omari, and I didn’t pick it up because I didn’t recognize the phone number,” said Rickard, who has led Orange to four straight Region XV championships and three national tournament appearances during that span. “When I heard it was him, I called him right back. We are excited to have Omari play for us and I think it is a testament to the success that we have had. Kids want to come here and play.”
Moore, a 6-foot-1 guard, was a highly recruited player out of Hudson Catholic (N.J.), where he finished his career with 1,066 points. He averaged 15.1 points per game as a senior and was a first-team All-County player. Moore saw limited time with Manhattan as a freshman last season.
He appeared in eight games, playing 36 total minutes, and averaging 1.1 points per game. Rickard said that Moore hopes to transfer back to the Division I level after one year at Orange.
“I absolutely think Omari is a Division I player,” Rickard said. “For whatever reason, it didn’t work out at Manhattan. But Omari is a great kid and will make an impact for us.”