SIX-FOOT-FOUR AND 13 YEARS OLD

Original article posted by Sophie Jane Evans on DailyMail.com

Standing at 6ft 4ins with inches left to grow, he has the height, the ball skills and the drive.

Meet Wendell Moore, 13, from Charlotte, North Carolina, who has been deemed the best basketball player in the country

in the class of 2019.

Indeed, the youngster has already received letters from two top basketball schools - Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - while still in eighth grade. 

Speaking of his abilities, Wendell said: 'This is a God given talent. I have to use it to the best of my ability or it can be easily taken away if I don’t work as hard as I can every time I step on the floor.'

The teenager, who ironically plays in the 'small forward' position, towers over his teammates during their regular practices with the AAU club, CP3 All-Stars. And he stands a head above his rivals.

Dominic Bishop, an assistant coach on the North Carolina-based team, said the player did not only have the right height 

for the game, but also, the right attitude to succeed. 

'He came in and he was ready to work. I’d never seen someone ready to work like that,' said Mr Bishop, who has been training with Wendell since 2013.

Speaking to WSOC-TV, Mr Bishop who played collegiately at Creighton University, added that Wendell's talent is only likely to improve in future years - as long as he keeps himself grounded.

'Everything you see right now is not what it’s going to be like in two, three years,' said the coach. 'Just stay humble and as long as you stay humble you’ll be OK.'

 

 

In Wendell's case, he will be competing for Cox Mill High School in two years, unless he decides to make the jump to a program like Findlay Prep in a bid to further enhance his on court talent. 

But one thing is certain - the teenager will not be giving up his passion anytime soon.

'Basketball is a place I can go to when there’s things on my mind,' said Wendell. 'Or if I’m just trying o be me I can go to the gym and that’s where I am.'