Syracuse legend Lawrence Moten was found dead in his home in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. He was just 53 years old. You can find his number hanging in the Carrier Dome rafters and his “Poetry in Moten” nickname is arguably one of the greatest Orange monikers. He was named the 22nd greatest athlete in school history on the Fizz’s SU Top 100 list back in 2020. He was the most prolific scorer in program history after a decorated high school career in D.C.
Lawrence Moten brought his smooth swinging style of play to SU in 1991 and by the time he left, he was one of the greatest players in Big East history. With his high socks, smooth offensive game, and knack for big shots, he became one of the most popular players in program history.
Scoring was Moten’s game. He left SU not just as the most accomplished scorer in program history with 2,334 points, but he outscored every single player in Big East history to that point (his Big East record was finally broken this year by Marquette’s Markus Howard). He is one of six 2,000 point scorers in Orange history.
Moten began his career with a bang after winning Big East Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-Big East Third Team en route to a Big East Championship for the Orange. He tacked on three All-Big East First Team nods to his trophy case to go along with three total NCAA Tournament runs.
The most impressive part of Moten’s game was his consistency. There was no surer thing than seeing double figures next to his name in the box score. Over his career he averaged 19.3 points per game and had 10 or more points in 118 of his 121 games. But maybe the most impressive feat is the fact that even though he is the all-time scoring leader in Orange history, he only eclipsed the 30 point threshold six times. You would figure a program’s all-time leading scorer would have 10-12 of those in their bag. For context, Tyus Battle reached the 30 point mark four times in his three seasons and still sits almost 700 points behind Moten.
Following his prolific college career, Moten was selected 36th overall in the NBA Draft by the Grizzlies. He couldn’t latch on with Vancouver at the time and tried to find a spot with the Washington Bullets, but things did not work out there either. He left the NBA in three years.
While Moten made a large impact inside the Dome and other stadiums across the country, it pales in comparison to what he had done after basketball. He served as a youth mentor for kids in the central New York area. He volunteers his time at the local Boys & Girls Club, among other places. Prayers go out to his family from all of Syracuse.
