Lawrence Moten, the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Syracuse Orange Men’s program, has passed away. He was 53.
Moten’s daughter, Lawrencia, told Syracuse.com that Moten died at his home in Washington, D.C.
No cause of death has been released.
Jim Boeheim, Moten’s head coach at Syracuse, shared his sorrow over his former player’s passing.
“Lawrence’s passing is such a sudden thing; it’s very hard to take,” Boeheim said. “He was one of the most underrated college basketball players of all time. I believe some people took his ability for granted because he made it look so easy. Lawrence was one of our greatest players and one of the best in the history of the Big East Conference.”
Adrian Autry, the current head coach at Syracuse and a teammate of Moten, also issued a statement.
“I can’t think of anybody who was more positive or who loved Syracuse more than he did,” said Autry. “He was one of the greatest to put on the uniform. It’s a big loss. I was able to play alongside him for three years and movie him do some amazing things. I was fortunate to spend time with him on and off the court.”
“Lawrence Moten was a Syracuse icon,” read a statement from the added John Wildhack, Syracuse’s athletic director.. “His accolades as Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer and holding the Big East scoring record for 25 years speak for themselves, but his style of play is what energized the Dome and was deserving of his nickname ‘Poetry in Moten.’”
Born in Washington, D.C., Moten went on to average 19.3 points and 4.9 rebounds for his collegiate career at Syracuse. He was the 1992 Big East Rookie of the Year, was a three-time first-team All-Big East selection and scored in double figures in 118 of his 121 games.
For his Syracuse career, he scored 2,334 points and graduated as the Big East Conference’s all-time leading scorer with 1,405 points, with his smooth scoring prowess.. Also, he was the first player since Hall of Famer Dave Bing to lead Syracuse in scoring for three straight seasons.
Moten was drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the second round of the 1995 NBA Draft. He played for the Grizzlies for two years before joining the Washington Wizards for eight games in the 1997-98 season. Following his tenure in the NBA, Moten played for the Continental Basketball Association, American Basketball Association, and overseas.
When he retired from playing, Moten stayed close to the game he loved. He was named vice president of player development for the Maryland Nighthawks of the defunct ABA. He was head coach of the Rochester Razorsharks of the Premier Basketball League, and was an assistant coach at Gallaudet University, working with deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes in Washington, D.C.
In June, Moten was named general manager of boys and girls basketball at Digital Pioneers Academy, a charter school in Washington, D.C.
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