Gardendale High grad Kristian Moody, center, recently signed a basketball scholarship with Wallace State College-Hanceville.

By Charles Prince

The North Jefferson News



A team-oriented basketball player will soon have a new set of teammates to play with. Gardendale High grad Kristian Moody has signed to play college basketball at Wallace State-Hanceville.

Moody, who was named The North Jefferson News Girl’s Basketball Player of the Year last season, isn’t your typical leading scorer. She’ wants to get others involved on the offensive end.

“I can play either shooting guard or point guard,” Moody said. “I think I’m probably better at shooting guard, but I can control the game better when I’m playing the point.”

Moody averaged over 19 points per game during her senior season, but also handed out more than four assists per contest.

“I’m a team player. I don’t play for myself,” she said. “I know I wouldn’t have won the Player of the Year award without my teammates.”

Moody, who surpassed the 1,000-point career scoring mark during the 2007-08 season, was invited to a two-on-two workout by Wallace State coach Larry Slater.

“He told me he had heard some good things about me from several coaches,” Moody said. “Then he invited me to the workout.”

Moody and another Wallace State recruit, played some two-on-two with two members of last season’s Lady Lions club.

After the workout, Slater offered Moody the chance to play at the college level by extending a scholarship from the Hanceville-based school.

Moody had heard from Birmingham-Southern College during the recruiting season. She now plans to play at Wallace for two seasons and then transfer to BSC to finish her education and her college playing career.

“I plan on majoring in history,” she said. “I’m hoping to become a history teacher some day.”

Moody was named to The North Jefferson News All-North Jefferson first team after her junior and senior seasons.

This past year, she was part of a Lady Rocket club that won 19 games and reached the sub-state playoffs.

According to Moody, her new coach hasn’t made any promises about playing time, but she’s determined to get her share of court time.

“It’s always been my goal to play college basketball,” she said. “I knew if I worked hard enough and I was seen, I’d get a chance. I’m going to go there and work hard to get my share of time.”