Story By: Sarah Turner

This time last year, University of Montevallo men’s basketball forward Derek Moore was in a pretty similar routine to the one he’s in now: going to class, eating in the caf with teammates and preparing for an NCAA Tournament appearance.

But one thing is very different in 2026.

Moore is now known as the best player in the entire Gulf South Conference.

On March 3, the conference announced its end-of-season awards, officially naming Moore the GSC Player of the Year.

The honor came after Moore entered the season with something to prove. Despite Montevallo being selected as the preseason No. 1 team in the conference, and two of his teammates being named preseason all-conference, Moore was left off the list – something he didn’t forget.

“That’s a respect thing for me,” Moore said in a preseason press conference after the list was released. “If you don’t respect me now, I feel like I need to prove more.”

“I need to be more hungry to prove to the conference, to prove to the other coaches that I think I belong on that list,” Moore added back in November. 

Over the course of his senior season, Moore did exactly that.

After transferring from Delta State University and averaging 14.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during his junior season at Montevallo, Moore took his game to another level this year. The senior forward averaged 18.1 points and nearly seven rebounds per game, both ranking among the top 10 in the conference.

His efficiency stood out even more. Moore shot 61 percent from the field during the season, the 10th-best field goal percentage in all of NCAA Division II.

For Moore, the award carried extra meaning because of how the season began.

Every day in his journal, he wrote the same goal: “I’m going to be All-Conference in the GSC this year.”

“It’s just been a goal of mine just to prove everybody wrong just because that is voted on,” said Moore. “To not get that level of respect and then go out and be able to prove it night in, night out. That’s been the most fun part.”

So how did his game grow so dramatically in just one offseason?

Moore credits head coach Anthony Komara.

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Moore said. “Coach really pointing at me, believing in me, trusting in me, telling me things I need to work on.”

Moore said his mindset throughout the season was simple: improve in ways that would help the team win.

“That’s all that matters at the end of the day, is can we get the job done? Can we score one more point than the other team?” Moore said. 

Moore also drew national attention in January when he scored 51 points in Montevallo’s 97-87 road win over West Florida. The performance earned him Division II National Player of the Week honors.

Despite the accolades, Moore hopes his legacy at Montevallo isn’t defined solely by points or stat lines.

To not get that level of respect and then go out and be able to prove it night in, night out. That’s been the most fun part.

Derek Moore

Instead, he wants to be remembered for helping change the culture of the program.

In Komara’s first season leading the Falcons back in 2022, the team he inherited went 10-18. Now, just four years later, Montevallo is headed to its second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time in a decade after back-to-back 20-win seasons.

“I remember coming in here and Coach telling me, ‘We’re changing this into a better culture,’” Moore said. “‘We’re going to bring good guys in here, put good humans on the court together, and it’ll all work out.’”

Moore admitted that not every player might have bought into that vision early on.

“But Coach was so passionate about that vision, and he truly believed in it,” Moore said. “I bought into that.”

After Montevallo’s 86-80 senior night win over Valdosta State just a few weeks ago, Komara made sure to credit the players who helped build that culture.

“Derek and Jaylen [Curry] came here and believed when there was nothing to believe in except a vision,” Komara said in a postgame interview. “I owe those guys everything.”

Moore said he still struggles to fully explain the impact Komara has had on him during his two years at Montevallo.

“I haven’t even been able to tell Coach the impact he’s had on me because I’ll start crying,” Moore said. “After my sophomore year, nobody really wanted to take a chance on me. He saw the potential player I could be and he’s just poured so much into me.” 

“I wouldn’t be half the basketball player or man I am today without him,” said Moore.

After graduating in May, Moore plans to explore opportunities to continue his career at the next level.

“We’re going to try to figure out a way to go professional and just keep playing,” he said.

But first, there’s one more chapter left in his Montevallo career.

Moore and the Falcons will take the floor in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Florida Southern College on Saturday, March 14, a rematch of last year’s first-round matchup and another chance to add to what has already been a historic season.

After a disappointing first-round exit in the GSC Tournament, Moore said the team is focused on making the most of its opportunity in the national tournament and seeing how far this group can go together.

“With a group of guys like this, you just never want the journey to end.”