By Ken Denlinger
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 29, 1999; Page D9

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 28 – For the best men's college basketball player in a supporting role, Connecticut's coaches nominate senior guard Ricky Moore. They know that the stars always will be the scorers, in their case swingman Richard "Rip" Hamilton and point guard Khalid El-Amin. They also know that to win the NCAA championship Monday night, the 6-foot-2 Moore must turn one of Duke's exceptional perimeter players into a non-factor.

Huskies Coach Jim Calhoun declined to say whether the object of Moore's mission would be shooting guard Trajan Langdon or point man William Avery. Moore's work on Ohio State's Scoonie Penn was a big reason U-Conn. beat Ohio State in Saturday's national semifinals.

Langdon is among the best shooters at any level. But Calhoun has talked about Moore's ability to "cut the head off the dragon." That suggests Moore will open against Avery, who initiates Duke's offense and also happens to be a former teammate of Moore's at Westside High School in Augusta, Ga.

"It doesn't matter who I'm guarding," Moore said. "I think I'm going to go out and cause havoc."

The list of prominent players Moore has checked this season includes: Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves (2 for 15), Syracuse's Jason Hart (11 for 42 over three games) and Stanford's Arthur Lee (4 for 13).

"I'm more concerned about Ricky's second foul [early in a game] than I am Rip's," Calhoun said.

Moore's quiet leadership at U-Conn. is certified by his being co-captain of the team the past three seasons. His 133 games played is a school record. He sacrificed his scoring and playmaking two years ago to accommodate the immensely creative El-Amin.

However, Moore also was suspended for five games at about the midpoint of his sophomore season for accepting an airplane ticket from a known sports agent. A school spokesman said Moore used the ticket to fly home.

"I learned a lot from that," Moore said. "Nothing in life is free. A lot of people said that was part of the reason they brought Khalid in, so I could easily have said I wanted to transfer. But . . . I'm not going to run away from any situation."

That sophomore season also included Moore suffering a broken nose, a concussion, a sprained ankle and a ligament strain in his hand.

Golf also has been a large part of Moore's life. His father, Buck, is a long-time professional caddy whose clients have included Kelly Gibson and several other journeymen on the PGA Tour. Most recently, he was on the bag when Andy Bean returned to prominence with a tie for 19th at the Doral Open. Ricky Moore worked as a waiter in the clubhouse at Augusta National during the Masters each of his years in high school.

"I started playing [golf] last season," Ricky Moore said, "and realized I shouldn't have."

But Avery and Duke swingman Chris Carrawell can vouch Moore's defensive skills. Avery and Moore grew up within a minute or so of each other, played together in high school for two seasons and won the state championship when Moore was a senior and Avery was a sophomore.

"I was the teacher," Moore said.

They usually played on opposite teams in summer games on a playground that Moore said "was nothing more than broken-up pavement, with one goal about 12 feet high and the other one about 10½ feet."

Avery said he always requested the No. 21 Moore wore in junior high, in high school and still wears at Connecticut. Langdon had No. 21 at Duke, so Avery wears No. 5.

Carrawell experienced Moore's defense when his Cardinal Ritter High of St. Louis team met Westside in a tournament in Kentucky.

"I tried to shake him," said Carrawell, who, at 6-6, is taller than Moore by four inches. "But he's unshakable. They beat us by 30."

Langdon said he has only seen Moore on tape. "But I respect him very much," he added.

Moore and Avery have not faced each other since those summer games two years ago.

"I don't think he's seen the real Ricky," Moore said.

What might well happen is for Moore to start on Avery and then switch to Langdon if Langdon suddenly starts burying three-pointers. Such a move happened earlier this season against St. John's, when Moore started on Bootsy Thornton but moved to point guard Erick Barkley when that became necessary.

"If I can take [Avery or Langdon] away and we can limit [center Elton] Brand's touches," Moore said, "we'll be in good position to win."