Moretti making noise at UMass

Jordan Moretti knows a thing or two about success on the basketball court.

After emerging as one of the top players in Rhode Island during her tenure at Johnston High, where she would help lead the Panthers to consecutive Division II state championships, Moretti has already made an impact at UMass Dartmouth her freshman year.

Moretti is currently slated as UMass’ backup point guard, and one of the most important pieces coming off the bench. She is currently averaging 16 minutes per game, and has averaged 5.6 points per contest in that span. She has also played solid defense for the Corsairs, racking up 26 steals on the year.

“It’s been an experience this first semester, everything is falling into place and everything is going good. I’ve always been taught to not expect anything and that you have got to earn everything. I go in everyday and give it all I’ve got,” said Moretti of getting her feet wet at the collegiate level.

UMass coach Matt Ducharme has been impressed with Moretti’s performance in the early going, and has been happy to give her the regular minutes that he believes she has earned.

“I’m a big believer in that you earn the time that you get. I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out, it’s a tough transition from high school to college. The game is more physical, it’s faster, but she picked it right up and fit right in with her teammates,” said Ducharme. “She’s earned everything that she’s got, she forced herself into the rotation with a couple of breakout games, especially in the Babson game. She did it herself … I don’t like to give things away.”

The Corsairs have also enjoyed a big first half of the year, rolling to an 11-3 record to date. Moretti feels that the club has a high ceiling, and a close team bond is to thank for its success.

“It’s a big difference but you work on it every day and get used to it. (I’ve been adjusting) to the speed and the defense. Everyone comes in not really knowing anyone and that’s what happened to me, but everyone on the team is really nice and we all look out for each other. It’s all about team chemistry. We’re all close-knit, we all get along,” said Moretti.

On the flip side, Johnston has also gotten off to a strong start after making the jump up to Division I. Moretti feels that the Johnston program is top-notch, much thanks to coach Chris Corsinetti, who also was a big part of her development as well.

“They’ve been doing really well and it comes down to coaching. Chris has been a big part of that program, they all look up to him and they all respect him. He helped me a lot as well,” said Moretti.

Although it is uncommon for athletes to make an impact their freshman year, Ducharme is far from surprised at Moretti’s strong start.

“You always look for someone that can make an impact right away. Whether they do it their first year, that doesn’t always happen, but you have to try to recruit that way or else you won’t have a successful program. That’s our philosophy and we knew that she had potential from day one,” said Ducharme. “When I first noticed her, when I would see her play in AAU or high school, I noticed that she doesn’t talk much and she’s very unassuming, but then she’ll take over the game. That’s something that you can’t teach and she has it.”