V ERNON — It was mid-September 1994 and Tom Moore, just 29 years old and preparing for his sixth season as head men’s basketball coach at Worcester State, was in his office at 486 Chandler Street, considering what to do with his Friday night.
He was set to marry his longtime girlfriend, Eileen, the following month. Surely they could grab dinner and catch a movie. He could meet up with his buddies for a couple of beers and to watch a game. Or he could head into Boston, to Northeastern University, where basketball players from all over the region were gathering for an AAU tournament.
There, Moore figured, he might find the next impactful Division III recruit. Feeling obligated, he made the drive, unaware that the ensuing hours spent at Matthews Arena would open a professional portal that helped allow him to achieve all he had been working toward…