Growing in more ways than one

COEUR d'ALENE - When Riley Moreen walked down the halls of Lake City High for the first time as a freshman, he was just trying to find his way like any other freshman on his first day of high school.

He has grown, both on and off the basketball court into a 4.0 student and one of the leaders on the boys basketball team as a senior.

Moreen, through his International Baccalaureate program, has raised his grade point average from a 3.0 as a sophomore to a 4.4 - near the top of this year's graduating class.

"At first, I was just like any other student," Moreen said. "I was just trying to find myself in high school. When you're fresh out of middle school and in the awkward phase where you don't really know who you are - I just started to figure it out and helped me develop my own work ethic and figure out that, 'Hey, I need to really apply myself. Nothing is going to be given to me and it's really helped me mature."

His first year, Moreen admits he didn't take school as seriously as he'd does now in the IB program.

"There's lots of classes that are really discussion-based and heavy in work-load," Moreen said. "Normally, the homework you'd do in the classroom you've got to do at home and then you come in and discuss it with the rest of your peers and get those things from a different point of view. The first couple of years of high school, I didn't try very hard, but then I saw my brother, Kyle, go through the program and he's just amazingly smart, so I said I wanted to do that and my grades just shot up."

The summer before his freshman year, Moreen grew from 6-foot to 6-4 by the end of that season. He is currently a 6-6 starting post on the Timberwolves varsity basketball team.

"I just shot up that summer of my freshman year," Moreen said. "The first time I dunked was in a game at Post Falls that year. I got the ball on a fast break and got a little soft dunk. Once you get that first dunk, you just keep practicing and getting better at it."

Lake City boys basketball coach and athletic director Jim Winger saw glimpses of what Moreen could do at an early age.

"I remember watching him play AAU in eighth grade," Winger said. "He was playing on a team with my son, J.J., and Riley was all elbows and knees. But he had that basketball body that said, 'right now, he may not be the smoothest kid out there, but when he gets older and grows into that body, he'll be one of those late bloomers that you're always looking for as a basketball coach.'"

In his third year on the varsity team, Moreen has helped the Timberwolves out to a 10-4 start and 3-0 record in the 5A Inland Empire League.

"It's been an awesome season," Moreen said. "I love our coaches. Both (Jim) Winger and (Kelly) Reed are awesome and amazing guys, both on and off the basketball court and both amazing at basketball. Being with this group of guys, I've played with them the last four years. Those guys welcomed me as a sophomore and it's been fun to hang out with them."

"I think his sophomore year, it kind of clicked and the light went off," Winger said. "We've talked to some college recruiters that are after him and they're seeing the same thing - it's all upside and the potential for him to get better physically is all there. He's began to fill out his body to where his strength and conditioning should be. It's really been a transformation that's been pretty amazing. He's just you're typical late bloomer and this year, he's improved his thought process, shooting the ball better and just keeps getting better."

"Basketball is a full-time sport," Moreen said. "I'm really dedicated to it and play it a ton. Other than that, I like to snowboard and go camping with my family and hang out with my friends on the weekends. I try to allow for some time other than basketball and school, but a lot of my time goes to those things."

For Moreen, that's just fine.

"It's school before basketball," Moreen said. "But basketball gives me that structure that I can go when I want, but after that, I come home, do my homework and eat dinner with my family."

As far as sleep, some days are better than others.

"There's just some nights were sleep is very limited," Moreen said. "But I manage it the best way I can."

Moreen played soccer and ran track up until high school, when knee problems related to his growth kept sidelining him.

"I loved playing soccer and it was really competitive," Moreen said. "But my knees weren't that good, so I had to drop it. Same with track and I really hated to have to drop it."

After graduation, Moreen added that he'd likely study physical therapy in college - wherever that might be.

"My AAU coach was Justin Kane, who runs the clinic at North Idaho Physical Therapy," Moreen said. "I always loved how he had a full-time job, but stayed involved in sports with his sons, but still was giving back to the community and helping it out. I'm looking to remain involved in sports, whether for four years in college - then get a doctorate or Ph.D."

Moreen took athletic training as a sophomore and health as a junior.

"I'm just trying to stay involved with it," Moreen said. "I'm undecided on where I want to go right now. I've applied at a few places and know where I want to go, but am just trying to find a good fit for basketball and academics."

At the moment, Moreen has no interest in coaching, but doesn't rule it out in the future. One year, he helped at an after-school program at Skyway Elementary - where his mom, Elaine, is a teacher.

"It's really for kids that aren't necessarily into basketball, but it gives them something to do after school," Moreen said. "To be able to go over there and help them out is fun to me and I enjoy it."

Moreen has also grown closer to his senior teammates - Eric Redal, Evan Murphy and Andrew Hocking - through the sport of basketball.

"All these guys, from playing together in AAU with Eric, Evan - who we played against and Andrew, who was on a different team - we've always helped each other," Moreen said. "The more we've played together, the more we've grown. Now, we don't even have to be playing basketball because we've all became great friends. Before, we weren't that big of friends, but now, after playing on the same team - it's helped us grow together."

Just like Winger predicted.

"He's top-notch," Winger said of Moreen. "I think he's your type of kid that any community would be proud to say he's a high school athlete in their community, one of the top in his class and I've never heard anything but a kind word from his teachers. He's popular in the building and was raised really well by his parents. He's just the type of kid you love to work with."