T.J. Moss leaving East for basketball powerhouse Findlay Prep

T.J. Moss' path to the NBA is taking a westward turn.

Terrance Moss — the father of the talented guard from East — confirmed to The Commercial Appeal on Tuesday that T.J. is leaving the Mustangs and will play his senior season at national power Findlay Prep in Nevada.

"One hundred percent," said the elder Moss, who said the reason behind the move was to further develop his son's game for the next level — and beyond.

"It's not about the spotlight; it's not even about that. It's about overall development, getting better. T.J. is being recruited as a combo guard, and at East, he hasn't really had a chance to show that he can do that.

"He's an NBA player; he will play in the NBA one day."

The 6-foot-3 Moss is ranked as the 26th-best prospect nationally in the Class of 2018 and the top prospect in the city according to 247Sports. Among the many schools that have made offers are Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Marquette, Memphis, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, TCU and Vanderbilt.

Moss started for the Mustangs since his freshman year and led the team in scoring that first year as an underdog team finished 20-10 and lost in the Class AAA semifinals. In the past two seasons, he's been part of teams that have a combined record of 65-5 and two championships in the state's largest public school classification.

At Findlay Prep, he will play with 7-3 center Connor Vanover, an Arkansas native who also is being recruited by Memphis. The Pilots play a highly competitive national schedule and have produced several NBA players in recent years, including Avery Bradley, Tristan Thompson, DeAndre Liggins and Kelly Oubre.

Moss is one of two players the Mustangs lost on Tuesday. Antavion "Dude" Collum, a 6-8 Class of 2019 guard who was the team's sixth man last year, is transferring to Tennessee Prep.

Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas.