Lawrence Moten, the all-time leading scorer in Syracuse history, died on Tuesday, the school announced. He was 53.
A cause of death wasn’t immediately divulged. Moten’s daughter, Lawrencia, told Syracuse.com that her father died at his home in Washington, D.C.
Moten scored 2,334 points from 1991-95 for Syracuse and his No. 21 jersey was retired in 2018.
“This is a tragic day for the Syracuse basketball family,” former Orange coach Jim Boeheim, who coached Moten, said in a news release. “Lawrence’s passing is such a sudden thing — it’s very hard to take. He was one of the most underrated college basketball players of all time.
“I believe some people took his ability for granted because he made it look so easy. Lawrence was one of our greatest players and one of the best in the history of the Big East Conference.”
An all-time great on and off the court.
Heavy hearts for the 'Cuse Family today as we mourn the passing of Lawrence Moten.https://t.co/i7MCeNjRa9 pic.twitter.com/fJoGaKnhGp
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) September 30, 2025
The D.C. native was nicknamed “Poetry in Moten,” and was a three-time, first-team All-Big East selection.
He earned multiple national Freshman of the Year accolades when he averaged 18.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in the 1991-92 campaign.
He averaged 17.9 points and 4.8 rebounds as a sophomore, 21.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as a junior and 19.6 points and 4.2 rebounds as a senior.
He broke the Syracuse scoring mark set by Orange legend Derrick Coleman (2,143) during his senior season. His scoring average over 121 career games was 19.3.
One of his former teammates was current Syracuse coach Adrian Autry.
“It’s a sad day for the Orange community,” Autry said in the news release. “For me, Lawrence was not only a teammate, but a friend. I can’t think of anybody that was more positive or who loved Syracuse more than he did. Obviously, his basketball — he was one of the greatest to put on the uniform. It’s a big loss.
“I was able to play alongside him for three years and watch him do some amazing things. I was fortunate to spend time with him on and off the court. I feel for his family, including his beautiful daughters. Lawrence was a positive light in this world. He was one of a kind. I’m going to miss him.”
Moten was a second-round choice of the then-Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1995 NBA Draft. But his NBA stint ended after 119 games and two-plus seasons with the Grizzlies and Washington Wizards. He averaged 6.3 points per game.
–Field Level Media