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Rouen Métropole Basket has been through a rollercoaster 24 hours. No sooner had the signing of American point guard Tavari Johnson been made official than it fell through following a court ruling from Ohio. Jean-Denys Choulet wasted no time: less than a week later, Jalen Moore, a point-guard and scorer with plenty of experience in European competitions, has set up shop in Normandy for the 2026–2027 Elite 2 season.
The Tavari Johnson setback
On 9 July, RMB proudly announced the arrival of Tavari Johnson, an American point guard who’d enjoyed a dazzling university season at Akron (averaging 19.7 points and 5 assists).
Everything was set. On 9 July, RMB proudly announced the arrival of Tavari Johnson, an American point guard who’d enjoyed a dazzling university season at Akron (averaging 19.7 points and 5 assists). The sort of prospect that gets the mouth watering: young, explosive, capable of tearing apart an Elite 2 defence.
Then the situation took a dramatic turn. Twenty-four hours after the announcement, a judge in Ohio handed down an exceptional ruling allowing certain student-athletes, including Johnson, to benefit from an additional year of university eligibility. A measure linked to the impact of Covid-19 on American university sport, which neither the player’s entourage nor the Normandy club could have anticipated. The verdict: Johnson will remain in the NCAA for one more season, and Rouen must urgently look for alternatives.
Jalen Moore: the Plan B that has all the makings of a Plan A
Jean-Denys Choulet sprang into action without wasting a minute. The Rouen coach set his sights on Jalen Moore, a name far more familiar on European courts. “Jalen is a true playmaker, capable of bringing out the best in his teammates whilst also being a prolific scorer,” Choulet told the club’s website.
And his CV speaks for itself. Hailing from Indiana and having trained at Oakland University in California, Moore (1.80 m) made a spectacular debut in Europe: averaging 28 points in the Icelandic top flight during his rookie season (2022–2023). Since then, he has enjoyed a string of productive spells in several European leagues, building a reputation as a reliable point-guard and scorer, equally at ease at creating space as he is at sinking three-pointers.
A squad taking shape
Moore’s arrival is part of a coherent and ambitious transfer campaign by Rouen. RMB has already officially announced the signings of Dennis Ona Embo (1.78 m, 27 years old), who can play in positions 1 and 2, and Igor Mintogo. The club can also count on the contract extension of Jamar Diggs, another American point guard who made his mark last season.
With these reinforcements, the Normandy-based club is clearly signalling its intentions in an increasingly competitive Élite 2. Choulet’s quick response to the unexpected Johnson situation speaks volumes about the professionalism and solidity of Rouen’s organisation. When Plan A falls apart within 24 hours and Plan B arrives with such a solid European track record, it shows that the recruitment team knows how to do its job.
The task now is to integrate Moore into the team, develop a smooth understanding and turn what looks like a great move on paper into reality on the Kindarena court. With a summer pre-season that promises to be intensive, Rouen supporters can legitimately hope to see their team challenging for the top spots right from the start of the new season.