Wilcox Central High School senior guard Fredrick Turner may stand just 5-foot-7. However, on Saturday, Jan. 8 he stood above all the rest when he set an AHSAA single-game record by sinking 17 3-point goals in the Jaguars' 96-54 win over Francis Marion. Turner was 17-for-22 from the 3-point arc and finished with 56 points – most of any prep player in the state this season.
The total also tied the school record set by Mark Dukes in 1985. Dukes, now Turner's head coach at the Camden school, led then Wilcox County to the Class 4A state championship that season in the only AHSAA boys state tournament ever held at Birmingham's legendary Fair Park Arena. Dukes also coached Wilcox Central to the Class 5A state championship at Birmingham's BJCC Arena in 2003.
The 17 treys broke the AHSAA record of 15 that was set by Clint Wigley of Douglas in the 1993-94 season. It also ranks fifth nationally, according to the NFHS High School Record Book, with the 17 treys made by Scott Reeves of Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), Travis Tuttle (Argyle, Wis.), David DeMarcus (Lexington-Sayre, Ky.) and Kenny White of Staten Island-Monsignor Farrell (N.Y.). Reeves' performance came in 1995, Tuttle's in 1991, DeMarcus' feat in 1989 and White's effort in 1987-88.
The national record of 24 treys was set in 2000 by Taurean Moy of Booker T. Washington High School (Memphis, Tenn.) against Memphis-Manassas on Dec. 5, 2000.
Wigley's 15 3-pointers came against Madison County in a 101-86 loss during the 1993-94 season. That effort broke the record set by Terry Daniels of Dozier in the 1987-88 season. Daniels had 14. Darryl Wilson of South Lamar had 13 against Pickens County in the 1991-92 season.
Wilson, who went on to a standout career at Mississippi State, turned in another incredible 3-point shooting performance the year before in the Class 3A Regional finals played at Winterboro. Down 84-75 with just less than 10 seconds remaining, Wilson nailed a trey with 8.5 seconds left to cut the lead to 84-78. South Lamar called time out after the bucket, then fouled on the inbounds pass to send a Winterboro player to the free throw line. The shot was missed and Wilson took another trey with 4.5 seconds left to cut the lead to 84-81. Again, the Stallions called time out and fouled before time ran off the clock again.
And again, Winterboro's shooter missed. A South Lamar player rebounded, passed the ball to Wilson who nailed his third trey in a row as time expired. He was also knocked to the floor by a defender in what should have been a four-point play and a chance to win. Things changed quickly, however, when the trail official in the two-man crew came running from the other end of the court and called the shot a two. No foul was called and South Lamar lost the game and the chance to go to the state tournament, 84-83.
Wilson and his high-scoring buddies did have their day, though. The next year South Lamar rolled to a 32-2 record and won the Class 3A state championship while averaging 103 points per game. The previous year the Stallions averaged 106 ppg to set an AHSAA single-season state record.
Wilson, who led Mississippi State to the NCAA Final Four, averaged 37.8 ppg as a senior at South Lamar to earn Mr. Basketball honors for Alabama, scored a then-record 65 in the Reebok Classic at Las Vegas and helped the Stallions post a 153-87 win over Oneonta and a 151-119 win over Lamar County. In the win at Oneonta, he had 59 and teammate Greg Poole had 51 in the same game. Wilson also had 59 in another game his senior season.
IT'S OFFICIAL: TREVOR LACEY HAS INSPIRED A SONG ABOUT HIM
Trevor Lacey is the hottest senior basketball prospect among Alabama's high schools this basketball season after earning the Alabama Sports Writers Association's highest honor, Mr. Basketball, in 2009-10. He's helped Butler win two state championships already (2008 and 2009) and it might have been three in a row had he not gotten injured late last season. This year, Butler has dropped from 5A to 4A and is currently 17-2 and ranked No. 1 in its classification. The Rebels also won the prestigious Huntsville Times Classic during the Christmas break.
And now, Coach Jack Doss' prize star has inspired a fan, "Jessie," to pen and record a song about him. The song is now on You Tube where almost 1,000 have already clicked online to hear the rap song. It urges listeners to "Hit that trey like Trevor Lacey."
It is also certain to find its way to the iPhones of college recruiters hot on his trail. Among the schools he is still considering are Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Connecticut and Kansas.
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