Sports - February 2003

1,000 POINTS CLUB of 2003

TERRANCE THOMAS, LTN Staff writer

February 7, 2003 - Scoring 1,000 points in a high school basketball career is quite an achievement.

It requires the player to be a major scoring leader right away in his or her sophomore year or get a lot of playing time and points as a freshman.

Three local players recently scored their 1,000th point. Another could do it later this season or early next season.

Lincolnton’s Eric Wilson made a free throw to get his 1,000th point at Shelby on Jan. 14.

West Lincoln’s Zach Franklin nailed a 3-pointer to get his 1,000th against Lincolnton last Friday.

Lincolnton’s Andrea Stroup scored on a layup against Shelby on Tuesday for a cool one grand.

Next in line to be in Club 1,000 is Lincolnton’s Darren Wilson who could probably make it in the Midwest Conference tournament or the state playoffs. Darren said he is less than 200 points from the 1,000 mark.

Unless he gets hurt or quits basketball altogether, he will eventually get it. Like his cousin, Eric Wilson, he’s a junior.

Eric Wilson

If you would have seen Eric Wilson play in his middle school years, you could have predicted his getting 1,000 points in high school.

Wilson averaged 30 points a game at Pumpkin Center Middle. He scored 40 twice.

“I just played hard to do what it takes to win,” he said.

Wilson transferred to Lincolnton. In his freshman year, he was nervous. But that was over by the second game. He poured in 28 points.

“I realized that they weren’t too much better than me,” he said.

“Scoring a 1,000 points means all the hard work and practice and everything since my freshman year paid off,” Wilson said. “(I’ve) practiced 6 o’clock in the morning and on holidays. Hard work pays off.

“When I set the goal (to get 1,000), I did it for a four-year period. It came quicker than I expected. My new goal is to break the county scoring record. I don’t know what it is.”

Scoring points has opened doors. Last summer he was invited to the Nike National Sophomore Basketball Camp. It proved, he said, that he could play with the nation’s best 10th graders.

Wilson said his best game was against Newton-Conover last Saturday night.

“I was in a zone, it felt like the rim was a bucket and I was throwing rocks in it,” he said. “Everything I shot was going in. I felt good.”

Very few basketball players can be called a “scorer.” Eric Wilson is one of them.

Like a lot of kids growing up, he wanted to be like Michael Jordan. So far it looks like he’s got Jordan’s scoring ability down pat.

Jordan’s example is not the only one Wilson is thankful for — his mom, Latoya Hunter and Rev. Franklin Lowery, he said, are can take a lot of credit for his success.

Andrea Stroup

Andrea Stroup played jayvee as a freshman but was moved up during a holiday tournament. She got more playing time than she expected. Playing with senior players was key to her early success. She had to improve her game up to the varsity level.

“It made me work harder,” she said, “I wanted a starting position. I wanted more playing time. When I started my sophomore year, I knew I had to step up to help my team win. As a freshman I didn’t think about scoring points.”

Getting point No. 1,000 was a thrill for her.

“It feels great,” she said. “It’s something I worked hard for. It’s great to have it.”

Stroup comes from an athletic family. Her mother was a cheerleader. Her dad, grandfather and brother, Charlie, were football players. Charlie played baseball, too.

She learned a lot from her brother, who is one year old, playing basketball and other sports with him.

It all helped.

Stroup could get athletic scholarships in three different sports. She was all-conference in tennis, softball and basketball last year.

All three teams she played on went to the playoffs.

Zach Franklin

Zach Franklin is his fifth year as a starter.

He began as an eighth-grader at Stanley Christian Academy.

Franklin had to get used to playing with the big boys. That only helped him. He had pick his game up to that level.

He knows getting 1,000 points is a big achievement.

“It feels pretty good,” he said. “I knew I could. It means a lot — hope it means a lot to college scouts, too.”

His best game was against East Lincoln in his sophomore year. He scored 33 points in that game.

This season, Franklin has been moved to the No. 2 guard where he’s more natural. He may be able to score more points.

“I’m able to see the floor more,” he said.

Against Bandys Tuesday night, he scored 25 and didn’t commit a turnover.

Franklin said that head coach Jason Kingery has been his biggest influence. Kingery convinced him that he could play. It helped build his confidence.

Kingery said Franklin is focused on the game.

“I feel like he’s been the best player on this team in the past two years,” Kingery said. “He’s very dedicated to his sport. He knows the game. He watches the game.

“Playing against older guys helped him at Stanley Christian.

“When I first got here (two-years-ago) and first observed the team, I didn’t know all the kids’ names, but I spotted him at first because he was a step quicker that everyone else and his shot was a whole lot better.”

Darren Wilson

Darren Wilson is the LHS point guard. He would be happy to get 1,000 points but scoring is not just his game.

“It’s not a big deal to me,” he said. “To me, the team is more important than points. It’s going out there, seeing someone open and getting them the ball. To me, it’s being a true and real point guard. The biggest thing I like is the assist.”

At the point, he has dished out plenty of passes to Eric Wilson, helping him get his 1,000th.

He likes to pass but he can be deadly at times with his top-of-the-key 3-pointers or when he drives inside and score or pass.

He can also throw down some furious dunks to pick up his team — and the crowd. He once scored 32 against Bunker Hill.

Against Newton-Conover last Saturday, he poured in 29 in one of his most complete games.

Darren Wilson became better by playing against his older brother Jimmy Wilson.

“When I was about 10 years old, I would go to see (Jimmy) play at the recreation center,” he said. “That made me want to continue to follow his footsteps and play the best game I could play.”

Darren Wilson doesn’t have 1,000 points on the court yet, but he is already a member of another 1,000 club — he gained 1,000 yards for LHS football team.

He can beat his brother now. They are about even. But Jimmy still teaches him how to get better. Darren Wilson is listening.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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