Lorenzo Duncan (born January 15, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who had been named an All-Star in the British Basketball League during the 1988–89 season. In college, he competed for Alabama–Huntsville and Sam Houston State. Duncan was a four-time first-team all-conference selection and won two conference player of the year awards: the 1983 Southern States Conference Player of the Year and the 1986 Gulf Star Conference Player of the Year.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 15, 1963 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Cairo (Cairo, Illinois) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1986: 6th round, 128th overall pick |
| Selected by the Washington Bullets | |
| Playing career | 1986–199? |
| Position | Point guard |
| Career history | |
| 1988–1989 | Hemel Hempstead Royals |
| 1990–1991 | Kingston B.C. |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life
editA native of Cairo, Illinois,[1] Duncan attended Cairo High School[1] where as a senior in 1980–81 he was named all-state.[2] That year he averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals per game while leading the Cairo High Pilots to a 30–5 record.[2] The team finished in third place in the Illinois Class A state tournament.[2] Duncan was considered a "big-time point guard" who was recruited by NCAA Division I schools such as Oklahoma, Western Kentucky, and Southern Illinois, but due to his grades he was not immediately eligible to compete in the NCAA.[2] Instead, Duncan chose to play for the Alabama–Huntsville Chargers, a school in the NAIA which did not adhere to the same academic requirements for student-athletes as the NCAA.[2]
College career
editAs a freshman at Alabama–Huntsville in 1981–82, Duncan appeared in 25 games and averaged 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.6 steals.[3] He helped guide the Chargers to win the Southern States Conference (SSC) Men's Basketball Tournament and was named to the all-conference first team.[4] The following year, he averaged 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.6 steals per game in 36 games played.[3] Alabama–Huntsville repeated as SSC Tournament champions with Duncan being named the tournament's MVP.[5] He repeated as a first-team selection while also taking home the regular season's top honor – Duncan was the 1983 Southern States Conference Player of the Year.[6]
After his sophomore season in 1982–83, a coaching change led to his decision to transfer out of Alabama–Huntsville.[6] He went to Sam Houston State in the Gulf Star Conference, an NCAA Division II conference in its first year of existence.[6] Due to NCAA transfer rules, Duncan had to redshirt (sit out) his 1983–84 season.[3]
As a junior in 1984–85, he averaged 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 3.0 steals per game in 28 appearances.[3] Although the Bearkats mustered only a 16–12 overall record, Duncan was selected to the All-Gulf Star first team.[7] The following season, Duncan's senior year, Sam Houston State went 9–1 in conference play (27–6 overall), were Gulf Star regular season champions, and earned a berth into the 1986 NCAA Division II tournament. He averaged 17.4 points,[8] 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.7 steals per game in 33 appearances en route to a second consecutive (and fourth overall) first-team all-conference selection.[8] Duncan was also named the Gulf Star Player of the Year, marking the second time he was named a league's MVP.[8]
Professional career
editDuncan was selected in the sixth round of the 1986 NBA draft by the Washington Bullets (128th overall).[9] He never played in the NBA, however.[9][10]
He played in the British Basketball League from 1986 to 1992. In 1988–89 he played for the Hemel Hempstead Royals (as of 2021–22 known as the London Lions) where he was a BBL All-Star.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b "#14 Lorenzo Duncan". GoBearkats.com. Sam Houston State University. 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Chamness, Mike (April 29, 1981). "Alabama–Huntsville harvests Duncan, Jones". The Southern Illinoisan. Carbondale, Illinois. p. 13. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "The Draft Review – Lorenzo Duncan". TheDraftReview.com. Fine Line Websites. 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ "AUM, Athens pace team". Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. February 26, 1982. p. 26. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Webb, Donnie (February 27, 1983). "Alabama–Huntsville wins SSC tournament". Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. p. 43. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Cunningham, Steve (March 6, 1986). "Former Cairo star in national spotlight". The Southern Illinoisan. Carbondale, Illinois. p. 13. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jones earns honor". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. March 6, 1985. p. 10. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Lions, Ladies listed". Enterprise-Journal. McComb, Mississippi. March 12, 1986. p. 10. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Lorenzo Duncan". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ Estel, Mike (August 30, 1986). "Cairo star Duncan NBA career brief". The Southern Illinoisan. Carbondale, Illinois. p. 14. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Molten BBL Team of the Year members". bbl.org.uk. British Basketball League. 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
External links
edit- Lorenzo Duncan @ basketball-reference.com