Even though he has only played in three games this season, Scottie Turner has been a big part of Allen’s men’s basketball team.
A third-year sophomore, Turner was granted an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic.
Turner, a native of Tyler, Texas, transferred to Allen from Tyler Community College prior to this season as a redshirt sophomore, gaining a third year of eligibility thanks to the pandemic.
“Iola is a lot different from home,” Turner remarked. “Just not being around stuff I’m familiar with and places that I’ve seen all my life. There’s not a lot to do except school and getting in the gym. It’s not a bad change.”
Turner was moved to come to Allen after seeing the dedication of the coaching staff.
“The staff actually drove down to Tyler,” Turner said. “Coach Shaw and them came to my house to have breakfast with my family and we just talked about everything and all the options I could have at Allen. It’s very old school. It showed me that the coaches here were genuine people.”
Turner was injured in the season opener against Bethany College when he sprained his ankle, one of many injuries Allen has had to endure this season. Turner has been recovering well.
“I’m getting stronger every day,” Turner said. “I still have swelling in my ankle but there is no pain. It was probably three or four weeks before I could get back to practice. I should be 100% after Christmas break.”
The Red Devils were on an eight-game win streak earlier this season. Turner was a big part of that. In a game against then-ranked Central Community College, Turner hit the game-winning jumper after getting a rebound.
“We compete hard as a team,” Turner said. “The game-winner was just me feeding off Ed Wright. It was good at the moment but I wasn’t super focused on if it was the game-winning shot because we still have 25 games left.”
Once the Red Devils come back from break, the schedule heats up as KJCCC competition begins. Conference play is always a good measuring stick for a team, especially in a conference as tough as the KJCCC.
“Now, it’s going to be a lot higher stakes and more intense because we are playing in conference and playing more local teams,” Turner said. “Conference play will give us a good chance to see how we compare to some of these teams. I’m really excited for everything ahead. We are aiming for 25 wins, and to make the national tournament. I want to play as hard as I can.”
This season, Turner is averaging 11.7 points per game and just under seven rebounds per game. One of Turner’s goals for the second half of the season is to boost those numbers to a double-double.
Turner is currently getting interest from multiple schools, including the NCAA Division I school Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, La.
