Seton Hall’s loss is East Carolina’s gain.
Chris Turner, a 6-foot-5 guard who played this past season at Humble Christian (Texas) Life Center, signed at National Letter-of-Intent to play at East Carolina.
Turner chose East Carolina over Seton Hall and Florida State. Wake Forest was involved but never offered.
“Chris is an energizing addition to Pirate Basketball,” said EC coach Mack McCarthy. “He gives us a dimension that we lack–someone who creates his own scoring opportunities. An outstanding athlete, Chris will make an immediate impact on the East Carolina program. We welcome him to our basketball family.”
Turner, a native of Durham, N.C., helped lead Humble Christian to a 31-10 record this past season, averaging 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals along the way. He was ranked as the 10th best prospect from Texas by rivals.com.
“I felt this was the best fit and best situation for me,” Turner said. “Everybody knows that basketball is a big deal in North Carolina and it means a lot for me to be able to play there.”
“He is a pure shooter and there is no conceivable distance in which he can’t make a shot,” said HCLC coach Carlos Wilson. “What makes him so dynamic is his athleticism. He can get to the basket and finish above the rim. He is just as good on the defensive end as the offensive end. He relishes the challenges of defending the opponent’s top guard. He is the total package.”
Wilson added in a phone interview that Turner chose EC primarily because he wanted to be close to family.
“He’s been away from home for three years and each time he goes home, Grandma’s a little older,” WIlson said. “He’s just like, ‘Man, I just want to be around my family and I hate to leave.'”
Wilson said Turner had no ill feelings toward Seton Hall, to whom he reportedly verballed last year.
“It’s not a knock on Seton Hall,” Wilson said. “It wasn’t anything that they did. He just bonded with the (East Carolina) coaches and the prospect of being close to home.”
Wilson said Turner still has some work to do to qualify.
“He just got through taking his tests so he has to wait on his test score,” Wilson said.
Turner is the Pirates’ second signee of the spring and third of the season. Georgia prep standout Darrius Morrow signed a scholarship earlier this week, while Greenville native Raheem Smith inked his NLI during the fall signing period.
OLU ASHAOLU UPDATE
Wilson also coached Olu Ashaolu at Humble. Ashaolu, as you will recall, committed last summer to Rutgers, only to change his mind and pick Louisiana Tech, where he redshirted.
“He’s put on some muscle and he’s going to play the three,” WIlson said of the 6-7, 245-pound Ashaolu. “He’s going to be a monster. He’s kind of Ron Artest-ish. His body puts you in the mind of Ron Artest. He’s more cut up, more muscular.
“He’s definitely going to cause some problems for some guys down there.”
