Prep notebook: Three area players zeroing in on 1,000-point milestone

A high school basketball player reaching the 1,000-point career mark is a significant milestone.

In the next two weeks, three area standouts could join the club.

St. James guard Jackson Hurston, Carvers Bay forward Arkel Williams and Green Sea Floyds’ Tamara Jackson are all within striking distance, having continued successful careers deep into the 2015-2016 season. Hurston, last year’s Toast of the Coast Player of the Year, stands only six points shy of the mark heading into Tuesday’s game at Georgetown, while the other two have to some work to to reach the plateau before the end of the regular season.

“He was still producing, even as a freshman playing behind other players,” St. James coach Monty Carr said of his senior. “He was able to contribute 10 points here, 12 points there. I am not surprised about his individual production. I am more surprised about how he is able to do that while keeping his teammates involved.”

Hurston’s biggest chunk of scoring came during his junior season, when he dropped 432 points. His scoring has dipped some this year; however, the Sharks are in first place in Region VII-AAA.

Likewise, the Carvers Bay boys can largely thank Williams for their spot in a the atop Region VIII-A. The 6-foot-6 senior leads the Grand Strand in scoring at 19.1 points per game after being second in the area last year.

He enters the week 37 shy of 1,000 career points. Bears coach Jeff Mezzatesta said the high scoring marks can be attributed to Williams’ diverse playing style. With his height, he would be a lock to play inside in most programs. However, he’s been able to line up at guard as much as forward in his three seasons.

“When he first came in, we saw he had a little bit different skill set than most kids have,” Mezzatesta said. “He could handle the ball. I remember saying ‘We’re going to play you inside and out.’ ”

For Jackson, her ascent up the scoring charts has happened faster than most. The Trojans’ guard is only a sophomore, and she’s leading the area in scoring this season at more than 23 points per game. She’s further away than the other two, having scored 874 career points through Friday’s game against Carvers Bay. However, she’s also responsible for some of the highest single-game totals (boys or girls) all season.

She already has three 30-plus-point games this year, and two of those came against teams that remain on Green Sea Floyds’ schedule in the final two weeks of the regular season.

“She’s definitely the best shooter we have,” coach Tracy Kienast said. “We don’t try to force shots to her. At the same time, she’s kind of got a green light. The girls kind of look for her.”

It was not immediately known how many former Green Sea Floyds players, if any, had reached the 1,000-point mark.

Hurston and Williams, though, are certainly joining shorts lists at their respective schools. At St. James, only Caleb Duggan (2009-2013) has done so. He graduated with 1,176 career points. Previous Carvers Bay players Teondre Bromell and DaShaun Aiken hit 1,000 career points there.

Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach senior Bernard Jones was the area’s first player to reach the total this season, doing so in mid-January.

HOOPS PLAYOFF WATCH

With two weeks to go in the regular season, one area basketball team has already clinched a playoff berth. As many as three local teams could punch their tickets as early as Tuesday, given the right combination of wins and losses in their respective regions.

The Carvers Bay girls, who have started 6-0 in Region VIII-A, can finish no worse than fourth in the division The Bears could lock up a home playoff berth as early as Tuesday.

The Carolina Forest and Carvers Bay boys and the Carvers Bay girls can each mathematically clinch a spot with a win that night, as well. A number of others aren’t far behind, especially given that three of the four boys and girls regions involving local teams have make-up games scheduled for this week.

CBCA WEEKLY HONORS

The Coastal Basketball Coaches Association’s Week 9 Fab Five included two players who put up the top two single-game scoring marks all season.

Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach freshman guard Michael Green’s 35-point outing Thursday at Trinity-Byrnes marked the top individual scoring performance this year. North Myrtle Beach senior Josh Livingston wasn’t far behind with his 30-point outing against Lake City on Tuesday.

Joining the two players on this week’s list were Travis Walters (Loris), Jimmy Nichols (Conway) and Duane Moss (Carolina Forest).

HTC GAME OF THE WEEK

On Friday, HTC’s Game of the Week program will head to Murrells Inlet for the Sharks’ hoops doubleheader against Myrtle Beach.

The girls teams will tip off at 6 p.m., with the boys game to follow. Both will be shown live on HTC Channel 4 and livestreamed at HTCConnect.com. Each will then be re-broadcast multiple times next week. The final week of the HTC regular-season broadcast will in Conway for the Tigers’ doubleheader against Carolina Forest on Feb. 12.

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY

National signing day for the Grand Strand’s high school football players won’t have the drama associated with the biggest commitments from around the country.

Nearly all of the area’s players have already announced which school they’ll be attending, taking some of the guessing game out of Wednesday, the opening of the NCAA signing period in football and boys and girls soccer.

At least three football players will commit to NCAA Division I programs. Myrtle Beach running back Brandon Sinclair, who gave a verbal pledge to Old Dominion last summer, will sign with the Monarchs. Conway’s Jah’Maine Martin will do the same with Coastal Carolina. Aynor offensive lineman Dalton Hubbard has accepted a preferred walk-on spot at The Citadel and will be included with the Bulldogs’ 2016 signing class, according to Aynor coach Jody Jenerette.

Joining some of the in-school athletes will be a pair of St. James students who competed in outside competition. Sharks seniors Conor Sloan and Cole Gulledge, who have been playing for the South Carolina Battery Developmental Academy in Charleston, will formally sign with Furman and College of Charleston, respectively.

This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: Three area players zeroing in on 1,000-point milestone."