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 | |
| |
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.
A 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]
As 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]
Duncan 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]