Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls

TREVIN PARKS – A RISING KING IN THE QUEEN CITY

2/17/2012 3:39:00 PM

A man who is supreme or highly successful in a specific field can be defined as a king. With the 2012 CIAA Tournament quickly approaching; Johnson C. Smith University, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), and the city of Charlotte could witness Trevin Parks earn his crown?

Parks, a native of Hickory, North Carolina, transferred to JCSU from UNC-Charlotte to complete his degree and join the men's basketball team for his sophomore season. He instantly became the top producer on the floor for the Golden Bulls. In his first season (2010-11), Parks started 26 of 27 games averaging 34 minutes per contest.

He utilized this opportunity to become the team's top scorer at the point guard position. Parks averaged 21.3 points and 4.4 assists a game. He ranked 17th in the nation (NCAA Division II) and second in the CIAA conference for scoring. Parks led JCSU to a 17-11 overall record, including an appearance in the conference tournament semifinals. He scored a career-high 36 points during the regular season and a postseason-high 26 points in the CIAA Quarterfinals.
In the first three games of the 2010-11 season, he lived up to those expectations. Thornhill averaged 24.7 points for the first three contests, including a 40-point performance in a victory over Newberry College. He set a new single game school record with 10 made three-point field goals against Newberry. However, after that, his scoring production dropped and Parks became the new “go-to guy”.

“After joining the team, one of my goals was to get Ronald the ball and make sure he finished his senior year on a good note,” said Parks. “I like Ron, because he was always willing to do whatever it took for the team to be successful. It was obvious once we got into conference play that teams respected him. He constantly drew double teams and extra attention coming off screens. With that in mind, I knew I had to step up and provide another source of scoring for the team.”

Transition into JCSU

Parks began his collegiate basketball career at nearby UNC-Charlotte. He had been recruited by then, longtime 49ers' head coach Bobby Lutz. Lutz spent 12 seasons at the helm of the basketball program at his alma mater UNCC before departing after the 2009-10 season. Parks saw limited action his freshman year. He played in 10 games and only tallied 16 points and four assists.

“My first year at UNCC was such a learning experience,” stated Parks. “In high school I was the star and I had to adjust to being the backup.”

He was the backup to starter and then rising senior guard DiJuan Harris. Harris was a two-starter prior to Parks' arrival and Charlottean out of Victory Christian Academy. During the 2008-09 season, Harris recorded 223 assists (second most in UNCC history). He ranked fourth in the nation that season for assists.

“Going against DiJuan taught me how to better play the guard position,” Parks mentioned. “He's the fastest guard I've ever faced. From watching him, I noticed point guards don't really score in college, they distribute. I learned how to better pick my spots and my basketball IQ improved. I started thinking about the game within the game.”

The scholarship situation for Parks' sophomore season was unsettled, and after the departure of Coach Lutz; the search for a new opportunity began. He was recruited by Division I schools like Gardner-Webb, Appalachian State, Northern Iowa, and the University of Virginia. Lenoir-Rhyne in his hometown of Hickory and Newberry also sought after his talents; both Division II programs.

The DI schools didn't really spark his interest because he would have to sit out a season; due to the NCAA transfer policy. Newberry was too far and going back home to Lenoir-Rhyne was too close. The option to stay in Charlotte and not have to sit out became available with Johnson C. Smith.

“I had already met Coach Joyner and Coach Sherrill at a high school game, while I was still at UNCC,” commented Parks. “When one of my family members suggested Smith; it just all made sense and came together. After my visit, I knew this was the place for me. Being around the players and the coaching staff, I felt at home; and feeling at home is what you look for with your four years in college.”

Grassroots – The hometown of Hickory

Hickory is a city in Catawba County. It has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. The city's 2010 estimated population was 40,010. The town is home to the Hickory Crawdads, an affiliate of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers, in the Class-A South Atlantic League.

Hickory is also the birthplace and hometown of Trevin Parks. Parks attended Hickory High School and earned plenty of basketball acclaim. He was a three-year letterman under head coach Shawn Johnson.

Parks led Hickory to a 72-17 combined record that included Catawba Valley Athletic 2A-3A Conference regular-season titles in 2008 and 2009. He completed his career with 1,461 points. After his senior season, Parks was named Hickory Daily Record Player of the Year and North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (NCBCA) District 10 Player of the Year, along with a spot on the NCBCA's all-state third team. He averaged 22 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Red Tornadoes.

“Opportunities in Hickory are kind of limited,” Parks indicated. “Besides my family, there aren't a lot of good outside influences. I would say about 50% of my childhood friends are in a gang now. Growing up there it seemed like you only had three options: play a sport and be an athlete, keep your grades up and go to college, or you fail.”

Currently, the area is home to many leading manufacturers of furniture, fiber optic cable, and pressure sensitive tape. It is estimated 60% of the nation's furniture used to be produced within a 200-mile radius of Hickory. Forty percent of the world's fiber optic cable is made in the Hickory area.

“A lot of my family is in Hickory and I'm glad that I'm still close by so they can see me play,” he continued. “I feel blessed to come from such a strong family core. They push me to be great. My family keeps me humble and working hard. My mom, dad, aunts, uncles, everybody keeps me focused. My family stresses to me not to take the game for granted.”

Learning from a Legend

In his 25th season as the leader of the JCSU men's basketball team is head coach Stephen Joyner, Sr. Joyner has accumulated numerous accomplishments during his career. He has the most coaching wins for men's basketball or any other sport at JCSU; having recorded over 400 victories. Joyner has the most victories for any active coach in the CIAA.

In 2001, Joyner coached the Golden Bulls to their first and only NCAA South Atlantic Regional Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight National Tournament. He has led the Golden Bulls to seven CIAA divisional titles. Joyner captured CIAA Tournament Championships in 2001, 2008, and 2009. He has been elected CIAA Coach of the Year on three occasions (1992, 1997, 2001) and NCAA Division II South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 2001.

Joyner has produced over 25 All-CIAA performers and six All-Americans. In addition, his up-tempo style benefited JCSU's top two career scorers, Columbus "Green Light" Parker and Mark Sherrill (both scored over 2,500 points during their collegiate careers).

“Coach Joyner is the best coach I've ever had in my life,” Parks professed. “He's more than a coach, he's a good friend. I feel like I can talk to him about anything and he'll give you good, professional advice. He's very unique, but unique in a good way. Coach cares about his players outside of basketball. He wants to see his players graduate and be successful in life.”
“I'm pleased to see the success Trevin has had here at Johnson C. Smith,” stated Joyner. “He's proving to be one of the top scorers in the nation and he's done it within the team concept. Even though he can score the ball, it shows that wants to keep his teammates involved.”

“Coach provides effective, constructive criticism,” expressed Parks. “His comments can change your whole mental focus during a game. The Wingate game this year is a perfect example.”

The Golden Bulls faced Wingate University this season in their second contest. Parks shot 1-of-11 from the field and had three points in the first half. He finished with a game-high 28 en route to a 73-64 victory.

Can We Get An Encore?

After such an accomplished first season at JCSU, Parks entered the 2011-12 season with some high expectations. Even with the pressure and a bright spotlight over his head, Parks continues to get it done.

He has already been recognized as the conference player of the week five times this season. He set a new career-high with 39 points against Quincy University during their Subway Holiday Tournament. He was named All-Tournament MVP and established new tournament records for points in a game (39), points in the tournament (65), three-point field goals made in a game (7) and in the tournament (11).
Parks currently leads the CIAA in scoring, three-point field goals made, and minutes played. He is averaging 25 points, 36 minutes, and 3 three-pointers per game.

He entered 2012 as the leading scorer in the nation (NCAA DII), averaging 26.5 points per game. His current scoring average has him ranked number two.

“Being the nation's leading scorer is nice to have on your resume, I can't lie,” stated Parks. “But I want to be consistent and finish that way. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to win games.”

Guidance from the Pros

It's no secret that the top basketball ticket in town goes to the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. Two of the team's young, standout talents are forward Tyrus Thomas and guard Kemba Walker. During the offseason, Parks had the chance to train with both and develop relationships.

Thomas spent one season at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he averaged 12.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks en route to being named SEC Freshman of the Year. He was the fourth overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft. He played for the Chicago Bulls for two and half season before being traded to the Bobcats in 2010. Thomas re-signed a five-year deal as a restricted free agent.

Walker was drafted ninth overall by the Bobcats in the 2011 NBA Draft. He enters his rookie season after leading the University of Connecticut (UCONN) to a NCAA DI National Championship and Big East Tournament title as a junior. Walker was a finalist for College Basketball Player of the Year and the nation's second leading scorer his final season at UCONN.

“Tyrus is like a big brother to me,” uttered Parks. “He's always telling me to keep my work ethic up. If I talk to him after I have a big game, he asks about the flow of the game and how did I get my teammates involved.”

“Kemba is a big inspiration for me. With him being a smaller guard in the league, he lets me know it can be done. He's a silent assassin in my opinion and I feel like I'm kind of a similar player. Usually when I talk to Kemba, we talk about things other than basketball; just about life in general.”

The Mark of Parks

Parks is working towards his degree in Sport Management. Although he is definitely interested in exploring a career as a professional basketball player, he really just wants to stay connected to the game in some capacity and help others.

“It would be great to have a pro career, either in the NBA or overseas. But, I understand anything could happen and playing may not be an option. I plan on getting my degree and giving back; either as a mentor or perhaps coaching.”

For now, JCSU serves as the kingdom for this rising ruler and Brayboy Gymnasium is his throne. Like any king, Parks wants to leave a mark of his reign.

“I want to bring a national championship to Johnson C. Smith. I hope to leave my mark as a small guy, with a big heart that played every game to win and made my teammates better.”
Winning the first ever national championship at JCSU is a lofty goal. But if accomplished, undoubtedly everyone would bow down to King Parks and the Golden Bulls.