Bakari-Turner Overdrive: West alum signs with Morehead State

It took two years longer than expected, but Plano West alum Bakari Turner will get his opportunity at Division I basketball after all.

Turner recently signed with Morehead State.

"I talked with Bakari a long time ago and told him he could be a special player because of his athleticism," said Anthony Morgan, West head coach.

That was evident at the varsity level as Turner racked up starting minutes, plenty of points and district accolades in two seasons with the Wolves. Turner, who committed to Baylor as a junior, didn't play for West in 2009-10 as he transferred to Duncanville prior to his senior season and then was denied a waiver to play when he transferred back to West as he actually lived in Plano's East zone.

"Bakari came in to the gym this past summer," Morgan said. "It was great to talk with him and see him, and he said if he had it to do all over again he would've just stayed at West the whole time, which was nice to hear."

Transfer issues weren't the only problems Turner ran into during that timeframe as academic issues prevented him from ever playing for Baylor.

Instead, Turner spent the next two seasons in junior college.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard excelled at that level, playing for Blinn College in 2010-11 and Cedar Valley College in 2011-12. At Blinn, Turner averaged 17.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He upped those numbers as a sophomore, averaging 24.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.2 blocks per game as Cedar Valley achieved National Runner-Up status and Turner was named a 2012 National Junior College Athletic Association All-American.

"Bakari jumps like (Michael) Jordan during his early years and is a natural at scoring points," Morgan said. "He has been working on refining his defense and ball-handling skills, so those have been improving and he is still young, so he is going to get stronger."

Morehead State, which was 18-15 overall last season (10-6 in conference), clearly saw similar attributes.

"Bakari is a big-time talent and we're excited about him joining our program," said Sean Woods, Morehead State head coach. "Bakari had several high-major programs recruiting him and we're happy he chose us. He could certainly be a difference maker in the near future."

Turner, who picked Morehead State over programs like Texas Tech, will have two years of eligibility remaining.

"Bakari has the potential to play valuable minutes for us the next two years," Woods said. "He's a hard-nosed competitor who is quick with the ball and has a knack for scoring. He can also defend three positions for us. I think he will fit in nicely with the up-tempo style we are going to play."

Morehead State begins the 2012-13 season in November with the Ohio Valley Conference slate cranking up in January. The Eagles advanced to the conference tournament semifinals last year.

"We want to be among the conference leaders in scoring, field-goal shooting and three-point percentage this season," Woods said. "Bakari will help us in all of those categories. His ability to score will help get us into a full-court press, where we can put pressure on opponents."

That's an impressive list of potential contributions from a player who looked like he had lost his opportunity to play big-time college basketball just two years prior.

"Bakari has had his struggles, but he is a good kid and I am happy he is getting this opportunity," Morgan said. "Plus, it's nice to have another kid from West playing at the Division I level."

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