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NCAA Basketball: Campbell’s Chris Clemons joins 3,000-point scoring club

By Daniel Benjamin

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 22: A general view before the start of the Michigan State Spartans versus Virginia Cavaliers in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 22, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 22: A general view before the start of the Michigan State Spartans versus Virginia Cavaliers in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 22, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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TULSA, OK – MARCH 17: A game ball sits near the court before the game between the USC Trojans and the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 17, 2017 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
TULSA, OK – MARCH 17: A game ball sits near the court before the game between the USC Trojans and the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 17, 2017 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Campbell Fighting Camels guard Chris Clemons joined the exclusive 3,000-point club on Feb. 16.

Campbell University men’s basketball player Chris Clemons netted  28 points in Saturday’s 76-71 loss to Presbyterian to become just the ninth Division I player to ever reach 3,000 career points. The 5-foot-9 senior, who now has 3,006 points, reached the 3,000 mark with 5:45 to play on a pull-up three that capped a 22-8 Camel rally and brought CU within 59-58. He finished the game just 5-for-21 from the field and 2-for-9 from the three-point line. It was one of his worst shooting games of the season. However, the 21-year-old was able to salvage the day by sinking all 16 of his free throw attempts.

The point total was not the only milestone that the Raleigh (N.C.) hit on Saturday. He tied Stephen Curry for the 10th most triples in DI history with 414. Clemons also reached double-figures for the 108 consecutive game, tying former Arizona Wildcat star Sean Elliot for the third-longest streak in Division I history.

Clemons is currently leading the nation in scoring at 29.8 points a game, which is over three points more than Antoine Davis and Justin Wright-Foreman. Clemons has scored at least 20 points in 24 of his 26 appearances, topping the 30-point mark on 10 occasions which includes three 40-point efforts. He moved passed both Danny Manning and Oscar Robertson on the all-time scoring list and into ninth place after dropping a season-high 48 points against Hampton on Feb 13.

The former Big South Rookie of the Year has been a scorer since stepping onto the Buies Creek campus, averaging 18.5 points a game as a freshman in 2016-17. He has averaged over 24 points a game in each of his last three seasons. There are a couple of reasons for his success as a scorer.

Clemons has improved as a shooter, going from a 42.4% shooter in year one to 45.6% this season. He also has improved his three-point shooting and has gotten to the free throw line more frequently this year. In addition to being the Big South’s all-time scoring leader, Clemons is 17th all-time in three-point percentage and first in free throw percentage.

Here is the thing, Clemons is not a one trick pony. He is very athletic and quick. Overall, Clemons is a pretty good defensive rebounder and possesses solid hands.

Clemons, who has 25 games of 30 or more points with a career-high of 51 against UNC Asheville (March 2, 2017), also leads the NCAA in free throw attempts and total points (774) this year. The Millbrook High School product will end his career as the Big South record holder in several categories.

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