Weintz becomes Scots basketball’s 9th all-time leading scorer

January 16, 2006

By WIL SHANE
Lyon College News Bureau

Norris Weintz, a 6’6” senior forward from Little Rock, isn’t a writer, but that didn’t stop him from recently rewriting the Scots basketball record books when he became the team’s No. 9 all-time leading scorer.

Since first donning a Scots uniform, he’s racked up 1,513 points, with 212 coming in this season so far (as of the end of December). But Weintz is as strong in the classroom as he is on the court. To date, his honors as a student and basketball player include:

• 2005 NAIA All-American Scholar/Athlete;
• TranSouth Conference Scholar/Athlete in 2004 and 2005;
• Member of the All-TranSouth First Team in 2004 and 2005;
• 2004 NAIA All-American honorable mention; and,
• 2003 All-TranSouth Freshman Team.

Choosing Lyon was a pragmatic decision for him in the beginning, he admitted.

“One of the reasons I chose Lyon was because they offered me a scholarship,” Weintz said. “But Lyon’s outstanding reputation as a high quality school was definitely another factor in my coming here.”

Though he’ll soon graduate with a degree in business finance, Weintz said he isn’t quite ready to leave basketball behind. In addition to the NBA in the U.S., there are professional leagues in Europe as well, perhaps most notably in Italy, and Weintz is open to playing for them.

“If I get the chance, I would love to continue my basketball career somewhere out of the country (professionally),” he said. “I want to play somewhere. It’s just a matter of finding someone who thinks I’m good enough to play for them.”

Head Coach Kevin Jenkins has been with the Scots program for 20 years, with 11 of those as head basketball coach. As of this writing, he’s currently No. 3 on the Scots’ all-time win list with 126 victories.

Weintz said the coach stresses dedication to class work as much as to the game of basketball.

“Coach Jenkins emphasizes academics on a regular basis,” he said. “He’s always asking us about our grades, and he’s more than willing to schedule practice around everyone’s academic needs. He doesn’t complain if a player misses practice for class if it’s necessary.”

Weintz said his two favorite players are an all-time legend and a future hall of famer who never even attended college.

“I’m a huge Larry Bird fan,” he said. “At my house I have his posters, jerseys, and old games of his on video. As far as current players are concerned, I love to watch Lebron James play because he does everything. But I’m more of a college basketball fan. I especially like watching Duke play because of how hard they play and the camaraderie those guys display on the court.”