Hall of Fame
FUMA's most valuable player for the postgraduate basketball squad, Mel Turpin was also voted the number one player in the state for varsity basketball.
While at FUMA, he averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocked shots per game.
At the University of Kentucky, Turpin made the 1st Team All-SEC for 1982 and 1983, and was a starter for the NCAA Final Four Kentucky Wildcats Team (1983-1984).
In 1984, he was the SEC scoring leader, and he still holds the record for the most field goals made in SEC tournament play. He still is co-holder for the individual with the most points scored in a single SEC tournament game (1984).
A first-round draft pick by the then Washington Bullets, Turpin was in the National Basketball Association for nine years, also playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
