Spurlock enjoying All-Star summer

CANNONSBURG When it’s time to shine, Jacob Spurlock’s star power becomes the brightest.

Spurlock showed it once again during the 33rd annual Kentucky-Ohio All-Star weekend at Thomas More University. The Boyd County senior started the festivities by winning the 3-point contest, then earned Most Valuable Player honors in the All-Star game on April 11.

The game, dubbed “The Battle at the Border”, pitted 15 of the top players from the Bluegrass and Buckeye states. Boyd County's and the 16th Region's all-time leading scorer said the event was an opportunity to play against top talent and to keep playing the game he loves.

“When you get out there with the top players in the state, it is really fun,” Spurlock said. “You know everybody out there can play. You are playing the top players in Ohio. It’s just a fun way to play basketball. You don’t have to worry about titles or records. I haven’t seen some of those guys for a while. Several are former AAU teammates.”

Spurlock has 628 career 3-pointers, nearly double the long-range buckets of the next player on the region record list, and ranks him second in KSHAA history. The shooting contest brought out the competitive nature, and it carried over to the game.

Spurlock finished 8 of 13 from the field in the All-Star game, scored 20 points, and hit four from beyond the arc. He helped Kentucky jump out to a double-digit lead after one quarter and the team pulled away to claim a 114-91 victory.

“I was, for sure, trying to win the 3-point contest the day before the All-Star game,” Spurlock said. “I knew I had to win that one. I really focused on that. After that, winning that MVP award against all the top guys in the state, I got to showcase my skills against whoever is out there on the floor.

“The atmosphere at the 3-point contest and dunk contest was solid,” he added. “The gym is not crazy big, so they were able to pack people in there. They were standing at the top and it got really loud at some points.”

Boyd County coach Randy Anderson joined the crowd. He left the event impressed after enjoying another proud moment with one of his players.

“It was 15 of Kentucky’s best seniors, and North Laurel (and All-Star) coach (Nate Valentine) is an awesome guy,” Anderson said. "It was a great experience. It was a different environment. Jake and the players were there for three days and went through a boot camp. … Jake not only competed but exceled. Whenever the team needed a bucket, he was money.

“He got to see what he will face at the next level,” he continued. “Ohio had a really good, athletic team. It was competitive for three quarters, and then Kentucky pulled away. It was like a proud dad moment for me. Jacob always plays with a smile on his face."

After Spurlock’s performance, one player stood out, and tournament officials had a clear choice to name MVP.

“You never know about those things,” Anderson said, “or what type of combination players you get or who will go on runs. You play for five minutes, and then you can sit. But as the game went on, you could just tell that he was one of the elite guys there.”