Sam Vinson sure has racked up the awards in northern Kentucky.
Once leading the Highlands basketball team to a state championship, winning the 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year and scoring 1,791 points in his high school career, Vinson’s success has carried over to the next level. He scored his 1,000th point as a member of the Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team Tuesday night.
With just under 10 minutes to go in the first half on the road against Akron, Vinson knocked down a 3-pointer to join the club, finishing with 11 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals in the game.
He’s now one of nine players in the Norse’s Division I era to have over 1,000 points, tied for eighth with Dantez Walton for total career points at 1,008. His teammate Trey Robinson is 10th on the list and his 17 points shy of the achievement.
Vinson is already at the top of several categories in the team’s history in steals (194) and steals per game (2.3). He’s also fifth in career assists, third in assists per game, ninth in free throws, seventh in minutes played and second in minutes per game.
The senior guard is averaging the second most points on the squad with 12.5, also pulling down 4.6 rebounds a game this season. He leads the team in minutes played (260), three-point percentage (36.4%), assists (31) and steals (18).