Katerri O’Neal
Staff Writer
Great wonders and victories all started when a young teenager, Audie Norris, decided to play basketball at Jim Hill High School in Jackson Miss. He eventually became one of the school’s star basketball players, and later, a stand-out NBA and international star.
Norris was born Dec. 18, 1960 in Jackson, Miss. As a 6’9”center, he started his college basketball career at Jackson State University.
According to www.sportsreference.com, during his college career he played 112 games at a total of 2808 minutes, 676 field goals, 448 free throws, 1186 rebounds, and 1800 points which included getting an average of 16.1 points per game.
During his last year in college basketball in 1982, he played 28 games averaging 33.4 minutes of playing time, which included scoring 16.7 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.4 free throws, and 6.1 field goals.
Norris earned the title of the NCAA’s 5th leading rebounder in the nation during his college career.
The love for the game did not stop Norris after his college career, he was drafted 14th in the second round of the 1982 NBA draft, which made him the 37th overall pick by the Portland Trailblazers.
According to basketballreference.com he played 187 games with a total of 2585 minutes played, 283 field goals, 253 free throws, 576 rebounds, and 819 points, averaging 4.4 points a game.
In 1985 at the age of 24 Norris played 78 games for a total of 14.3 minutes which included scoring 5.1 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 free throws, and 1.7 field goals.
According to newhorizonprepschool.com, after retiring from professional basketball in 1994 while playing in Europe due to injuries, Norris played with Italy’s Benetton Baskets Futbol Club, Barcelona in the Spanish League and Greece’s Nikas Peristeri.
Norris was also an assistant coach at Jackson State; Head coach at St. Joseph High School; coach at Tougaloo College; Semi Pro team The Jackson Rage and from 2006 to 2009, has worked with the young men at Genesis One Christian School in Mendenhall, Miss. and presently at New Horizon Preparatory School.
