It was paparazzi time Tuesday night in the old Morningside High gym, where more than 20 photographers lined the baseline trying to capture the moment Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood set the state record for career scoring by a high school basketball player.
Think Chino Hills days with the Ball brothers and Sierra Canyon days with Bronny James to bring out the cameras en masse.
The 6-foot-1 senior and son of Inglewood coach Jason Crowe Sr. needed 29 points to pass the 3,659 career points scored by Santa Maria St.’s Tounde Yessoufou. Joseph.
Basketball presented after Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood became the state’s all-time career leader.
(Nick Goat)
It happened at the beginning of the third quarter against Beverly Hills, which Inglewood beat 112-75. After scoring 24 points in the first half as Inglewood took a 57-32 lead, Crowe made two free throws on a technical call late in the second quarter, then hit a game-high three with 7:51 left in the third quarter. The game was briefly interrupted to introduce a special basketball for the occasion.
Missouri native Crowe, who finished with 51 points on Tuesday, is on a four-year journey to establish himself as one of the best basketball players in Southern California. He said he never intended to become the state’s all-time scoring leader.
“It just happened as the years went by and I kept picking up the points,” he said.
Since debuting as a 14-year-old freshman at Lynwood, Crowe has changed the game. He averaged 36.0 points as a freshman when Lynwood won the Division V state championship, 37.4 points as a sophomore and 35.3 points last season at Inglewood. He is averaging 42.9 points this season.
Parents of Inglewood guard Jason Crowe Jr.: His mother Irene and father Jason Sr.
(Nick Goat)
Crowe said that first season of winning the state championship remains his greatest achievement.
“My freshman year was one of the best years, playing against good teams at a young age and leading my team to a state title. That was the best feeling,” he said.
As Crowe’s reputation grew, many of his father’s friends joined in on the fun. Crowe spoke often with Inglewood’s most famous basketball player, Hall of Famer Paul Pierce. Crowe’s grandfather used to be a principal in Inglewood.
His ability to score is aided by his ability to attack the basketball, draw fouls and shoot free throws. He is relentless and never satisfied. His work ethic has helped him get stronger and show improvement each season.
“I feel like I’ve proven who I am in the high school basketball world,” Crowe said. “But there’s always something I can improve on.
The opportunity to play for his father, a former Inglewood guard, is something Crowe is grateful for.
“It was great to have someone on my side who really cared about me,” he said.
Crowe’s father is expected to join him in Missouri.
“He’s definitely going to encourage me and be with me on this journey,” Crowe said.
The fact that Crowe still has more than two months of high school basketball left means he’ll only add to a record that could go on for a long time.
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