Alphonso Ford

Alphonso Gene Ford (October 31, 1971 – September 4, 2004) was an American professional basketball player. A 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) tall shooting guard, he was one of the greatest scorers in college basketball history. After a short stint in the NBA, Ford played professionally in Europe. In the Euroleague he confirmed his tremendous scoring ability and became a reference in the matter, notwithstanding his chronic health issues. The competition's leading scorer award bears his name in his honor.

Early years

Ford was a high school star player for Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, Mississippi. Upon entering college basketball at Mississippi Valley State University, Ford led the entire NCAA in freshman scoring during the 1989-90 season with a 29.9 points per game average. In his sophomore year, he averaged 32.9 points per game, second only to Bo Kimble of Loyola Marymount University. He became the first player in NCAA history to average 25 points per game in four straight seasons. His 3,165 career points scored in the NCAA are 4th on the all-time scoring list behind only Pete Maravich, Freeman Williams and Lionel Simmons.