Campbell star Chris Clemons jumped up two spots on the Division I all-time scoring list, from sixth to fourth, with his 34-point outing in Campbell's 86-77 win over Hampton in the Big South Conference Tournament quarterfinals Thursday. Clemons leaped past Doug McDermott and Alphonso Ford, who own 3,150 and 3,165 career points, respectively.
With his historic night in the books, Clemons now has 3,170 career points and is in position to continue to climb before his career is over. Ahead of him is Lionel Simmons with 3,217 points, Freeman Williams with 3,249, and Pete Maravich with 3,667.
Clemons could surpass Simmons as soon as the next game given his propensity to explode on any night, but he can likely pace himself considered his top-seeded Fighting Camels are expected to have at least one more conference tournament game left in them. If he scores 48 in his next game, he'll pass Simmons, and if he scores 79, he'll pass Williams.
Passing Simmons in one game isn't likely, and passing Williams in one game -- well, he'd probably need all 40 minutes and a few overtimes. But it's possible Clemons climbs into the No. 2 spot all-time among scorers in Division I history, what would be a remarkable achievement for a Big South star who checks in at 5-foot-9 and no more than 180 pounds.
Clemons and Campbell face Big South No. 4 seed Gardner-Webb on Friday at 8:00 p.m. The last time the two programs faced off earlier this season, Clemons scored 26 despite missing 16 shots on the evening. If he can ramp up his efficiency even a smidge, Simmons' record may fall over the span of a 40-minute game on Friday night.
