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JJ Culver, the older brother of Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Jarrett Culver, scored 100 points in a magical performance to become the second NAIA player to reach that mark. The 6-foot-5 Wayland Baptist guard from Lubbock, Texas poured in the triple-digit wonder in a 124-60 rout over Southwestern Adventist, holding a similar sign to Wilt Chamberlain's mythical 100-point game, though inspired by Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.
“I saw some of his videos,” Culver said of Bryant, according to Henry Bushnell and Jason Owens of Yahoo Sports. “He said when he scored 81, he was conditioned really well. So in the summer, I ran a lot.”
Culver's younger brother Jarrett was in disbelief when he shared J.J.'s fantastic feat with his Twitter followers on Tuesday night.
WAIT…. my brother @jj10culver just scored 100 points in a game 🤯 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Somebody tell me I’m not dreaming pic.twitter.com/qhnIEVkVrF
— jarrett culver (@jarrettc08) December 11, 2019
A quick look at the box score shows no one for Wayland Baptist had more than three shot attempts in the game but Culver, who had the lion's share of shots — canning 34-of-62 from the floor, 12-of-33 from deep, and 20-of-27 from the foul line in 38 minutes.
Culver also added nine rebounds, one assists, two blocks, and five steals in the massive scorching of Southwestern Adventist, doing much more than just scoring.
Jarrett Culver’s brother, JJ Culver, scored 100 points tonight in Wayland Baptist’s win. https://t.co/88CcdUidC6 pic.twitter.com/a6WsxtROaj
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) December 11, 2019
Culver had 51 points at the half, and most of his buckets came in dominant fashion, like this emphatic dunk over the Knights' defense.
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2 of JJ’s 100. #WaylandBaptist pic.twitter.com/FWefAEqqWg
— Wayland Baptist Basketball (@WBUBasketball) December 11, 2019
Culver practiced with younger brother Jarrett, worked out at Texas Tech and grinded all summer long to keep in tip-top conditioning form. Wayland Baptist head coach Ty Harrelson emptied his bench, but left Culver, the NAIA’s leading scorer, in to chase the legendary 100-point mark. To drive by and shoot over double-teams and denials and diamond-and-ones and triangle-and-twos. He shot 62 times from the field and made 34. He was 12-of-33 from beyond the arc. He hit 20 of his 27 free throws.
Culver had 98 with around a minute to go, beat his man on a backdoor cut, and was fouled in the process. He missed the ensuing free throw unintentionally, which he later admitted was a blessing.
Sitting at 98 points, here’s JJ scoring to make it 100! Look at the reaction from the crowd and his brother Trey! pic.twitter.com/oCP3ACGel8
— Pete Christy (@pchristy11) December 11, 2019
“I really tried to make it,” said Culver, admitting the round“100” sounds much better than 101.
After all, Chamberlain is legendary for being the only player to ever reach triple digits in the NBA.
Clarence “Bevo” Francis of Rio Grande is the only other player in NAIA history to have a 100-point game, after pouring in a standing record of 113 points against Hillsdale in 1954. Furman's Frank Selvy is the only player in NCAA Division I history have had a 100-point game, scoring just that against Newberry College in 1954.
The last college player to score at least 100 was Jack Taylor of Division III's Grinnell College, who poured in 138 points in 2012, then followed it with a 109-point effort the following year.
Surely this will be a day the Culver family will never forget, as his performance will be forever engraved in the pantheon of mythical college performances.
