LAS VEGAS — Arizona’s transition into a college basketball power in the late 1980s happened long before Edward Turner was born, but he talks about it as if he were there.
That’s because he’s seen his father keep popping up in videos from that happy Wildcat era.
“Arizona is where I first picked up basketball,” Turner said. “I used to like watching my dad play back in college.”
Joe Turner was a popular reserve player who joined Lute Olson’s second Arizona team and helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA Tournament each season, including the 1988 Final Four.
But it wasn’t just the success that Edward picked up on.
“The biggest thing that jumped out at me was the atmosphere and the relationship with his teammates,” Edward said after a game with the Las Vegas Prospects at the Las Vegas Classic. “It was a really cool to see him in that era.”
Edward says he’s met key players from Olson’s early Arizona teams — Steve Kerr, Craig McMillan and Matt Muehlebach among them — and even Olson himself.
Joe Turner, father of three-star 2019 prospect Edward Turner, shares a hug with former UA teammate Steve Kerr.
Edward has a sister, Jade, who played three seasons with the Arizona volleyball team before transferring to Cal State Bakersfield for the upcoming season.
It’s all been cool enough that Edward has a pretty clear goal for his own college basketball career.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to play for them,” he said.
It’s not out of the question.
After a breakout season for Bakersfield’s Foothill High School, where he nearly averaged a triple-double, Turner has surfaced as a three-star combo forward who is collecting mid-major offers around the West.
Although Arizona has not offered Turner a scholarship, the Wildcats have kept an eye on him.
Arizona assistant coach Mark Phelps watched a Thursday night game involving the Las Vegas Prospects — a prominent AAU team that has several other UA targets — and Turner said he’s heard from Phelps, too.
“They’ve been talking to me a little bit, yeah,” Turner said. “Arizona would be my No. 1 choice if I got an offer from them.”
Otherwise, Turner said he’s heard a lot from Santa Clara, UC Irvine, San Diego State and San Francisco, among others, as the summer has progressed.
Nicknamed “squid” for his long and lanky frame, Turner is 6-foot-8 and about 190 pounds with a wingspan is 7-foot-4, according to 247 Sports.
The class of 2019 star can do a lot of things on the floor.
For that versatility, he can thank not only his father’s bloodlines but also his advice. After a pro career in Australia, New Zealand and Europe, Joe Turner is now a teacher at Bakersfield Adult School — and a coach of sorts for his son.
“Actually, he has a lot of input,” Edward Turner said, smiling.
“He used to teach me how to be a guard, so when I grew up, I stuck with it.
“I see myself as an all-around player: I can dish the ball, block shots, score and play defense.”
