May 3, 2001
Bowling Green, Ky. - Patrick Sparks, the leading scorer in the Kentucky high school ranks during the 2000-01 season, has signed to play his college basketball at Western Kentucky University.
The 6-1, 170-pound guard averaged 31.4 points per game as a senior, leading his Muhlenberg North Stars to a 24-8 record, after scoring at a 24.3-points-per-game pace his junior season.
"We are extremely excited to have Patrick join the Hilltoppers," said Western Head Coach Dennis Felton, who guided his third Hilltopper team to a 24-7 season, Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament this year. "Honestly, we have developed such a strong relationship with Patrick and his family over the past three years that I have felt for a long time that he was a part of our program.
"He certainly became a major part of my vision for our future after I saw him play as a sophomore," Felton added. "Obviously, Patrick has produced the most impressive statistics of any player in the state, but the thing that really stands out most is that his teams have won more games over his four years at Muhlenberg North than any player in recent Kentucky history. He was one victory away from four straight Kentucky "Sweet Sixteen" tournament appearances. That's the kind of performance that is impossible to overlook!"
Sparks' four North Star teams won 97 of 131 games (74%) -- going 22-11 his freshman year, 27-8 as a sophomore, 24-7 as a junior and adding that 24-8 mark this year. The Stars, coached by Sparks' father, Steve, earned three straight berths in the state tournament, Kentucky's "Sweet Sixteen", before missing a fourth trip by just a single game this spring.
"I think Western is the best choice for Patrick." Coach Sparks, a Western alumnus (class of 1983), said. "He's going to bring the Hilltoppers the kind of dedication and work ethic that will be necessary for him to be succcessful at the college level."
A two-time consensus first-team All-Stater and the Third Region Player-of-the-Year as both a junior and a senior, Sparks won berths on the All-State Tournament Team in both 1999 and 2000. He was the only junior on the Associated Press All-State Team in 2000. And, he has been named to the Kentucky All-Star Team that will face the Indiana All-Stars in two games in June. Sparks was an honorable mention All-State pick following his sophomore season.
Sparks holds all MNHS records for career scoring (more than 2,600 points), assists, rebounds and steals. And, he owns a number of Third Region standards as well, including the single game scoring record -- 71 versus Owensboro Apollo as a senior in a game when he hit 19-31 field goals (including 12 three-pointers) and 21-26 at the free throw line.
As a senior, he averaged 7.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 3.5 steals per game while hitting 47 percent from the floor and 82 percent at the charity stripe.
"I am confident that our players will do a great job teaching Patrick what it is all about at the major college level," Felton continued. "With their guidance, Patrick has the opportunity to make a terrific impact on our program. He comes to us with the advantage of being wonderfully coached by his father, Steve. I've always said Kentucky has great high school coaches and Coach Sparks ranks right at the top of that list!"
Sparks will be the second product of Muhlenberg North High to play for the Hilltoppers. Brad Divine, currently an assistant coach at MNHS, was a standout guard for the Toppers in 1996 and '97, setting a WKU school record for three-point field goals made in a season when he connected on 76 treys his senior year.
The son of Steve and Michelle Sparks of Central City and Billenda Nabors of Chattanooga, Tenn., Sparks is an outstanding performer in the classroom as well, ranking in the Top 10% of his high school class. He is a member of both the National Honor Society and the Beta Club at MNHS. And, he also lettered in soccer, baseball and cross-country during his prep career.
Sparks is the second top prospect to ink with the Hilltoppers this year. Randy Orr, a 6-11, 220-pound center from Brunson, S.C., who played at Wade Hampton High School in Hampton, S.C., signed with Western in November.
