Athlete Of The Week: Ta’Korrie Faison

It is safe to say that all of the hard work Ta’Korrie Faison put in has paid off.

Faison is scoring 25 points, 15.1 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game. Over the past five games, Faison has taken his game to another level by averaging 31.4 points and 16 rebounds per game.

The Cougars are currently 10-4 this season, won the FCA Winter Classic, and have won nine of their past 10 games.

“It’s been amazing, really,” Faison said about his and the Cougars’ success. “It’s been unpredictable too because I really never thought it would be going like this, but through hard work and motivation, I got here.”

Faison has made plenty of highlight-reel plays for the Cougars this season.

Still, his most memorable play this season might be the thunderous dunk that he slammed down against rival Eastern Wayne earlier this week that nearly blew to roof off the Norvell T. Lee Gymnasium.

“To be honest, I was really thinking about if I should windmill or keep it basic, but I chose to keep it basic so that I wouldn’t mess up the floor or anything,” Faison said.

He said it took a little bit of time bit of time for the Cougars to find their groove this season, but they seem to be hitting their stride in conference play.

“Since the Christmas tournament, we’ve been locked in and have started playing as a whole, and not as individuals,” Faison said.

Faison’s success this season is not a surprise to those who saw him as a freshman. He was a key piece on the team that went 21-5, won the East Central 2A Conference title, and reached the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A playoffs.

He averaged 14.2 and 7.3 rebounds per game during his freshman season.

Faison spent his sophomore season at Wayne Prep, but now that he is back at Goldsboro, he hopes to lead the Cougars to another playoff run.

“My goal is to go to states this year,” Faison said.