2025 NYC Guard Turnage’s Page To Final Chapter
Growing up a coach’s son, constantly perched in the stands throughout his younger years, Tai Turnage recalls witnessing the wave of emotions, passion, glory, and sheer pride infuse a New York City gym.
A Class of 2025 St. Raymond’s point guard, Turnage will be the first to tell you it all goes beyond basketball. Beyond competitive nature. Beyond bragging rights. Beyond even culture and livelihood.
Especially in New York.
Especially in the CHSAA “AA” conference, now teeming with talent and a bevy of high-major-bound players across all classes.
The son of longtime, reputable New York City basketball coach Billy Turnage, Tai Turnage’s game has always been a bit ahead of his time.
Eye-test aspects the 6-foot guard may lack in size, he certainly atones for in more ways than one. Turnage boasts a game predicated on IQ, trickery, boundless energy, and gritty scoring. Coursing through the four-year starter’s veins is a seemingly endless supply of adrenaline.
The 17-year-old knows when to call his own number and navigate the searing pressure cooker.
Turnage said he takes a sense of pride in taking those big shots, citing these moments as a true test and portent of who he is. Despite his quarterback style of play, despite his niche as a table-setter who orchestrates the offensive flow and gets those flanking him involved, Turnage values being somewhat self-reliant when the stakes are raised.
“I think being the son of someone like my dad, an experienced and good coach, is a blessing,” Turnage said.
“It has really helped my game. He’s constantly trying to help me improve, help me be the best I can possibly be. Seeing everything he’s been through as a coach has molded me into becoming a winner. He’s taught me how to close out games and how to deal with adversity.”
Turnage’s ability to slay those lingering particles of adversity would rear its head at Fordham University in the Bronx back in March, during the CHSAA championships.
After an irregular and tepid start during the first few minutes of a matchup against Iona Prep, Turnage and St. Raymond’s quickly awakened.
A veritable “old head” on a court that included Iona Prep’s Swiss army knife guard/forward Lucas Morillo, another battle-tested guard in Iona Prep’s Johnny Keenan, and a promising double-double threat in then-freshman Dillon Callahan, Turnage scored 19 points. He displayed his unique positional versatility in grabbing eight boards and dishing out five assists during a 70-58 victory over Iona Prep.
The coach’s son’s ability to get in front of guards, carve his way into hard surges to the rim, embrace contact, and hit difficult and highly contested shots has been notable.
He’s developed a knack for the corner 3-pointer, as witnessed when the Bronx-bred guard scored 15 points to help catapult St. Raymond’s to a 57-51 victory over back-to-back CHSAA “AA” champions Stepinac during the NY Diocesan championship. The sheer fearlessness of Turnage’s game is evident with his deft floater and knack for taking game-changing matters into his own hands.
HEAVILY ANTICIPATED SENIOR YEAR
Next year will be the culmination of myriad long, laborious hours in the gym and the playground. The conclusion of a massive growth stretch, from Turnage’s evolution as one of the youngest impact players in the city to now one of the most proven and decorated.
All the sweat equity and aspirations suddenly pave their way into this heavily anticipated 2024-25 campaign.
For Turnage.
For an Adrian Dantley-esque scoring threat and Georgia Tech-bound guard in Brandon Stores.
Stores has become more adept in all facets of his game, putting the ball on the deck comfortably and manufacturing points in a variety of ways. He’s become one of the most perilous scorers both locally and nationally, possessing a wide-ranging repertoire of fadeaway jumpers, pull-ups, mid-post game, and deep treys.
AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?
As much as Stores helps Turnage on the court, Turnage’s game helps Stores. The innate basketball brotherhood and on-court chemistry were born well before they were the top two freshmen in the CHSAA conference in 2021-22.
“That’s been my teammate for so long that we just basically became brothers,” said Turnage, who first played alongside and quickly befriended Stores while playing with the NY Gauchos as nine-year-old kids.
“We’ve honestly been able to know where each other’s strengths are since middle school. It just translated to high school. He helps me a lot because he’s a longer defender—it shows me how to play against length. And I help him because I’m a smaller defender to him. And I’m faster. So it gives us each a zone where you’re not comfortable, and you can improve on it.”
SURVIVAL OF THE MENTALLY FITTEST
Turnage has seen enough epic, high-wired battles to know New York City HS basketball can be akin to bloodsport.
“When my dad was coaching Wings Academy, I remember it was Desure Buie (Hofstra) vs. Shamorie “Slick” Ponds (St. John’s) while he was at Jefferson. At the time, they were the two hottest players in the city. Desure had his ‘Showout Crew’ backing him and Shamorie had ‘Slick Nation.’ It was just an entertaining, back-and-forth game. That’s one of the memories that really stands out.”
Years later, Turnage experienced the hyper-competitive nature and the ultra-hostile environment that is basketball in the Bronx on his own.
“It was my freshman year, we were playing at (Cardinal) Hayes,” Turnage recalls.
“Their crowd and student section were super rowdy. Oh man, they were loud. It was a big rivalry game, too. It just was a moment for me to wake up and realize, ‘If you want to survive in New York basketball you have to be mentally tough.’”