Sports

The sequel: LuHi’s Facey following script written by Cavs forward Samuels

The town of Trelawny, Jamaica is best known for producing elite track & field athletes, most notably world record holder Usain Bolt.

Basketball is starting to catch up.

First came Samardo Samuels, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward, and now Kentan Facey is following his path.

No player in the area enjoyed a bigger summer than the 6-foot-9 Long Island Lutheran forward who has parlayed big performances at various AAU showcases into scholarship offers from the likes of UCLA, USC, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Louisville, Virginia Tech, UConn, St. John’s and Providence. Kentucky’s John Calipari, Facey’s advisor Karriem Memminger said, saw him last week in Las Vegas, and an offer from the defending champions could be next.

“I’m in awe of everything that’s happened,” Facey said, cracking a toothy grin. “It’s happened so fast.”

The similarities between Samuels and Facey are eerie. Both hail from Trelawny, a parish in northwest Jamaica, began playing basketball at a late age, were discovered by Stephen Johnston and his Jamaica Basketball Development organization in one of their camps, and came to the area raw and under-developed.

“He was my motivation from early on,” Facey said. “To see him make the most of his opportunity, that made me want to go, too.”

Like Samuels did, Facey has added dimensions to his game since coming to America. As a junior at LuHi, he was strictly known for his shot-blocking and rebounding. He’s opened college coaches’ eyes this summer with an improving perimeter jump shot and low-post moves few knew he possessed, outplayed some of the nation’s top big men at the Nike-sponsored LeBron James Skills Academy and Amare’ Stoudemire Camp.

“He just got better at everything it seems,” said LuHi teammate Anthony Pate, who also played with Facey on the AAU circuit with the New Rens.

The biggest change in Facey, one college coach recruiting him said, is his confidence. He’s welcomed the challenge of facing top players rather than shying away from it. When the AAU season began, in April, he was viewed as a mid-major prospect; now he has a list of high-major scholarship offers.

“On sheer potential, he’s a top 50 player,” said the college coach, who compared him to New York Knicks forward Marcus Camby because of his length, shot-blocking prowess and versatility.

Facey has adjusted well to his new environment, those close to him say. Unlike Samuels, who lived at home with his parents in Trelawny, Facey went to boarding school in high school and was used to being on his own. When the opportunity was presented two years ago, the only question his father Kenneth Facey asked was, “Do you want to go.”

“It was a no-brainer,” Facey recalled.

He’s fit in well at LuHi, maintaining a 3.0 GPA, finding comfort with his host family in Baldwin, L.I. and helping the Crusaders repeat last winter as state Federation Class A champions.

The world of recruiting is new to Facey. Last summer, as he adjusted to the new style of play, he would sneak looks at letters teammates received from colleges.

“I had no idea what that would feel like,” he said.

Now he does. He has shoeboxes full of them. Still, with each letter and subsequent scholarship offer, Facey would have a smile that grew wider, Memminger joked. Soon, he would be on his computer researching the school. Good thing he has a new iPad.

“I try to learn as much as I can,” Facey said.

When asked to compare the two during the high school season, Memminger scoffed at the question. Samuels was an All-American and USA Today National Player of the Year as a senior at New Jersey powerhouse St. Benedict’s Prep who had his choice of top schools while Facey was just looking to establish himself. It doesn’t sound so silly anymore, though the two as high school players are different, Samuels a bruiser and Facey more of a finesse player who is wiry-strong.

Samuels has stuck with the Cavs despite going undrafted, averaging five points and three rebounds in 51 games last year after signing a 3-year, $2.3 million dollar contract.

“Kentan can achieve that kind of success if he keeps getting after it,” Long Island Lutheran coach John Buck said.

Facey didn’t know Samuels personally from back home, but the two have become friendly in the time he’s been in the United States. They text-message each other and have hung out on occasion. Facey would like to meet him on an NBA court one day.

“I would try to prove something to him,” he said.

zbraziller@nypost.com