Mr. Basketball of Arkansas

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The Mr. Basketball of Arkansas award is awarded every year to the student-athlete chosen as the best individual high school basketball player in the state of Arkansas in the U.S. This award was earned by the best of the best in the state of Arkansas. Players who were leaders on and off the court, showed sportsmanship, and lead their team to victory in most occasions.

Contents

Award winners

YearPlayerHigh SchoolCollegeNBA/NFL draft
2023 Annor Boateng Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock Missouri
2022 Derrian Ford (2) Magnolia High School, Magnolia Arkansas then transferred to Arkansas State
2021 Derrian Ford Magnolia High School, Magnolia Arkansas then transferred to Arkansas State
2020 Jaylin Williams Fort Smith Northside High School, Fort Smith Arkansas 2022 NBA draft: 2nd Rnd, 34th overall by Oklahoma City Thunder
2019 Isaac McBride Baptist Prep High School, Little Rock Oral Roberts
2018 Isaiah Joe Fort Smith Northside High School, Fort Smith Arkansas 2020 NBA draft: 2nd Rnd, 49th overall by Philadelphia 76ers
2017 Daniel Gafford El Dorado High School, El Dorado Arkansas 2019 NBA draft: 2nd Rnd, 38th overall by Chicago Bulls
2016 Malik Monk Bentonville High School, Bentonville Kentucky 2017 NBA draft: 1st Rnd, 11th overall by Charlotte Hornets
2015 KeVaughn Allen (2) North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock Florida NBA G-League:

Rio Grande Valley Vipers

2014 KeVaughn Allen North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock Florida NBA G-League:

Rio Grande Valley Vipers

2013 Bobby Portis Hall High School, Little Rock Arkansas 2015 NBA draft: 1st Rnd, 22nd overall by the Chicago Bulls
2012 Archie Goodwin (2) Sylvan Hills High School, Sherwood Kentucky 2013 NBA draft: 1st Rnd, 29th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder (traded to Phoenix Suns via Golden State Warriors)
2011 Archie Goodwin Sylvan Hills High School, Sherwood Kentucky 2013 NBA draft: 1st Rnd, 29th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder (traded to Phoenix Suns via Golden State Warriors)
2010Preston Purifoy Conway High School, Conway UAB Undrafted

Plays for FC Porto in Euro League

2009N/AN/AN/AN/A
2008 A. J. Walton [1] Hall High School, Little Rock Baylor Undrafted

Plays for Astoria Bydgoszcz in the Polish League

2007 James Anderson (2) Junction City High School, Junction City Oklahoma State 2010 NBA draft: 1st Rnd, 20th overall by the San Antonio Spurs
2006 James Anderson Junction City High School, Junction City Oklahoma State 2010 NBA draft: 1st Rnd, 20th overall by the San Antonio Spurs
2005Brandon Ballard Buffalo Island Central High School, Monette Arkansas State No NBA History
2004 Marcus Monk [2] East Poinsett County High School, Lepanto Arkansas 2008 NFL draft: 7th Rnd, 248th overall by the Chicago Bears
2003 Ronnie Brewer [2] Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville Arkansas 2006 NBA draft: 1st Rnd, 14th overall by the Utah Jazz
2002Antwoine BlanchardParkview Magnet High School, Little RockTexas StateUndrafted
2001Gavin Ludgood Clarksville High School Florida Atlantic University
2000Kim Adams [2] J. A. Fair High School, Little Rock Arkansas State Undrafted
1999 Joe Johnson [2] Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock Arkansas 2001 NBA draft: 1st Rnd, 10th overall by the Boston Celtics
1998Jason Harrison [3] Parkview High School, Little Rock Mississippi Undrafted
1997N/AN/AN/AN/A
1996 Nick Bradford Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville Kansas Undrafted
1995N/AN/AN/AN/A
1994Matt Daniel [4] Jonesboro High School, Jonesboro Colorado/Harding Undrafted

Schools with multiple winners

The universities that have multiple award winners tend to be schools that are in, if not, close to the state of Arkansas. These schools are known to have a rich history of basketball in their state and the players that earned the award multiple times have either been drafted to the NBA, or played for a team in the NBA G-League. Oklahoma State University was the first-ever school to have achieved the NCAA championships in back-to-back years. In addition, the school has a total of 6 final four appearances throughout the history of the school, so as you can see Oklahoma State is a school with huge success in the basketball department. The University of Kentucky was known to be successful in the first few years of their career, but there were a couple of setbacks that the school experienced, like a couple of Kentucky players being involved in illegal activities that almost costed the coach his job. The University of Florida, like most of the SEC schools, were once thought of as a football college but eventually after making the NCAA tournaments 3 times in a row, the school soon received recognition as a prestigious basketball university winning multiple SEC championships.

SchoolNumber of AwardsYears
Fayetteville High School 21996, 2003
Fort Smith Northside High School 22018, 2020
Hall High School 22008, 2013
Junction City High School 22006, 2007
Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock 21999, 2023
Magnolia High School 22021, 2022
Parkview High School 21998, 2002
Sylvan Hills High School 22011, 2012

Significance

George Mikan [5] was a big influence in this award being developed, being that he was the first "Mr. Basketball" player to ever win the award. His influence on the award gave away the idea for each state in the U.S. to be able to have their own Mr. Basketball award. States, for example like, Illinois, [6] Alabama, and Maine who were able to have significant stories regarding the Mr. Basketball award winners in their state.

References

  1. ↑ "Men's Hoops Renews SWC Rivalry with Arkansas - Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site - BaylorBears.com". www.baylorbears.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Arkansas Hawks Basketball". arkansashawks.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Holmes Community College - Students". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ↑ Schumacher, Michael. (2008). Mr. Basketball George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the birth of the NBA. University of Minnesota Press. OCLC   756717963.
  6. ↑ Issacsohn, Austin (May 2016). "Illinois' Mr. Basketball, Charlie Moore Commits to Cal". Daily Cal– via ULOOP Inc.

[1] Schumacher, Michael. Mr. Basketball: George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the Birth of the NBA. University of Minnesota Press, 2008. [2] Isaacsohn, Austin. Illinois’ Mr. Basketball, Charlie Moore Commits to Cal. ULOOP Inc., May,2016. https://www.dailycal.org/2016/05/18/charlie-moore-commits-to-cal-basketball/ [7]O'Brien, Chris (November 2018). https://www.alligator.org/sports/gators-trying-to-find-their-stroke-before-battle-atlantis/article_66f40400-e80f-11e8-a6db-278ebaf33f18.html. Gators trying to find their stroke before Battle 4 Atlantis

  1. ↑ Schumacher, Michael. (2008). Mr. Basketball George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the birth of the NBA. University of Minnesota Press. OCLC   756717963.
  2. ↑ Issacsohn, Austin (May 2016). "Illinois' Mr. Basketball, Charlie Moore Commits to Cal". Daily Cal– via ULOOP Inc.
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