Where are they now? The past 10 Arkansas boys basketball Gatorade players of the year

Little Rock Christian Academy's J.J.

Andrews was recently named the 2024-25 Arkansas boys basketball Gatorade player of the year after a remarkable junior season.

Andrews averaged 28.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.

He is a top-20 recruit in the nation and the top player in Arkansas.

There was no doubt Andrews would win the award, and he joined some legendary company.

Here, we take a look back at those other players who were named the top basketball player in Arkansas over the past 10 years.

Annor Boateng (2023-24 & 2022-23) Central High School in Little Rock lays claim to the Gatorade player of the year for the previous two seasons.

Annor Boateng was utterly dominant in both seasons, with him posting 15.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game during his junior campaign.

He led the Tigers to a 24-7 record and the quarterfinals of the 6A state tournament.

In his senior season, Boateng was even better.

Boateng's numbers bumped up to 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

He led his Tigers back to the state tournament and this time they made it to the championship game, coming away with the school's first title since 2020.

The 6-foot-6 forward was ranked a top-35 recruit in the nation by 247Sports and Rivals while being considered the top player in Arkansas.

Boateng had a plethora of offers from schools such as Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Missouri, LSU, Indiana and UAPB.

He ultimately chose to commit to Arkansas rival Missouri.

In his first season with the Tigers, Boateng received minutes in 17 games, starting seven of them.

He averaged 6.5 minutes per game and posted 1.9 points, 0.6 rebound, 0.3 assist and 0.4 steal per contest.

In those seven starts to open the season, Boateng averaged 3.6 points and 0.9 rebound.

His best performance of the season was in the Nov.

14 contest against Mississippi Valley State he played 25 minutes and recorded 10 points, three rebounds and two steals while shooting 3 of 7 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free throw line.

The freshman also got time in eight SEC games, including some minutes in the SEC tournament.

Despite the trend of underused players hitting the transfer portal the first chance they can get, Boateng appears to be staying in Columbia for the time being.

He is expected to have an increase in production as a sophomore in 2025-26.

Derrian Ford (2021-22 & 2020-21) It is not often that the best player in Arkansas is coming out of the 4A classification, especially two years in a row.

Derrian Ford built a legacy at Magnolia High School.

His two Arkansas Gatorade player of the year awards highlight his time with the Panthers.

His first Gatorade award came after his junior season, when he averaged 23.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

He led Magnolia to a 23-1 record and the 4A semifinals.

He was the 4A player of the year, which was no surprise after being the 4A state tournament MVP during his freshman and sophomore years.

During his senior season, Ford posted similar numbers as he did during his first Gatorade player of the year run, averaging 23.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.

Magnolia was undefeated that season, finishing with a 4A championship victory.

Ford had several schools to choose from out of high school, including Arkansas, Kansas, Auburn, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, Rice, Kansas State, Houston, McNeese State and LSU.

Ford decided to stay in his home state and commit to the University of Arkansas.

The former Magnolia star played in 21 games as a freshman with the Razorbacks, logging 3.8 minutes per contest.

He averaged 0.7 point, 0.5 rebound and 0.4 assist per game while shooting 40% from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line.

He appeared in the Sweet 16 matchup against the eventual national champion, Connecticut.

Despite announcing he would return to Fayetteville for his sophomore year, Ford entered the transfer portal and committed to Arkansas State University.

This turned out to be the right move as Ford averaged career highs of 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.6 steal per game while hitting 37.6% of his 3-point attempts during his first season in Jonesboro.

Ford returned to the Red Wolves for his junior season and averaged 8.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

In late March, he entered the transfer portal after the head coach of Arkansas State decided to take the head coach position at the University of South Florida.

At the time this was written, Ford had visits set at Tulsa, Appalachian State and Florida Atlantic, but he said he is open to a return to the Red Wolves.

Jaylin Williams (2019-20) Fort Smith Northside's Jaylin Williams won the Arkansas Gatorade player of the year award after a remarkable senior season.

He averaged 18.7 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game.

The center took his team to the 6A semifinals after being named the 6A player of the year.

In September 2019, Williams named his top seven colleges.

Auburn, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M made the list, but it took only a few months for Williams to narrow his list to one.

In November, the Fort Smith native decided to stay close to home when he chose to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

In his first season with the Hogs, Williams appeared in 26 games, making five starts.

He posted 3.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.8 assist, 0.5 steal and 0.7 block per game while shooting 47.8% from the field and 74.2% from the line.

In his sophomore season, his play took a massive jump after becoming a full-time starter.

He logged 31.6 minutes, 10.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest while being the national leader in charges drawn.

After leading the Razorbacks to the NCAA tournament, he decided to enter the NBA draft, where he was picked in the second round with the 34th overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite being a second-round rookie, Williams received a fair amount of playing time.

He appeared in 47 games, playing 16.7 minutes per contest and averaging 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.5 steal and 0.6 block.

In his second season, Williams logged 13.0 minutes per game in 69 games.

His numbers took a slight dip, averaging 4.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.4 steal and 0.4 block per game.

This past regular season, Williams dealt with injuries but saw his numbers jump back up, posting 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.6 steal per contest.

He recorded three triple-doubles.

Williams was instrumental in the Oklahoma City Thunder's fight to be the top team in the NBA, and he will be important in their playoff run.

Issac McBride (2018-19) Another Little Rock school can lay claim to a Gatorade player of the year.

Baptist Preparatory School's Isaac McBride won the award after a remarkable senior season.

The 6-foot-1 guard put up 28.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting a ridiculous 47.5% from 3-point range.

In the 2019 class, McBride was regarded as the top player in Arkansas by 247Sports.

He had offers from TCU, Loyola Chicago, SMU, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Wichita State, Tennessee and Auburn.

He announced his top four schools were Auburn, Tennessee, TCU and Kansas, and he ultimately chose to go with the latter.

McBride did not stay in Kansas long, as he decided to leave the Jayhawks in September of 2019 before the start of his freshman season.

He joined the Vanderbilt Commodores for the 2020-21 season, and he put up 4.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.7 assist and 0.5 steal per game in 21 appearances.

McBride entered the transfer portal after the season and was seen as a promising shooter in the portal, as he made 35.8% of 67 3-point attempts with Vanderbilt.

The guard ultimately landed at Oral Roberts University, and it was clear he had finally found the right fit.

He shot a career-high 44.3% from beyond the arc in his first season with the Eagles and averaged 12.3 points per game.

He averaged 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.7 steal per game in his second season with the Eagles, but he really broke through as a true senior.

McBride had become a full-time starter by his second season with the Eagles, and he became the team's star in 2023-24.

He played more than 38 minutes per game, averaging 19.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.9 steal per contest.

He shot just under 40% from 3-point range and made 89% of his free throws.

He was No.

1 in the country in minutes per game.

In his final season with Oral Roberts, McBride became one of the few players in his college career to reach the 2,000-point milestone.

He did this after averaging 19.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a career-high 1.0 steals per game.

He shot 44% from the field and 38.8% from 3-point range.

Isaiah Joe (2017-18) Fort Smith Northside had two Gatorade player of the year winners in three years, with Isaiah Joe being the first.

Joe was a lights-out shooter for the Grizzlies, but he showed how impactful he was in all aspects of his game during his senior season.

Joe averaged 23.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, helping lead Northside to a 21-9 record and an appearance in the 7A state championship game.

After high school, Joe was considered a top 3 player in the state by 247Sports, and he had committed to play his college ball for the University of Arkansas after his sophomore season.

He picked the Razorbacks over Arkansas-Little Rock and Alabama.

In his first year with Arkansas, Joe's shooting prowess translated perfectly to the college level.

He shot 41.4% from beyond the arc and averaged 13.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

In his sophomore season, Joe dealt with some injuries but still managed to average a career-high 16.9 points per game.

He also shot a career-best 89% from the free throw line, grabbed 4.1 rebounds and made 1.4 steals per game.

He chose to enter the NBA draft after the 2019-20 season, and he was drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 49th overall pick.

In his first season in the City of Brotherly Love, Joe played in 41 games, making one start, and averaged 3.7 points per game while hitting 36.8% of his 3-point tries.

He received more playing time in his second season with the 76ers, playing in 55 games and logging just over 11 minutes per contest.

He averaged 3.6 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.6 assist per game while shooting his career-high from the free throw line, 93.5%.

Despite showing flashes of shooting excellence, Joe was waived by the 76ers before his third season with the team on Oct.

13, 2022.

Joe was not a free agent for long as the Oklahoma City Thunder signed the shooter on Oct.

16.

This would end up being a great signing as Joe played in 73 games, starting 10 and averaging 9.5 points per game.

He also averaged 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.7 steal.

Joe shot 40.9% from 3-point range, 44.1% from the field and 82% from the line.

He was instrumental in helping the Thunder make the Play-In Tournament after finishing 14th in the West the previous two seasons.

In his contract year in 2023-24, Joe put up 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.6 steal per game while knocking down a career-high 41.6% of his 3-point attempts.

He shot a career-best 45.8% from the field and 86.5% from the free throw line.

His solid play earned him a 4-year, $48 million deal to return to OKC.

The Thunder returned one of their best pieces as they were seeking another chance at the title after being the top team in the West the previous season.

The 2024-25 season would be his best yet as Joe broke into double-digit scoring per game with 10.2 points.

He shot 41.2% from 3-point land and 44% from the field.

He knocked down a career-high 8 3-pointers in January against the New York Knicks.

Oklahoma City is home to two former Arkansas Gatorade players of the year who are Fort Smith Northside graduates.

Joe has established himself as one of the NBA's best shooters, and he will be dangerous in the upcoming playoffs.

Daniel Gafford (2016/17) El Dorado's Daniel Gafford received the Gatorade player of the year award in 2017 during his senior season and it is easy to see why.

Gafford averaged 17.4 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and a mind-boggling 7.8 blocks per game.

He recorded 11 triple-doubles during his senior campaign and helped lead the Wildcats to a 28-5 record and the state final.

After high school, 247Sports considered him the top player in the Natural State and a top-45 player in the country.

Gafford was not on the open recruiting market for long as he chose Arkansas at the beginning of his junior season.

High expectations were in place for Gafford entering his freshman season with the Razorbacks, but he met them.

He started in 26 of the 35 games he played, averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

He shot 60.5% from the field, with almost every shot coming from the paint.

In his sophomore season, Gafford started every game for Arkansas and averaged 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 0.9 steal and 2.0 blocks per contest.

He pulled down an average of 2.8 offensive rebounds per game and shot 66% from the field.

After the 2018-19 season, Gafford decided to enter the NBA draft, where he would be selected in the second round with the 38th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls.

Gafford played in 43 games during his rookie season with the Bulls, averaging 5.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in just 14.2 minutes per game.

He shot 70% from the field and pulled down 1.2 offensive rebounds per game.

Despite showing promise with Chicago and their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, the Bulls traded Gafford to the Washington Wizards in the middle of the 2020-21 season.

After being traded to a new team in his second season, the El Dorado native started to show signs of breaking through with the Wizards, posting an average of 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 0.7 steal and 1.8 blocks per game in 23 contests.

In his first full season in Washington, Gafford was the starting center for the majority of the campaign.

He averaged 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

He played in a career-high 78 games during the 2022-23 season, putting up similar numbers as in his previous season, but his best basketball would not be played until his final moments in the country's capital.

Gafford was traded to the Dallas Mavericks during the 2023-24 season, but before the trade, he was averaging 10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.2 blocks in 45 games.

After the trade, the big man played well for his new team.

He put up 11.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steal and 1.9 blocks per game in 29 outings.

He shot an incredible 78% from the field and helped Dallas reach the NBA Finals before falling to the Boston Celtics.

There was a lot of drama surrounding the Mavericks in 2024-25, but Gafford was thriving amidst the noise.

While battling injuries, Gafford averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.

He shot 70.2% from the field and averaged a career-best 2.7 offensive rebounds per game.

The Mavericks are in the Play-In Tournament, so Gafford again will be a key weapon as Dallas hopes to make the playoffs despite all of the mid-season changes.

Malik Monk (2015-16) Malik Monk breaks the trend as the only future NBA player on this list to not stay in the state to play his college ball.

After transferring from East Poinsett County High School in Lepanto, Arkansas, Monk became a superstar at Bentonville High School.

In his senior season, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 28.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

He helped lead Bentonville to the state championship game and to a 21-9 record.

After his high school career, he was regarded as one of the top players in the country, being rated as a 5-star and a top-10 player in the nation by 247Sports.

Monk had been receiving offers to play at the next level early in his high school career.

He held offers from Indiana, Oregon, Florida, Kansas and Arkansas, among others.

He named his top six schools in 2015: Oregon, Kansas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky and Florida State.

He ultimately decided to settle on the University of Kentucky.

In his lone season with the Wildcats, Monk emerged as one of the country's best scorers.

He averaged 19.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steal and 0.5 block per game while knocking down 39.7% of his 3-point attempts and making 45% of his total shots.

After his freshman season, Monk opted to go to the NBA draft, where he was drafted in the lottery, 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets.

Monk played in 63 games during his rookie season with the Hornets, and in just 13.5 minutes per game, he averaged 6.7 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.4 assists.

He played more games his second season, playing in 73.

His numbers bumped up slightly, ending the season averaging 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.5 steal per game.

He made his first career start during the 2019-20 season, when he averaged 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 55 games.

In his final season in Charlotte, he played a career-low 42 games but shot a career-best 40.1% from 3-point range.

He averaged 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists that season.

Monk did not have many lucrative offers in free agency once his time in Charlotte was up.

He took a massive pay cut and joined the Los Angeles Lakers on a veteran-minimum deal in his fifth season in the NBA.

In 76 games and 37 starts with the Lakers, Monk averaged 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.8 steal per contest.

His play in the City of Angels attracted some potential suitors once his contract was up again.

He decided to stay in California and play for the Sacramento Kings, which turned out to be a good decision.

In his first year in Sacramento, Monk averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in just 22.3 minutes per game.

In his second season with the Kings, Monk had a career year when it came to his play off the bench.

He put up 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

His averages in addition to his 44.3% field goal percentage and his 35% mark from beyond the arc landed him in the sixth man of the year conversation.

He was named a finalist for the award alongside fellow Arkansan Bobby Portis but eventually lost to Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The race was close, as Reid had 45 first-place votes and Monk had 43.

Yahoo Sports considered him "snubbed" from the award .

This past regular season, Monk averaged a career-high 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.9 steal and 0.6 block in 65 games and 45 starts.

At the time this was written, Monk was out with a calf injury that kept him out of the Kings' Play-In game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Monk seems to have found a great role in Sacramento, especially after signing a 4-year, $78 million deal to remain with the Kings before this season.

Kevaughn Allen (2014-15 & 2013-14) The final Arkansas Gatorade player of the year winner we will highlight is North Little Rock's Kevaughn Allen.

He is the third player in the past 10 years who won the award in back-to-back seasons, alongside Annor Boateng and Derrian Ford.

During his senior season with the Charging Wildcats, Allen led the team to the state championship and a 25-3 record while averaging 25.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.1 steals per game.

In his junior season with NLR, the guard averaged 21.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game during another state championship run.

After his legendary high school career, Allen mulled over several offers, but he settled on Florida on April 30, 2014.

Allen decommitted from the Gators in early May of 2015, but he later recommitted to the SEC squad on May 18, 2015.

Allen played four seasons with the Gators, averaging double-digit points per game during his career.

In his freshman year, he averaged 11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

He had a career year during his sophomore season, averaging 14.0 points per game while making 37% from beyond the arc and starting every game.

His free throw percentage hit its peak during his junior season, when he finished the season converting 90.6% of his free shots.

He averaged 11.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

In his final season in Gainesville, Allen posted 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a career-best 1.4 steals per game.

After his college career, Allen entered the NBA draft but was not selected despite working out with the Orlando Magic.

After the draft, Allen went overseas and signed with Lovcen 1947 out of Montenegro.

He averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 13 games.

The next season, the NLR native played in 21 contests for Ura Basket of Finland, where he averaged 12.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.7 steal per game.

He played his next two international seasons in Belgium for the Stella Artois Leuven Bears.

He put up 13.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game in his first season in Belgium, then averaged 15.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals in his second season.

During the 2023-24 season with KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb in Croatia, Allen became a fan favorite.

The team put up a billboard with Allen on the side of a building, and the hype paid off.

He averaged 14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game while leading the team to a 22-14 record and sixth place in the Croatian A-1 Liga.

He shot a ridiculous 49.6% from 3-point range.

This season, Allen played for three teams: BBC Bayreuth, BC Athletic Constanta and GS Lavrio.

In 34 games, Allen averaged 13.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 42.2% from 3-point range.

Allen has built quite a career overseas after being one of the most consistent SEC players during the 2010s.

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