This time last year, Ben Simmons was awarded the National Gatorade Player of he Year award. Before Simmons, the previous two winners of the award were Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins respectively.
Oh yeah, Towns and Wiggins both went on to be top picks in the NBA Draft and many believe Simmons is the favorite to keep the streak going this June.
As we fast-forward to 2016, 4-time NBA all-star Penny Hardaway presented this year’s National Gatorade Player of the Year award to Duke commit Jayson Tatum.
In what was a competitive season, Tatum stood out amongst his oppositions, as he averaged 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists per game.
The 6-foot-9 wing led the Red Devils to a Class 5 state championship, scoring 40 points in a victory over Kickapoo High School March 19.
· The senior is a two-time returning Gatorade Missouri Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and also a 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic selection.
· Ranked as the nation’s No. 2 senior recruit in the ESPN 100, Tatum was a member of the 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team that won a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Heraklion, Greece last summer, averaging 13.9 points and 2.1 assists in seven games.
· Tatum has maintained a B average in the classroom.
· A student ambassador at his school, he has volunteered locally by cooking and serving food for the needy on behalf of the Father Dempsey Charities. Tatum has also donated his time as a guest speaker for at-risk youth in Ferguson and as a coach and instructor at numerous youth basketball camps and clinics.
· Jayson has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at Duke University this fall.
In recent years, Coach K has reeled in talents such as Kyrie Irving, Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor and Brandon Ingram.
Go ahead and add Jayson Tatum to that list.
