Hogs basketball lands six
LR Parkview’s Henderson makes dream a reality.
Little Rock Parkview power forward Ethan Henderson fulfilled a lifelong dream by signing with the Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period that ends Nov. 15.
“I really couldn’t sleep last night,” Henderson said. “I was up until about 2 [a.m.] just thinking about what I was going to say. It’s just a great feeling to actually be a Hog now.”
Henderson, 6-9, 190 pounds, committed to the Razorbacks more than a year ago over scholarship offers from LSU, Notre Dame, Indiana, Texas and Arizona State. His brother, Eric, is a junior at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
He said he’s grateful to attend college on a scholarship and lessen the burden on his mother, Eileen, who’s been at Henderson’s side since youth basketball.
“It means a lot because she’s a single parent,” Henderson said. “She’s been traveling with me ever since I was a little boy and all the money
we spent … but me going to college for free is really a dream for anybody out there.”
Henderson averaged 6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks as a junior on a deep Patriots team that lost to Mills in the state title game. Prephoops rates him the No. 119 recruit in the nation.
His mother is very proud of her future Razorback.
“It’s been years in the making,” she said. “I’ve been Ethan’s biggest fan when he was running track at age six and seven, and he started playing basketball at age eight. We’ve been together this whole time just he and I.”
Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson and his staff signed five other prospects Wednesday to replace the six seniors on this year’s roster.
Guard Keyshawn Embery, 6-4, 187, of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., was the first to ink with the Hogs during a 10 a.m. back home in Oklahoma. He averaged 26.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals last season while leading Midwest City to a state title.
He announced he was transferring to IMG in August.
“It felt great to get signed in the early period,” Embery said. “So many basketball players don’t get this chance so I feel very blessed. I am just going to continue to work because this is just the start of everything.”
He officially visited Fayetteville on the weekend of Sept. 1-3, and he committed about two weeks later.
“It was just the coaching staff at Arkansas,” Embery said. “The facilities are also great, and it just felt like home while I was there on my visit. They talked about me playing a combo guard role, and I’m very excited about being a Razorback.”
Embery picked the Hogs over scholarship offers from
Texas A&M, Wichita State, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Arizona State, Houston and others. Prephoops rates him the No. 131 prospect in the nation.
Jonesboro guard Desi Sills, 6-1, 170, and Fort Smith Northside guard Isaiah Joe 6-4, 170, inked with the Hogs during ceremonies at their schools. Sills signed with the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Missouri, SMU, Alabama-Birmingham and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
He averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals while helping the Hurricane to a 32-0 record and the Class 6A state championship as a junior.
Joe inked with the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Alabama and UALR. He led the Grizzlies to the Class 7A state title as a junior while averaging 18.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals while shooting 44.8 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Prephoops rates Joe the No. 136 prospect nationally and Sills the No. 207 recruit.
Power forward Reggie Chaney, 6-8, 230, of Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., signed with the Hogs over scholarship offers from schools such as Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, DePaul, TCU, Wichita State and others.
Guard-forward Jordan Phillips, 6-7, 210, of Arlington (Texas) Grace Prep Academy made it official and signed with Arkansas during a noon ceremony at his school. He had offers from TCU, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, Fresno State, SMU and others.
He played with a severely sprained ankle during the spring evaluation period with Dallas Showtyme Elite, and several schools backed off of him. The Hogs stayed on him during the summer and he flourished by averaging 23 points, 5.8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.