El Dorado's Gafford to stay with the Razorback another year.
FAYETTEVILLE - The Arkansas Razorbacks Monday received their biggest, best basketball news from their biggest, best man.
Daniel Gafford, the 6-11 freshman center from El Dorado voted to the SEC Coaches All-SEC Freshman team and widely speculated to be one-and-done to the NBA off his athleticism displayed while averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 shot blocks per game, on Twitter posted that he is returning to the Razorbacks for his 2018-2019 sophomore season.
"The NBA might be in my future, but Fayetteville, Arkansas, is where it's at,” Gafford tweeted. I'll be back again for another year of playing in Bud Walton for you guys. Woo Pig."
Following Gafford’s tweet, the UA issued a press release quoting Coach Mike Anderson on Gafford’s decision to return.
“Obviously this is great news for us,” Anderson said. “He’s the centerpiece to what we are doing here, and this gives him the chance to build on the tremendous freshman year he had. Daniel is a special player and the sky is the limit for him.”
During Arkansas’ 23-12 season, Gafford joined former Razorbacks become NBA players Bobby Portis and Patrick Beverley as three times named SEC Freshman of the Week.
Gafford played in all 35 Arkansas games including 26 starts while becoming the first Arkansas freshman to achieve or surpass 400 points, 200 rebounds and 70 shotblocks ink the same season. His 76 blocked shots set a Razorbacks freshman record.
Among all-time Razorbacks freshmen, Gafford ranked third in offensive rebounds, 77, third in defensive rebounds, 140, and second in overall rebounds (217) among freshmen in program history while slamming home a team high 76 dunks.