EHS to host Moncrief for Academic Signing Day

This year, El Dorado High School has chosen former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Sidney Moncrief to speak at Academic Signing Day for seniors who are receiving the El Dorado Promise.

Moncrief is a former Arkansas Razorback basketball player who held the all-time leading scoring record with the University of Arkansas for years. As fifth-overall NBA draft pick. Moncrief joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 1979, retiring his jersey in 1990. He is a former NCAA Division I head coach (UALR) and NBA assistant coach (Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks). Moncrief also led an international team as head consultant in Beijing, China. One of pro basketball's hardest-working and best-liked players, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette called him “the most beloved athlete in the history of Arkansas.”

“For students, Mr. Moncrief’s mission is to encourage academic performance, by teaching leadership, teamwork and other skills,” said EHS Principal Alva Reibe.

El Dorado Promise Director Sylvia Thompson said, “He is a legendary Razorback basketball player, a former NBA player and a coach at both the college and NBA level. His educational speaking program was highly praised, so we reached out to him.”

She continued, “He was very impressed with El Dorado and the El Dorado Promise Scholarship program and really wanted to come to speak to EHS students.” According to Thompson, it is very difficult to choose a speaker for Academic Signing Day. She said, “We have a very limited budget --basically zero dollars --to pay a speaker and we also have a very limited time frame for them to come. We have to work around school, and athletic and testing schedules, so we have to find someone who can speak on the date we need them.”

In all, Academic Signing Day is a day to honor the seniors with a speaker that is memorable and honors the El Dorado Promise. Academic Signing Day will take place at 1:30 p.m., April 18, in Wildcat Arena.