High school basketball: Dariq Whitehead named 2021-22 MaxPreps National Player of the Year

Whitehead's development was spurred by playing with former Montverde stars and pros like R.J. Barrett, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes. The results were averages of 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season for the 22-4 Eagles.

Like those players before him, he also led his team to a GEICO Nationals crown — its second straight — and a national championship, its third straight and sixth overall since 2013.

The 6-foot-6 standout, who is headed to Duke, was terrific when it counted most, scoring 21 points in a 62-57 GEICO Nationals semifinal win over IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). He followed that by contributing 14 points, six assists and four rebounds during a 60-49 victory over Link Academy in the final.

Whitehead is ranked the No. 5 senior prospect in the country, according to the 247Sports composite. "(Whitehead) has shown immense development in his game, especially this season by challenging himself to be more perimeter oriented," MaxPreps national basketball editor Jordan Divens said. "His shooting stroke has really benefited. … He's also a lockdown defender as he showed in January, holding top-ranked junior D.J. Wagner to four points."



Whitehead is the fourth Montverde Academy to win the award in eight years, joining Ben Simmons (2015), Barrett (2018) and Cunningham (2020). He transferred to the school as an eighth-grader and played varsity as a freshman. He edged Jarace Walker of IMG Academy and Nick Smith of North Little Rock (Ark.) for the coveted award.

He did that indeed as the Eagles finished No. 1 in the final National Top 20, joining other national title teams in 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021.

Whitehead helped orchestrate a balanced, talented team which included unsigned senior Malik Reneau (14.3 points per game) and Texas signee Dillon Mitchell (13.0 points, 11.3 rebounds).

After winning GEICO Nationals he told an ESPN audience: "Before my senior year started I promised (Montverde coach Kevin Boyle) I'd come back and win one more and that's what I did. Just to know I lived up to that will forever be with me."

He tied a pretty bow on his season by earning MVP honors of the McDonald's All American Game with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the East's 105-81 victory. After the game he rattled off some of the greats who had won the award — LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard, among them — and was touched.