Archie Goodwin Named Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year

CHICAGO (March 22, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Archie Goodwin of Sylvan Hills (Sherwood, Ark.) as its 2011-12 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Goodwin is the first Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Sylvan Hills High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Goodwin as Arkansas' best high school boys basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Goodwin joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Dwight Howard (2003-04, SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Ga.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas).

The 6-foot-5 senior guard led the Bears to a 27-5 record and the Class 5A state championship this past season. The state's returning Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Goodwin averaged 25.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.2 assists per game. A three-time All-State honoree, he was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic and the McDonald's All-American games. Goodwin is rated as the nation's No. 15 recruit in the Class of 2012 by ESPNU.

Goodwin has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of youth basketball programs and has served in student government.

"When the ball is in Goodwin's hands, he can make magic happen," said Paul Biancardi, National Director, ESPN Basketball Recruiting. "He's exceptional at beating his defender off dribble penetration. When he gets in the lane, he has excellent body control and he can also find his teammates."

Goodwin has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at the University of Kentucky this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Two-time winner Goodwin joins Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Players of the Year Preston Purifoy (2009-10, Conway), Fred Gulley (2007-08 & 2008-09, Fayetteville High School), and James Anderson (2006–07, Junction City) among the state's list of former award winners.

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