Jayson Tatum News: High School Basketball Player Bags Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year Award
Jayson Tatum of Chaminade College Preparatory School bagged this year's Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award on the company's 31st year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes.
"Jayson really deserves to be this year's Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year because he symbolizes everything the award stands for… not only has Jayson shined on the court, but he's also a good student and is a positive influence in the community. I'm excited to follow his career at Duke and watch all the things – on and off the court – he will accomplish in the future," said NBA's Penny Hardaway, who surprised and handed Tatum the award after disguising as a reporter seated among the local media present in the fake press conference.
The 6-foot-9 senior Tatum led the Red Devils to a Class 5 state championship after making a 40-point contribution to his team that caused the defeat of Kickapoo High School last March 19. Tatum earned an average of 29 points and nine rebounds in the 30 games that he played this season. He also recorded a 61 percent shooting average for his two-pointers and an 86 percent free-throw line shooting average.
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With such a record, it is not really surprising for Tatum to bag the award. However, the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year honor is not solely based on a student's athletic excellence as academic achievement and character are also factored in during the selection process.
Off the court, Tatum maintained a B average rating and has displayed an exemplary behavior. He has remained true to his role as his school's student ambassador by volunteering to cook and serve food for the less fortunate via the Father Dempsey Charities. He has also shared his basketball expertise to the youth by giving them some inspiring talk and acting as a coach and instructor to various basketball camps and clinics.He is also instrumental in programs for schooling mothers and the education of student athletes in different aspects of life.
With all of the above-mentioned things under Tatum's belt, there is no questioning why Gatorade's national advisory panel composed of sport-specific experts and sports journalists put him above the rest of the 540, 000 male high school athletes across the U.S considered for the award.
With the award, Tatum automatically becomes a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, which will be handed out via a special ceremony before The ESPY Awards in July.
