Ethan Henderson sees game and stock soar
Little Rock, AR
It was a successful year for the Arkansas Hawks 16-under bunch this past summer. Some of the top prospects on the squad began to receive their dues on the recruiting front but one guy that began his story a year ago and furthered his stock was Ethan Henderson. A long and slender 6-foot-9 power forward from the state of Arkansas caught us up to speed with his improvements to go along with one school that seems to be standing out early on.
Friday evening in Anaheim at the adidas Nations, Ethan Henderson displayed all of the energy levels, upside, and quick leaping skills that he had in tow the prior week in Las Vegas that has enamored many college coaches. A versatile forward that can defend a ball screen, wreak havoc on the glass, and even step out and nail the 17-foot jumper, just as he did twice throughout his lone contest of the night, and it is easy to see why the Arkansas native is one of the best big men in his 2018 graduating class.
While it has been a long summer for the junior big man, he showed little fatigue on Friday as he raced up and down the floor, was a consistent presence on the glass, and displayed a crafty mid-range scoring prowess via his soft touch and high arcing release. In just 12 minutes on the playing floor, Henderson was able to contribute 14 points and six rebounds to go along with versatile defense in the half-court.
Following his efficient outing, the improving big man gave insight on his summer thus far. “I progressed, I think. I didn’t get a lot stronger but before the season started, I was in the weight room a lot,” Henderson stated. “I have gotten a lot more assists and more open shots and have become a lot more active on the glass and more mobile.”
On the recruiting front, Henderson rattled off a group of schools hot on his trail listing the likes of Arkansas, Notre Dame, and Texas, yet it seems like the in-state SEC crew is the one out in front at the current moment. “I went to Arkansas four weeks ago. They’re practically like the Hawks,” comparing the Arkansas men’s basketball team to his own travel bunch. “They’re organized with everything. They have shooting days, defensive days, ball handling days, and they watch a lot of film. They just tell me that they like how I am active and can guard and score when I want to.”
With an offer in hand from the Razorbacks that came this time last year, Henderson continues to show improvement and signs of growth within his skillset and overall production on the playing floor that makes him one of the best bigs in all of America.
