BREAKING: Hogs land 4-star Blocker as 1st 2023 commit
Arkansas landed its first commitment in the 2023 recruiting class Saturday when highly-touted target Layden Blocker went public with his pledge to the Razorbacks.
The in-state product announced his decision in the gym at Little Rock Christian, his former school, in front of friends, family and fans.
Blocker, a four-star recruit and the No. 37 overall prospect in the Rivals150, chose Arkansas over Kansas State and Maryland, but also had offers from the likes of Auburn, Baylor, Gonzaga, Kansas, Texas Tech and many others.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound athlete has impressed analysts and coaches alike on the EYBL circuit, showcasing that he has the size and intangibles to be a starting point guard for a national contender.
Although he began his high school career at Little Rock Christian, Blocker played his junior year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan., one of the top prep schools in the country.
Playing alongside a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans — Kansas signee Gradey Dick and Duke signee Mark Mitchell — as well as three other ACC signees and two other top-75 2023 prospects, he still averaged 9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals while boasting a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. His scoring was third on the team behind the two All-Americans and came on an efficient 53% shooting from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc.
On the travel ball circuit, Blocker is a member of the Brad Beal Elite organization and, through three EYBL sessions, has easily been one of the top performers in the country. He’s averaged 17.7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line — all against the top competition in the country.
Blocker continued the trend of top in-state prospects announcing their commitment to Arkansas in public ceremonies in Little Rock. Moses Moody, the first one-and-done in UA history, and Nick Smith Jr., the highest-ranked recruit in program history, both did the same thing.
With the commitment, all 12 of head coach Eric Musselman's high school signees/commitments since taking over at Arkansas have been in the Rivals150. That equals the eight-year total of former coach Mike Anderson in half the time, and the Razorbacks could still add another 2-3 players to the 2023 class.