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Jeff Borzello
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ESPN Staff Writer- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.
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Paul Biancardi
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Basketball Recruiting- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Guard Layden Blocker, the No. 28 recruit in the ESPN 100 for 2023, on Saturday announced his commitment to Arkansas, becoming the Razorbacks’ first commitment in the class.
Blocker visited the Fayetteville campus in early June and Arkansas, and was considered the heavy favorite entering the weekend.
“They have a winning culture in basketball and other sports,” Blocker told ESPN. “Coach Muss has coached in the NBA and he has an NBA style of play. He is a cool guy off the court. He’s intense on the court. My goal is to play in the NBA.”
Blocker becomes the 12th ESPN 100 prospect to commit to Arkansas since Eric Musselman’s first full recruiting class in 2020. The Razorbacks signed six ESPN 100 prospects — including three five-stars — in the 2022 class, finishing with the No. 2 recruiting class in the country.
“When I attended their practices, it was intense with high energy,” Blocker said. “I liked the atmosphere. On my visit they had an in-depth breakdown of my game and that was impressive.”
A 6-foot-2 point guard from Little Rock who plays at Sunrise Christian Academy (Kansas), Blocker is the No. 7 point guard in the ESPN 100 rankings for 2023. In 13 games with Brad Beal Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring, Blocker averaged 16.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
He’s a speedy scoring point guard who is best in the open floor, putting pressure on the defense off the dribble. Blocker has great burst in transition and can finish at the rim or find the open man. He has a capable jumper from deep, and is rapidly improving with his ability to slow down and navigate ball-screens. Blocker is also a tough on-ball defender and owns terrific lateral quickness.
