Gatorade® National Boys Basketball Player Of The Year: Jayson Tatum

ST. LOUIS, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 31^st year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Jayson Tatum of Chaminade College Preparatory School (St. Louis) as its 2015-16 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

"Jayson really deserves to be this year's Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year because he symbolizes everything the award stands for," said Hardaway. "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."

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 Tatum as the nation's best high school boys basketball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Tatum from nearly 540,000 high school boys basketball players nationwide. Jayson is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

The 6-foot-9 senior wing led the Red Devils to a Class 5 state championship, scoring 40 points in a victory over Kickapoo High School March 19. In his first 30 games this season, Tatum averaged 29 points and nine rebounds per game while shooting 61 percent from inside the arc and 86 percent from the free throw line.

Tatum is a two-time returning Gatorade Missouri Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and also a 2016 McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic selection. Ranked as the nation's No. 2 senior recruit in the ESPN 100, Tatum was a member of the 2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team that won a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Heraklion, Greece last summer, averaging 13.9 points and 2.1 assists in seven games.

Tatum has maintained a B average in the classroom. A student ambassador at his school, he has volunteered locally by cooking and serving food for the needy on behalf of the Father Dempsey Charities. Tatum has also donated his time as a guest speaker for at-risk youth in Ferguson and as a coach and instructor at numerous youth basketball camps and clinics.

In addition, Tatum has played a fundamental role in the development of a program for supporting single mothers attending school as well as an initiative to educate student athletes regarding social responsibility, good digital citizenship and financial literacy. Both programs will launch once Tatum's amateur athlete status expires.

"Jayson Tatum has clearly developed into one of the most complete offensive basketball players in the high school game," said Paul Biancardi, National Director of Recruiting for ESPN Basketball. "His offensive versatility is what makes him special and he's what I like to reference as a four level scorer: He makes 3's, scores with efficiency from the mid-range and finishes in the paint while creating fouls and converting at a high percentage from the line. What's most impressive about Tatum, however, is his desire to put winning above everything else."

Jayson has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at Duke University this fall.

"Jayson is an exceptional student-athlete who has earned recognition as the nation's best high school boys basketball player while also excelling in the classroom and making a difference in his community," said Gatorade Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley. "Jayson's statistics on the court speak for themselves, but even more impressive is the impact he has had on his teammates and the example he sets for younger student-athletes. Jayson represents everything we look to celebrate in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient."

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 the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, 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.

Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:

• Two-time Super Bowl Champion Peyton Manning
• 2015 NBA first overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns
• Three-time WNBA champion Maya Moore
• Four-time track & field gold medalist Allyson Felix
• Silver Medalist and Pro Beach Volleyball Player April Ross
• Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw

For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of former winners, and future announcement dates, visit the Gatorade Player of the Year website at http://www.gatorade.com/poy, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.

SOURCE The Gatorade Company

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