Page 35 - All Arkansas Preps 2020

AND OUTSTANDING PLAYER OF THE YE
she’s never had an issue with being a very vocal a
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Advertising Supplement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | All-Arkansas Preps | Sunday, June 28, 2020 35M OUTSTANDING PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
GIRLS BASKETBALL
ELAUNA’S
I’M REALLY GRATEFUL and
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— Elauna Eaton, ALL-ARKANSAS PREPS FE
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■ Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association Top 5
■ All-state
■ All-conference
■ Great 8 Tournament Most Valuable Player
■ All Northeast Arkansas Tournament
■ 23.1 points per game ■ 7.9 rebounds per
game
■ ESPN’s No. 38-ranked high school girls player for the 2020 class
■ Second in points in Nettleton High School program history
■ FUTURE PLANS: Eaton has signed with the University of Arkansas and plans to study business and communications.
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Eaton said her family is a big inspiration for h
Marquis Eaton, plays for the Arkansas State Univ
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“I’ve told them from day 1, ‘An honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work,’” Rudolph said. “[Elauna] has the work ethic to be as successful as she wants to be.”
Elauna said one of the most important lessons she learned from her father is that while it is important to work on one’s strengths, it is even more important to double down on one’s weaknesses.
“Just being in the gym with my father every day trying to perfect my craft, he noticed my weaknesses,” she said. “He pointed them out. We worked at it and worked at it and tried to make everything better.”
Elauna said that this year, she worked hard to improve her defense and be a more vocal leader.
Elauna, a five-star college recruit, has signed to play at the University of Arkansas next season. She began playing basketball around the age of 3 and has been getting college attention since she was in the eighth grade, Rudolph said. In fact, Elauna had 34 college offers but ultimately decided to play for the Razorbacks. She also considered offers from the University of Southern California, Louisiana State University and Ole Miss.
She said the U of A felt like home, and members of the coaching staff are genuine and want to do their best to help her improve her game. Elauna told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in October that seeing practice “sealed the deal” with her because she felt that her style of basketball fit into the Razorbacks’. She said she plans on studying business and communications and eventually wants to play basketball professionally.
“The sky’s the limit,” Rudolph said about Elauna’s future. “She can go as far as she wants to with it.”
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