FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball signee Taliah Scott has been named the Florida Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year, as announced Wednesday. Scott becomes the fifth Arkansas signee in the Mike Neighbors era to be named the Gatorade Player of the Year in their state.
The three criteria for choosing each state’s winner includes athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character. Scott has delivered on and off the court all four years of high school, but especially during her senior year, having averaged 36.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.0 steals per game. Her scoring average led the state of Florida and was fourth in the country.
Scott led St. Johns Country Day to the Class 2A state semifinals, dropping 47 points in that game, including 11 3-pointers. A McDonald’s High School All-American selection and Class 2A Player of the Year, Scott finished her high school career with 2,733 points. Off the basketball court, Scott has maintained a 4.32 GPA and has volunteered more than 100 hours teaching basketball to young girls in summer camps, weekend training sessions and local YMCAs. Additionally, Scott has donated her time to the Ronald McDonald House of Central Florida and as a peer mentor.