EL DORADO -- It was a festive atmosphere Wednesday afternoon in Wildcat Arena as a pair of El Dorado senior basketball players signed letters of intent with Division I programs.
Daniel Gafford, who orally committed more than a year ago, signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Mekaylan Hicks made her commitment official with Central Arkansas.
Gafford, a 6-10 center, is ranked 48th on ESPN's top 100 seniors.
"It's unbelievable for the program," El Dorado Coach Gary Simmons said. "It's unbelievable for me because I grew up in this state when Eddie Sutton was reviving everything. When Nolan went through, I was in college, watching them go all the way through and win a national championship.
"Now, Coach Mike [Anderson] is up there and Coach [Melvin] Watkins and they're trying to bring everything back. It's amazing that Daniel is going to go up there and be a part of that."
Gafford averaged 14 points, 14 rebounds and 5.4 blocked shots last season.
"It's a big relief. It's taken a lot of weight off my back to finally be able to say that I'm an actual Razorback now," Gafford said.
Gafford was recruited by Kansas, West Virginia, Florida, Louisiana Tech and others, but he said he never considered another school.
"No," he said. "I've been up there to watch a couple of practices and the way they play, it fits the style I like to play. I like to play fast and I like to push the ball."
Hicks will follow in the footsteps of El Dorado Coach Destinee Rogers, who also played at UCA.
A 5-10 forward, Hicks averaged 11.4 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots per game. She chose UCA over Air Force, Texas Women's University, Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana Tech.
"It's not too far from home. I have anxiety if I get too far from home," she said. "But, UCA I feel like it's a perfect fit for me. I love the campus environment and, most importantly, I love the basketball program and the coaches."
Sports on 11/10/2016