ESPN top-25 prospect Layden Blocker took another step toward his ultimate goal by signing a national letter of intent with the University of Arkansas and Coach Eric Musselman on Saturday.
Blocker, 6-2, 180 pounds, of Sunrise Academy in Kansas, signed with Arkansas during a 7 p.m. ceremony at a Dickson Street restaurant in Fayetteville. Musselman and his staff have 52 years of NBA experience, and Blocker hopes to use that knowledge to get to the highest level.
"I dreamed about playing college basketball, but the main goal is to play in the NBA," Blocker said. "This is just a step toward that goal. I believe Coach Muss and the other coaches can help me prepare for the NBA."
Blocker, who played at Little Rock Christian as a freshman and sophomore, was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's All-Arkansas Preps Underclassman Team in his two seasons with the Warriors.
He had scholarship offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Maryland, Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, Baylor, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Tennessee and others before pledging to the Razorbacks in June.
Blocker averaged 9 points per game – good for third on the team – for the loaded Sunrise Christian squad. He also averaged 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game as a junior.
He was a key reason the Buffaloes claimed the No. 5 spot in ESPN's final ranking.
The early signing period, which began Wednesday, runs until Nov. 16. Blocker is the highest rated 4-star in the ESPN rankings with a grade of 89, which is one point shy of 5-star status.
He is also rated the No. 6 point guard and No. 22 overall prospect in the nation in the 2023 class.
Since the 2020 class, Musselman has signed three ESPN 5-star prospects and nine 4-star recruits. In the previous 10 classes, the Razorbacks signed two 5-stars and 11 4-star prospects.
Arkansas could add to Musselman's trend of signing elite prospects when ESPN 5-star prospect Baye Fall and 4-star prospect Assane Diop announce their college decisions during a Nov. 15 ceremony.
Fall is rated ESPN's No. 3 center and No. 20 overall prospect in the nation in the 2023 class, and Diop is rated the No. 10 power forward and No. 56 overall prospect in the nation.
Fall, 6-11, 217, will chose from Arkansas, Auburn, Rutgers and Seton Hall, and Diop, 6-10, 194, will decide between Arkansas, Colorado and Seton Hall.
Both attend Denver Accelerated Schools and made unofficial visits to Arkansas for the Razorbacks' 75-73 victory over Kentucky on Feb. 26, and officially visited Fayetteville for the Alabama football game weekend of Sept. 30-Oct. 2.
The cousins came to the United States from Senegal in 2019. Blocker has been in the ears of both Fall and Diop.
"I've just been telling those guys that Arkansas is where it's at," Blocker said. "If you want to play with the best players and staff and also improve your game to achieve your goal of going to the NBA, then Arkansas is the place to be."