PR Newswire | Jun 9, 2021 06:00PM EDT

Year

06/09 17:00 CDT

Chet Holmgren Named 2020-21 Gatorade(r) National Boys Basketball Player of the YearJalen Suggs Surprises Winner with Honor MINNEAPOLIS, June 9, 2021

MINNEAPOLIS, June 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 36th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Chet Holmgren of Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, Minn. is the 2020-21 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Holmgren won the prestigious award for his accomplishments on and off the court, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year winners who have combined for five NBA MVPs awards, 76 All-Star appearances, 13 NBA championships, 27 NBA first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers.

Jalen Suggs virtually surprised Holmgren with the news, while his family, coaches and teammates showed up with the trophy at school. Check out a video of the announcement here.

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 Holmgren as the nation's best high school boys basketball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Holmgren from nearly half a million high school basketball players nationwide.

Competition for the national award was fierce. Holmgren topped the list of state winners in boys basketball who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including five returning state Gatorade Players of the Year, 30 with signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at Division I colleges/universities and 26 with a GPA of 3.5 and above.

"Chet Holmgren was the greatest mismatch in the high school game this past season because of his outside shooting, inside game and physical measurables," says ESPN National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi. "At 7-foot-1 and owning an enormous wingspan, he's a world-class shot blocker. He displays uncommon versatility with his scoring ability, ball-handling, court mobility and footwork. He's a tremendous teammate and a young man who is humble and respectful, while still playing with an edge. His time at Gonzaga should put him in contention to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft."

The 7-foot, 175-pound senior center led the Redhawks to a 20-1 record and the Class AAA state championship this past season. Holmgren averaged 20.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 4.4 assists while connecting on 68.2 percent of his field-goal attempts. A McDonald's All-American Game selection, Holmgren is the 2021 Naismith High School Trophy Player of the Year and the nation's consensus No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, including in the ESPN 100. He concluded his prep basketball career with 1,567 points, 964 rebounds and 456 blocked shots.

A member of his school's Leadership Institute, a three-year discipleship and leadership-training program, Holmgren has donated his time to week-long tutoring and classroom-assistant duties at local elementary schools as part of Minnehaha Academy's Cultural Field Experience. He has also volunteered on behalf of the Frog Town Boys and Girls Club and as a youth basketball instructor in addition to participating in goodwill/mentorship visits to lower school classrooms at his school.

Holmgren has maintained a 3.46 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at Gonzaga University this fall.

"We are recognizing Chet as the best high school boys basketball player in the nation because of his dedication to performing on the court, in the classroom and in the community," said Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O'Brien. "We take pride in looking at the whole athlete, not just the stats, and Chet is a role model for all of us."

Each year a selection committee evaluates the nation's top talent in the District of Columbia and all 50 states, choosing national winners in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track and field.

Gatorade is dedicated to recognizing, supporting and keeping athletes in the game because of the lifelong skills sports instill on and off the field. Since the program's inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators. Previous winners include a distinguished list of athletes, such as Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach, Jayson Tatum, Derek Jeter, Elena Delle Donne and many other sports icons.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

PREVIOUS GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS

YEAR NAME HOMETOWN STATUS

2020-21Chet Holmgren Minneapolis, MN Gonzaga University

2019-20Emoni Bates Ypsilanti, MI High School Junior

2018-19James Wiseman Memphis, TN Golden State Warriors

2017-18RJ Barrett Mississauga, ON, CanadaNew York Knicks

2016-17Michael Porter Jr.Columbia, MO Denver Nuggets

2015-16Jayson Tatum St. Louis, MO Boston Celtics

2014-15Ben Simmons Melbourne, Australia Philadelphia 76ers

2013-14Karl-Anthony TownsMetuchen, NJ Minnesota Timberwolves

2012-13Andrew Wiggins Thornhill, ON, Canada Golden State Warriors

2011-12Jabari Parker Chicago, IL Boston Celtics

2010-11Bradley Beal St. Louis, MO Washington Wizards

2009-10Brandon Knight Fort Lauderdale, FL NBA Free Agent

2008-09Brandon Knight Fort Lauderdale, FL NBA Free Agent

2007-08Jrue Holiday North Hollywood, CA Milwaukee Bucks

2006-07Kevin Love Lake Oswego, OR Cleveland Cavaliers

2005-06Greg Oden Indianapolis, IN Retired from Miami Heat

2004-05Greg Oden Indianapolis, IN Retired from Miami Heat

2003-04Dwight Howard Atlanta, GA Philadelphia 76ers

2002-03LeBron James Akron, OH Los Angeles Lakers

2001-02LeBron James Akron, OH Los Angeles Lakers

2000-01Kelvin Torbert Flint, MI Retired from French Pro A league

1999-00Jared Jeffries Bloomington, IN Retired from Portland Trail Blazers

1998-99LaVell Blanchard Ann Arbor, MI Retired from French Pro A league

1997-98Al Harrington Elizabeth, NJ Retired from Washington Wizards

1996-97Baron Davis Santa Monica, CA Retired from New York Knicks

1995-96Kobe Bryant Ardmore, PA Deceased

1994-95Stephon Marbury Brooklyn, NY Retired from Boston Celtics

1993-94Felipe L?pez New York, NY Retired from Minnesota Timberwolves

1992-93Randy Livingston New Orleans, LA Retired from Seattle Supersonics

1991-92Corliss WilliamsonRussellville, AR Retired from Sacramento Kings

1990-91Chris Webber Detroit, MI Retired from Golden State Warriors

1989-90Damon Bailey Bedford, IN Retired from Cleveland Cavaliers

1988-89Kenny Anderson Jamaica, NY Retired from Los Angeles Clippers

1987-88Alonzo Mourning Chesapeake, VA Retired from Miami Heat

1986-87LaBradford Smith Bay City, TX Retired from Sacramento Kings

1985-86J.R. Reid Virginia Beach, VA Retired from Cleveland Cavaliers

About Gatorade

The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets the needs of consumers who participate in Sports and Fitness, through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve and Bolt24. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep understanding of the unique needs and occasions of different types of sports and fitness. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by more than 50-year history of studying the best athletes in the world and sports-nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, allowing it to provide scientifically-formulated products that meet athletes' needs both on and off the field. For more information and a full list of products, please visit www.gatorade.com.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

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SOURCE The Gatorade Company