Arkansas signee Scott ready for big stage at McDonald’s All-American Game

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

Arkansas women’s basketball 5-star signee Taliah Scott of Orange Park (Fla.) St. John’s County Day will display her talent  on national television Tuesday night during the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Scott, a 5-9 point guard who averaged 36.2 points a game this season and had 2,735 career points, was named Monday as the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Basketball, an award given to the state’s top girls player. 

Also named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida,  Scott will play on the McDonald’s Al-American East squad in the 5:30 p.m. game  that will be televised on ESPN2 from the Toyota Center in Houston.

“We are super proud of her and for her,” Arkansas head coach Mike Neighbors said Monday. “Can’t wait for her to make it to Fayetteville.”

When Scott does, she will join two former McDonald’s All-Americans as teammates in current Razorbacks Jersey Wolfenberger and Maryam Dauda.

“It’s like everybody’s dream,” Scott told News4JAX. “I feel like I’m living out my dream right now. Especially, like at the highest level, too. … I’m going to be playing against the best of the best. The best 24 girls to come across all over the country. 

“And so, it’s so exciting and like etching my name in history. Not many people get to do this and so it’s just crazy.”

Scott said she hopes her selection inspires younger players in the state.

“Not only, like I said, making history, like across the country, but like specifically here and then being an inspiration to so many other girls that look up and want to do like what I’m doing,” Scott said. “And for me to be able to show them that you can do this, even from like a small city in Florida that only four people have now made it, like you could be the next one, too.”

Scott, whose scoring average was fourth-best nationally, finished off her senior season with a 47-point  effort in her team’s Class 2A state semifinal loss to eventual champion Faith Christian.

She is one of five 2023 Arkansas signees along with Farmington’s Jenna Lawrence (6-3), Granada, Spain’s Cristiana Sanchez (6-1), Philadelphia(Miss.) Jones College guard Carly Keats (5-8) and Derby (Kan.) guard Maryn Archer (5-7).

Archer enrolled at Arkansas in January.