Chet Holmgren Named 2020-21 Gatorade® National Boys Basketball Player of the Year

Rhea-AI Summary

Gatorade has named Chet Holmgren from Minnehaha Academy as the 2020-21 National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Holmgren, a 7-foot-1 center, led his team to a 20-1 record and the state championship, averaging 20.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game. A McDonald's All-American, he has signed with Gonzaga University. The award recognizes his athletic excellence, academic achievement, and community service. Holmgren is compared to elite players and is expected to be a top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, joining a legacy of notable past winners.

Positive

• Chet Holmgren led Minnehaha Academy to a 20-1 record and a state championship.
• Holmgren averaged 20.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game.
• He has a 3.46 GPA and demonstrated strong community involvement.
• Holmgren is expected to be a top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Negative

• None.

MINNEAPOLIS, June 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 36^th 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
2020-21	Chet Holmgren	Minneapolis, MN	Gonzaga University
2019-20	Emoni Bates	Ypsilanti, MI	High School Junior
2018-19	James Wiseman	Memphis, TN	Golden State Warriors
2017-18	RJ Barrett	Mississauga, ON, Canada	New York Knicks
2016-17	Michael Porter Jr.	Columbia, MO	Denver Nuggets
2015-16	Jayson Tatum	St. Louis, MO	Boston Celtics
2014-15	Ben Simmons	Melbourne, Australia	Philadelphia 76ers
2013-14	Karl-Anthony Towns	Metuchen, NJ	Minnesota Timberwolves
2012-13	Andrew Wiggins	Thornhill, ON, Canada	Golden State Warriors
2011-12	Jabari Parker	Chicago, IL	Boston Celtics
2010-11	Bradley Beal	St. Louis, MO	Washington Wizards
2009-10	Brandon Knight	Fort Lauderdale, FL	NBA Free Agent
2008-09	Brandon Knight	Fort Lauderdale, FL	NBA Free Agent
2007-08	Jrue Holiday	North Hollywood, CA	Milwaukee Bucks
2006-07	Kevin Love	Lake Oswego, OR	Cleveland Cavaliers
2005-06	Greg Oden	Indianapolis, IN	Retired from Miami Heat
2004-05	Greg Oden	Indianapolis, IN	Retired from Miami Heat
2003-04	Dwight Howard	Atlanta, GA	Philadelphia 76ers
2002-03	LeBron James	Akron, OH	Los Angeles Lakers
2001-02	LeBron James	Akron, OH	Los Angeles Lakers
2000-01	Kelvin Torbert	Flint, MI	Retired from French Pro A league
1999-00	Jared Jeffries	Bloomington, IN	Retired from Portland Trail Blazers
1998-99	LaVell Blanchard	Ann Arbor, MI	Retired from French Pro A league
1997-98	Al Harrington	Elizabeth, NJ	Retired from Washington Wizards
1996-97	Baron Davis	Santa Monica, CA	Retired from New York Knicks
1995-96	Kobe Bryant	Ardmore, PA	Deceased
1994-95	Stephon Marbury	Brooklyn, NY	Retired from Boston Celtics
1993-94	Felipe López	New York, NY	Retired from Minnesota Timberwolves
1992-93	Randy Livingston	New Orleans, LA	Retired from Seattle Supersonics
1991-92	Corliss Williamson	Russellville, AR	Retired from Sacramento Kings
1990-91	Chris Webber	Detroit, MI	Retired from Golden State Warriors
1989-90	Damon Bailey	Bedford, IN	Retired from Cleveland Cavaliers
1988-89	Kenny Anderson	Jamaica, NY	Retired from Los Angeles Clippers
1987-88	Alonzo Mourning	Chesapeake, VA	Retired from Miami Heat
1986-87	LaBradford Smith	Bay City, TX	Retired from Sacramento Kings
1985-86	J.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

FAQ

Who won the 2020-21 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award?

Chet Holmgren from Minnehaha Academy.

What were Chet Holmgren's average stats during the 2020-21 season?

He averaged 20.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.7 blocks, and 4.4 assists.

Where has Chet Holmgren signed to play college basketball?

He has signed with Gonzaga University.

What are some honors Chet Holmgren received during his high school career?

He was a McDonald's All-American and the 2021 Naismith High School Trophy Player of the Year.

What is Chet Holmgren's GPA?

He maintained a 3.46 GPA.