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Incoming Blue Devils Heading to Los Angeles for Gatorade Player of the Year Ceremony

By Chris Brown

Mar 10, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils mascot walks across the court in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during day three of the ACC conference tournament at Verizon Center. Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated Duke Blue Devils 84-79 in overtime Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils mascot walks across the court in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during day three of the ACC conference tournament at Verizon Center. Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated Duke Blue Devils 84-79 in overtime Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Incoming Duke commits for men’s basketball and women’s soccer will be heading to Hollywood for the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year award ceremony.

The Blue Devils will have two incoming student-athletes in attendance at the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year ceremony this year. Duke Men’s Basketball freshman Jayson Tatum and Duke Women’s Soccer commit Ella Stevens will both be representing the Blue Devils at the ceremony with the chance to win the 2015-16 Gatorade Male and Female High School Athlete of the Year awards.

Both of these incoming freshman won the Gatorade Player of the Year awards for their specific sport and were nominated to win the overall high school athlete of the year. Now in the 14th year, the Gatorade awards have become the most prestigious high school honors in the nation. Candidates were selected based on their athletic and academic achievements, impact on their team, displaying exemplary character off the court, and more. These Duke commits make up two of the 12 nominees for the award.

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Ella Stevens was named the Gatorade Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year after a great senior season for Grayson High School scoring 25 goals and recording 11 assists. She is a two-time Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year and was a member of the USA Soccer Under-20 Team. Additionally, Stevens compiled a 3.62 GPA in her classes and volunteered in her community as a soccer coach and other community service initiatives.

Jayson Tatum won the Gatorade Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year following a stellar career at Chaminade Prep. He was one of the top recruits in the nation as a versatile wing/forward, and dominated his senior year this past season averaging 29.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. Tatum is also a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year for his state in Missouri and was very involved in his community volunteering as a student ambassador for his school, speaking to at-risk youth in Ferguson, cooking and serving meals to the homeless, supporting single mothers, and coaching and speaking at youth basketball camps.

Both of these incoming freshman will play crucial roles for their respective teams this year. Ella Stevens should play an important role as a midfielder for Duke Women’s Soccer after they advanced to the NCAA Championship game last year. Jayson Tatum will play a crucial role for Duke Men’s Basketball joining a team with a very talented roster that is heavily favored to win it all next season.

The Gatorade Player of the Year award ceremony will be held on July 12th in Hollywood and will also be on hand at the red carpet for ESPN’s “ESPY” awards on the 13th. Best of luck to these future Blue Devils next week and we can’t wait to see them both in action this fall!

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