The Recruiting Guy

Freshman guard Doakes compared to former Arkansas high school great

2020 guard Gerald Doakes.

— Freshman guard Gerald Doakes has heard the comparisons to former Bentonville guard Malik Monk, who’s now a freshman at Kentucky.

“Every camp I’ve been to and people talk to me after games, and they say, 'You play like Malik Monk,'” Doakes said.

Doakes, 6-1, 160, of Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School College Preparatory Academy scored 24 points in a 72-58 victory over Power Center Academy at Battle of the Border on Saturday.

“I have athleticism, I can score, and I like playing on the defensive end, too,” Doakes said.

Lighthouse Coach Kelvin Parker said Doakes has the mental and physical makeup to be special.

“He has a very high IQ, very athletic for a ninth-grader,” Parker said. “I think he has the potential to be a high major D-I. He just needs to work on a couple of little kinks. I think coaches need to come and check him out because they really don’t know about him too much. He’s not getting the interest he should be getting.”

Doakes is seeing early interest from Arkansas, Baylor and UALR.

“You have to maintain your grades,” he said. “That’s first — you have to do school first. Recruiting is fun, it helps me; it gives me motivation to do better every day.”

He has mutual interest in the Hogs.

“I actually kind of love the school,” Doakes said. “I took a visit there, and I’m from Arkansas, so I would really like to represent my state.”

Doakes played for the 14-under Team Portis Wings during the spring and summer. Wings Coach Antonio Buchanan spotted Doakes two years ago and knew he had a chance to be special.

“He had a breakout game,” Buchanan said. “He ended up scoring 40-something points as a seventh-grader, and it was just off of natural ability. I said that kid has a gift once he learns how to play the game.”

He played well with the Wings.

“He dominated a lot as far as being my lead guard,” Buchanan said. “He had quite a few 30-point games.”

Buchanan, who has worked with Arkansas signees Daniel Gafford and Darious Hall, believes Doakes can be a top prospect.

“I think he’s the next Malik Monk, Kevaughn Allen in the state,” Buchanan said.