FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball signee Keyshawn Embery (6-4, 195 pounds) of IMG Academy is looking forward to being in Fayetteville for the next several years, but he’ll have to wait until June to arrive on campus.
He will get to spend a couple of days with his future teammates in Little Rock next week when he and the other five 2018 Razorback signees will play on the same team in the Mike Conley Jr. All-Star Game.
The future Razorbacks will join some Arkansas standouts in playing against some Tennessee prep all-stars next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Little Rock Hall.
“I can’t wait,” Embery said. “It’s going to be great to get to Little Rock with the other guys and get a chance to all be on the floor at the same time. “It will give the fans a preview of what we have coming and also give us our first chance to start building chemistry.”
Embery joins Arlington, Texas, Grace Prep small forward Jordan Phillips (6-7, 210), Henderson, Nev, Findlay Prep power forward Reggie Chaney (6-8, 230), Little Rock Parkview forward Ethan Henderson (6-9, 190), Fort Smith Northside shooting guard Isaiah Joe (6-4, 180) and Jonesboro guard Desi Sills (6-1, 180) in Arkansas’ 2018 class.
That group has combined to win six state titles and a pair of runner-up finishes in the past few years. It could add more accolades when Chaney and the Pilots will be playing in the Geico National Tournament beginning Thursday at 1 p.m. on ESPNU.
“That’s a talented group that is used to winning,” Embery said.
Embery led Midwest City, Okla., to a state title in his junior season while averaging 26.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals.
He chose to spend his final high school season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., but an injury kept him out for most of the first semester. He showed off his full game late in the season with a 30-point outing.
“It ended up being a pretty good season for me, but you always have to think that you could have played better,” Embery said.
IMG Academy went 23-5, but was not selected for the national tournament in large part because Kansas signee Silvio De Sousa left to play the second semester with the Jayhawks, who are now in the Final Four.
Embery did play alongside post-grad standout Anfernee Simmons, who declared for the NBA earlier this week.
“It hurt us a lot when Silvio went to Kansas, but I am so happy for him,” Embery said. “We were still pretty good, just didn’t get a chance to play in the national tournament. It was still a pretty good season overall.”