Two-sport Arkansas star weighs in

Arkansas’ premier two-sport athlete has enjoyed a rare break from his busy summer schedule this week.

Marcus Monk, an all-state selection in both basketball and football as a junior at East Poinsett County, says he’s in the process of narrowing his list of prospective schools. He plans to do so after playing in the Adidas Big Time Tournament next week in Las Vegas.

“I’ve been to the NBA players camp, Colorado Springs, the ABCD camp and the Great American Shootout,” he said, “so I haven’t had a whole lot of time to really think about things. After I get back from Vegas, I’ll just be here getting ready for the football season, so hopefully I’ll be able to break things down a little better.”

Monk (6-6, 205, 4.6) is a top wide receiver in football, where he caught 52 passes for 1,104 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. He’s a swingman on the hardwood, coming off a season which saw him average 26 points, 14 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

He definitely expects to play basketball at the next level, but is also entertaining the idea of double-duty.

“I haven’t decided yet, but it’s something I’ve thought about,” Monk said. “It kind of depends on what school I got to and what kind of programs they have in both sports. If both of them are pretty good, and I can get a lot of playing time, I may try it.”

Arkansas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Boston College, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech have all offered scholarships and been receptive to Monk playing two sports. Florida is also in the mix, but the Gators have yet to offer a scholarship. He said he receives more football interest from them than basketball.

“I don’t have a favorite right now,” said Monk, although he cited the Sooners, Razorbacks and Rebels as three schools that should be on his final list. “I’m pretty open. I’m going to sit down with my mom sometime soon and talk about things.”

What will be some of the keys he’s looking for in a school?

“Academics is No. 1,” said Monk, who maintains a 3.97 GPA and has scored an 1130 on the SAT. “After that, I just want to find somewhere that I feel comfortable and can fit in with the coaches and players. I’m looking for a tight-knit, family-type atmosphere.”