JJ Andrews
Bio
Recruiting
Scouting Report
JJ Andrews is a five-star wing from Little Rock Christian Academy, the consensus No. 1 prospect in Arkansas and No. 16 in the 247Sports Composite for the 2026 class (No. 12 on 247Sports' own board, No. 6 small forward). He committed to Arkansas in May 2025 over Missouri and LSU, signed in November 2025, and is a McDonald's All-American, two-time Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year, and 2025-26 MaxPreps Arkansas Player of the Year. He is now enrolled at Arkansas as a freshman for 2026-27. NOTE: the database lists this prospect with Position 'Unknown', 0 offers, and no commit date; he is a basketball recruit with a full high-major offer sheet, and the stored record should be corrected for sport.
Physical Profile
Measures roughly 6-7 in shoes and 220 pounds with a 7-0 wingspan, a college-ready frame for an SEC wing. The stored 6-5/195 listing is a stale commitment-era snapshot. He is a downhill, power-based athlete who absorbs contact and finishes above the rim in the open floor. His son-of-an-NFL-lineman build (father Shawn Andrews, Arkansas OL, two-time Pro Bowler) gives him a strength advantage over most high school wings and lets him rebound like a forward: 16.9 boards per game as a senior. Lateral quickness is adequate rather than elite, so he profiles as a 3/4 combo wing rather than a perimeter stopper.
Play Style
Bully-ball wing who gets downhill with extreme force, puts the ball on the floor to pull up or attack, and plays through contact. He hunts mismatches in the post against smaller wings, runs the floor for transition finishes, and generates second-chance points off the glass. Defensively he uses length and strength to guard multiple positions and pick up steals and blocks. His game currently lives inside the arc, with the three-point shot as a rhythm weapon rather than a primary tool.
Strengths
- Rim pressure and finishing through contact: senior year he averaged 30.7 points on 60.9% from the field, with most production coming from drives and pull-ups rather than spot-ups; EYBL Peach Jam MVP-level run with Bradley Beal Elite (20 pts/6 reb vs. NY Renaissance, 18+ ppg for the event)
- Elite wing rebounding and physicality: 16.9 rpg as a senior, 10.1 as a junior, plus 2.3 spg and 2.0 bpg across the two seasons, showing he impacts the game without the ball
- Winning pedigree and leadership: led Little Rock Christian to state titles as a freshman and sophomore, all-state each year, and coaches consistently cite his ability to elevate teammates
Areas to Improve
- Perimeter shooting consistency: 34-36% from three and 72-75% from the line with a visible hitch in his release, most evident at the free-throw stripe; needs more catch-and-shoot reps to become a spot-up threat rather than a dribble-into-shot scorer
- Ball handling under pressure and the off (right) hand: tight-space creation and advanced dribble moves are still developing, and college defenses will load up on his left-hand drives
College Projection
Freshman rotation wing at Arkansas in 2026-27 whose minutes must be earned in one of the deepest guard/wing rooms in the country under John Calipari; local reporting frames Calipari's main challenge as finding enough minutes for him. Expect a physical, energy-and-glass role early, with a path to a starting spot by midseason if the jumper holds at 35% or better. Two-year college stay is the realistic timeline for a top-20 composite prospect.
NFL Outlook
Not applicable (basketball prospect). NBA outlook: first-round trajectory if the perimeter shot stabilizes; his combination of a 7-0 wingspan, 220-pound frame, and rim-finishing at the wing fits the modern NBA forward template, and he already appears on NBADraft.net's prospect board. Shooting mechanics and handle are the swing skills separating late-lottery from second-round projection.
Best Fit
Calipari's up-tempo, NBA-prep system at Arkansas is a strong fit: it rewards athletic wings who attack in transition and crash the glass, and surrounds him with shooters who open driving lanes. He is best deployed as a slashing 3/4 next to a floor-spacing frontcourt rather than as a primary perimeter creator, with a development plan built around catch-and-shoot volume and right-hand finishing.
Player Comparison
Both prospects share an elite 6'6" frame with exceptional length and athleticism at around 220 pounds, suggesting potential as pass rushers who can add weight while maintaining mobility. Garrett was similarly ranked as a top-30 overall prospect with elite recruiting pedigree, demonstrating the rare combination of size, speed, and technique that translates to dominant edge rushing at the next level.