High school basketball: One of the country’s rising stars has ties to Rowan – Salisbury Post

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC — JaShawn “JJ” Andrews, a rising star who is one of the nation’s top basketball prospects in the Class of 2026, has ties to Rowan County.

Andrews is a 5-star shooting guard who has grown to 6-foot-6, 220 pounds. He is rated the No. 1 player in his class in Arkansas. He is rated the No. 5 shooting guard in his class nationally and a top 20 player overall.

Andrews’ mother is Janetta Heggins Andrews, a Salisbury-Rowan Hall of Fame member who excelled in three sports at South Rowan and played basketball at Western Carolina.

Andrews is married to Shawn Andrews, a former All-America offensive lineman at Arkansas who played seven seasons in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, twice making the Pro Bowl. He is in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Andrews was a leader of the team that recently won the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, held in North Augusta, South Carolina. He led his Little Rock Christian Academy high school team to state championships as a freshman and sophomore.

Andrews, a strong student, received an offer from Marquette last week. He has been offered by NC State. Most of his high-profile offers have come from the SEC — Missouri, Ole Miss, LSU and new SEC member Oklahoma.

It’s clear he has a bright future and while it’s tough to rate a 16-year-old as a potential NBA draft pick, he’s on the right track.