“Dariq carries himself so well and is so respectful, but when the lights are on, he is a killer. He is never afraid to step up and take the big shot and is a true two-way player.”

Luke Barnwell

Head Coach - head coach of Sunrise Christian (Kan.) High

Athletic Excellence

The 6-foot-5, 185-pound senior guard had led the Eagles to a 19-4 record and a berth in the Geico High School Nationals tournament at the time of his selection. Whitehead averaged 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists through 23 games. The 2022 Naismith High School Player of the Year, Whitehead is also a McDonald’s All-American Game selection. He is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2022 by Rivals.com.

Academic Achievement

Whitehead has maintained a weighted 3.32 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at Duke University this fall.

Exemplary Character

A member of the Head of School Leadership Team at Montverde, Whitehead has volunteered locally as part of a fundraising campaign to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and he has donated his time as a basketball coach to special-needs children.