CONWAY, Ark. — It’s been no easy road to D1 college basketball for Javion Guy-King. Initially a class of 2022 Razorbacks target who led Mills to a state championship, the Little Rock native would go on to suffer two Jones fractures — one in each foot — forcing him out most of his senior season and throwing a curve ball to his recruitment.

Forgoing options to play collegiately out of Mills, Guy-King spent the 2022-23 season as a post-grad player at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas. There he’d help lead the team to a runner-up finish in the National Prep Championships, averaging 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

Once counted out by some due to medical concerns, the 6’6 small forward signed with Central Arkansas on Monday. Guy-King is grateful for a new start, hitting the court as a true freshman this upcoming season.

“The staff at UCA stayed consistent in recruiting me through injuries,” Guy-King said. “Recovering from my injuries and having the option to play for my state. The fact that they trusted me, that was real big to me so I decided to come back home.”

Playing nearby his family and his son, Guy-King teams up with childhood friends like UCA guard Carl Daughtery. Battling past career-threatening obstacles over the last two years, the newly-named Bear says he won’t lack perseverance on the next level.

“Being in that room where I had to go through surgery, especially the second time, thinking it’s going to be a long road to recovery,” Guy-King said. “With the help of my family and my friends, especially my son, I just knew I had someone to do it for. And it just motivated me a lot.”

“My injury made me go through some setbacks in life,” Guy-King goes on. “But I stayed the course and got a great opportunity to go to Sunrise Christian… Throughout my injuries Coach Widders and his staff at UCA kept their trust in me.”

See our full story to hear more from the UCA Bear on his unlikely path to Conway.