Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Dec. 19, 2024 – Tristan Beckford, a four-star forward and the top Canadian prospect, signed with the Arkansas State men’s basketball program, head coach Bryan Hodgson announced Wednesday.
“We are ecstatic to add a player of Tristan’s caliber to our program,” Hodgson said. “Tristan is both a highly-touted and highly-recruited student-athlete who ultimately chose to attend Arkansas State over several Big 10 programs. Tristan is already off to a phenomenal start to his high school season and has the makings of a future all-conference caliber player in the Sun Belt. Tristan’s versatility and athleticism make him an immediate-impact guy at this level. I cannot wait to get him on campus and get to work.”
Beckford – entering his senior season at Fort Erie International Academy – signs as the highest-rated recruit in program history by 247Sports, ranking inside the top 150 and holding a top-30 ranking at his position. The Vaughan, Ontario, native chose the Scarlet and Black over a plethora of Power-4 offers, including Arizona State, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi State and Oregon, as well as other programs.
Beckford’s signing, along with Onyx Nnani, Adriel Nyorha and Chris Davis, Jr., gives A-State its highest-ranked signing class in program history, currently standing 37th nationally and No. 1 among mid-majors.
The 6-5 native of Ontario, Canada, played in the 2024 FIBA U18 Americup, helping Canada earn a bronze medal. He led the team in scoring (13.3) and rebounding (7.3) while shooting 44.4 percent from the field in the tournament.