 If Little Rock Parkview’s Ethan Henderson gets his wish, he’ll be playing alongside Arkansas center Daniel Gafford next season.

Gafford is likely to at least explore his options in regards to the 2018 NBA Draft. Some mock drafts have him as a potential first-round pick if he leaves after this season.

“Daniel and I are like twins,” Henderson said. “We are really good friends. It’s like we are the same type of person. He’s goofy, I’m goofy, we’re both tall and very athletic, we both can jump crazy high and we both love to block shots.

“I think if you compare us that I have some of the same attributes. His free throw game is stepping up, he’s long and it would be great to play with him at Arkansas next season.

“But even if he is not there, I am going to work just as hard as he has to get better. We both have the same goal: to win a national championship again at Arkansas.”

Henderson (6-9, 190 pounds) had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks as Little Rock Parkview beat Harrison 49-30 in a Class 5A quarterfinal Friday afternoon.

He scored 11 of his points after halftime, including eight straight as he helped put the game away after Parkview led 23-21 at halftime.

“Harrison is a good team and they held us down the first half,” Henderson said. “I just had two points in the first half and got in foul trouble. I had to come out strong in the second half.

“Coach just told me to stay strong and don’t let them get in my head and just be aggressive. I went out there and did my job.”

Henderson had 17 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks on Wednesday, a night after Gafford had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks in Arkansas’ win over No. 14 Auburn.

“I am just trying to do the same thing he does and try to help my team win in every way possible,” Henderson said.

Parkview (23-8) will face Hot Springs in a 1:30 p.m. semifinal on Saturday with the winner advancing to the state championship game next weekend in Hot Springs.

Henderson played on Parkview’s 2016 state championship team that featured Khalil Garland, an Arkansas freshman guard who is dealing with a medical issue and redshirting this season.

Henderson looks up to former Parkview guard Daryl Macon, a senior at Arkansas. Macon won a state title his senior season at Parkview.

“I want to go out on a high note,” Henderson said. “Just like Daryl and Jaylen did, it is good to go out on a high note. They went into the 1,000 club on the same night. They go out there and work hard every night. I am going to go out there and do the same thing.”

Henderson is averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game this season. He believes longtime Parkview coach Al Flanigan’s tough love coaching has helped him flourish.

He has nearly doubled all of his averages from last season after taking over the starting center role from Javon Franklin, now a freshman at Holmes Community College.

“He is a great coach, I think one of the best coaches in the country," Henderson said. "If it wasn’t for him, I would not be where I am right now.”

He will get to a television after he plays on Saturday to watch Arkansas visit Missouri at 5 p.m. Henderson knows defense - which has been inconsistent for Arkansas this season - will be a key on Saturday and in the postseason.

“They turn it off and on,” Henderson said. “They can hold you on defense, but its like sometimes they don’t choose not to hold you on defense.

“They can be anybody they want to if they play defense, are aggressive and make shots. Now that it is getting time for the Big Dance, they need to go out there and do what they can do.”