 Ward was the number one recruit in the nation winning the Naismith Prep Player of the Year award coming out of Clinton, Mississippi in 1994.The 1994 McDonald's All-American, First Team "Parade" & "Slam" magazine, "USA Today", "Basketball Times" All-American scored 2,652 points with more than 800 rebounds in three varsity seasons at Clinton High School.As a senior, Ward averaged 29.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for the 26–3 Arrows.