Jahlil Okafor has watched many games live at the United Center in Chicago. Wednesday, he stepped on the court in uniform for the very first time. The Whitney Young (Chicago) 7-foot center made a good first impression, taking home co-MVP honors at the 37th McDonald's All American Game with 17 points and seven rebounds in the West's 105-102 victory over the East before 17,116 fans. Down 102-101, Okafor took a pass from Arizona signee Stanley Johnson of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) off a pick-and-roll play and slammed it home with 38.7 seconds left. Following an East miss, Kansas-bound Kelly Oubre of Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) sank two free throws with 19.1 seconds left to give the West a three-point cushion... Justin Jackson, a 6-7 home-schooled player from Houston and headed to North Carolina, led all players with 23 points for the East and earned co-MVP honors. He made 11 of 14 shots... The West committed just five turnovers — surely a 37-year low from the event — and also got 15 points from Emmanuel Mudiay, a 6-4 guard from Prime Prep (Dallas) headed to SMU, 14 by UNLV-bound 6-6 guard Rashad Vaughn from Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) and 11 by Oubre... D'Angelo Russell, a 6-4 guard headed to Ohio State from Montverde Academy (Fla.), added 11 points for the East, which took 21 fewer shots than the West. Tyus Jones, a 6-1 guard from Apple Valley (Minn.) headed to Duke, took just five shots, scored seven points but played a superb floor game with 10 assists. -- Maxpreps

2013 MCDONALDS ALL-AMERICAN GAME

The McDonald’s All American Games unveiled the official rosters for the 36th Annual McDonald’s All American Boys Game and 12th Annual Girls Game during today’s Selection Show on ESPNU. The annual high school all-star event will again be played at Chicago’s United Center on April 3.

The 2013 McDonald’s All American Boys Team will feature top ranked prep talent and Canadian-born Andrew Wiggins (Huntington Prep, W.Va.) playing alongside hometown hero Jabari Parker (Simeon Career Academy – Chicago, Ill.). Aaron and Andrew Harrison (William B. Tavis – Richmond, Texas) mark the first set of twins since 2009 – the most recent pairs include David and Travis Wear (2009) and Brook and Robin Lopez (2006). The Harrison twins, who will be attending Kentucky in the fall, account for two of the McDonald’s All American Games record five boys recruits that will be attending the same university, including Dakari Johnson (Montverde Academy – Montverde, Fla.), Marcus Lee (Deer Valley High – Antioch, Calif.) and James Young (Rochester High – Rochester, Mich.). The previous record of four was held by Michigan (1991), Duke (1999) and Kentucky (2011). The Boys Game begins at 8:30 p.m. CT April 3, and will broadcast live on ESPN.

The Girls Team will feature the first-ever McDonald’s All American Games father/daughter duo with Taya Reimer (Hamilton Southeastern – Indianapolis, Ind.), daughter of Ben Davis (1991). Other top female talent includes Mercedes Russell (Springfield High – Springfield, Ore.), Diamond DeShields (Norcross High School – Norcross, Ga.) and local Chicago star Linnae Harper (Whitney Young – Chicago, Ill.). California will be well-represented with four female student-athletes making the final team, including Oderah Chidom (Bishop O’Dowd – Oakland, Calif.), Kendall Cooper (St. Anthony – Carson, Calif.), Erica McCall (Ridgeview High – Bakersfield, Calif.) and Kelsey Plum (La Jolia Country Day School – Poway, Calif.). The Girls Game begins at 6:00 p.m. CT April 3, and will broadcast live on ESPNU.

Freddy Johnson of Greensboro Day School in Greensboro, N.C. will coach the Boys East team, while Mike Flaherty of Chicago’s Mt. Carmel High School will lead the Boys West team. Fred Priester of Oakton High School in Vienna, Va. will coach the Girls East team, while Anthony Smith of Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook, Ill. will man the sidelines for the Girls West squad. Combined, the four coaches have won more than 2,450 games and 12 State Championships.

“It’s becoming a tradition for the top high school basketball stars to gather in Chicago for the McDonald’s All American Games,” said Douglas Freeland, director of the McDonald’s All American Games. “These players are the ‘heirs apparent’ to the basketball royalty throne, and we look forward to hosting them in the Windy City for this can’t miss event.”

This year’s teams were selected from the field of more than 800 Nominees by the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee, led by committee chairman, Morgan Wootten, legendary Hall-of-Fame basketball coach.

Since 1978, more than 1,100 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list of some of the top names in basketball history including, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker and Maya Moore.

2013 MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICAN PLAYERS: BOYS EAST

NAME HT POS HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE
Anthony Barber: 6’2” PG Hampton, N.C. State
Kasey Hill: 6’1” PG Montverde Academy, Florida
Demetrius Jackson: 6’1” PG Marian High, Notre Dame
Wayne Selden: 6’5” G Tilton School, Kansas
Keith Frazier: 6’5” G Justin F. Kimball, Undeclared
Rondae Jefferson: 6’7” G/F Chester High, Arizona
Isaiah Hicks: 6’8” F J.F. Webb, North Carolina
Noah Vonleh: 6’8” F New Hampton, Indiana
Andrew Wiggins: 6’8” F Huntington Prep, Undeclared
Chris Walker: 6’9” C/F Holmes County, Florida
Kennedy Meeks: 6’9” C West Charlotte, North Carolina
Dakari Johnson: 6’10 C Montverde Academy, Kentucky

Head Coach: Freddy Johnson, Greensboro Day School, NC (Greensboro, NC)
Asst. Coach: Steve Shelton, Greensboro Day School, NC (Greensboro, NC)
Asst. Coach: Jeff Smith, Greensboro Day School, NC (Greensboro, NC)

2013 MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICAN PLAYERS: BOYS WEST

NAME HT POS HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE
Andrew Harrison: 6’5” PG William B. Tavis, Kentucky
Nigel Williams-Goss: 6’3” PG Findlay Prep, Washington
Isaac Hamilton: 6’5” PG St. John Bosco, UTEP
Aaron Harrison: 6’5” G William B. Tavis, Kentucky
Matt Jones: 6’4” G DeSoto High, Duke
Jabari Bird: 6’6” G/F Salesian High, California
Aaron Gordon: 6’8” F Archbishop Mitty, Undeclared
Jarrell Martin: 6’8” F Madison Prep, LSU
Jabari Parker: 6’8” F Simeon Career Academy, Duke
James Young: 6’7” C/F Rochester High, Kentucky
Bobby Portis: 6’9” C Hall High, Arkansas
Marcus Lee: 6’9” C Deer Valley High, Kentucky

Head Coach: Mike Flaherty, Mt. Carmel High School, IL (Chicago, IL)
Asst. Coach: Jasper Williams, Bloom High School, IL (Olympia Fields, IL)
Asst. Coach: Brian Flaherty, Bremen High School, IL (Chicago, IL)

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2012 MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICANS
Feb. 9, 2012

Today, the McDonald’s All American Games unveiled the official rosters for the 35th Annual McDonald’s All American Boys Game and 11th Annual Girls Game during today’s selection show on ESPNU. The Games will be played on March 28 at Chicago’s United Center.

The 2012 McDonald’s All American Boys Team features top prospects Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman College Preparatory – Las Vegas, NV), Kyle Anderson (St. Anthony High School – North Bergen, NJ) and Grant Jerrett (La Verne Lutheran High School – Chino Hills, CA). They will take the court with four talented athletes from the Lone Star State – one shy of the all-time record of five set by New York and California in 1980 and 1997, respectively – including Cameron Ridley (George Bush High School – Houston, Texas), Isaiah Austin (Grace Preparatory Academy – Arlington, Texas), Marcus Smart (Marcus High School – Flower Mound, Texas) and Rasheed Sulaimon (Strake Jesuit College Prep – Houston, Texas). Anthony Bennett continues a rich tradition of Canadian-bred McDonald’s All Americans from Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV), including current and former Texas Longhorns Myck Kabongo, Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. The Boys Game tip-offs at 8:30 p.m. CT March 28, broadcasting live on ESPN.

The 2012 McDonald’s All American Girls Team boasts exceptional East and West rosters, including the No. 1 female prospect in the 2012 class and Connecticut signee, Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North Syracuse High School – North Syracuse, NY). Taking the court in front of their hometown fans will be Chicago-area talents, Janee Thompson (Whitney Young High School – Chicago, Ill.), Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook High School – Bolingbrook, Ill.) and Jewell Loyd (Niles West High School – Lincolnwood, Ill.). Much like the Boys roster, Texas will be well-represented with four additional female athletes making the final teams, including Alexis Jones (MacArthur High School – Irving, Texas), Courtney Williams (North Shore High School – Houston, Texas), Jordan Jones (DeSoto High School – DeSoto, Texas) and Moriah Jefferson (Home School – Dallas, Texas). The Girls Game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT March 28, and will broadcast live on ESPNU.

Since 1978, more than 1,000 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list that includes some of the top names in basketball history. To celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Boys Game, the McDonald’s All American Games recently unveiled its list of the 35 Greatest McDonald’s All Americans. The 35 Greatest list is comprised of some of the top names in basketball history, and features past and present Olympics, NBA and NCAA stars, including Michael Jordan (retired), Magic Johnson (retired), Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose.

The POWERADE® Jam Fest – featuring many of the McDonald’s All Americans in a skills competition, three-point shootout and dunk contest – will be held at the Gerald Ratner Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Chicago on March 26, 2012. The qualifying competitions will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT and the finals will air live at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

2012 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Team Boys Alphabetical Roster

EAST TEAM
No. Name Pos Hgt Wgt High School (Hometown) College
5 Kyle Anderson G/F 6-8 225 St. Anthony, NJ (North Bergen, NJ) UCLA
15 DaJuan Coleman F/C 6-10 285 Jamesville-DeWitt, NY (DeWitt, NY) Syracuse
3 Kris Dunn G 6-3 180 New London, CT (New London, CT) Providence
34 Perry Ellis F/C 6-8 220 Wichita Heights, KS (Wichita, KS) Kansas
2 William Goodwin F 6-8 250 Southwest DeKalb, GA (Decatur, GA) Memphis
40 Gary Harris G 6-4 195 Hamilton Southeast, IN (Fishers, IN) Michigan State
25 Amile Jefferson F 6-9 205 Friends Central, PA (Philadelphia, PA) Undecided
12 Tyler Lewis G 5-11 165 Oak Hill Academy, VA (Statesville, NC) N.C. State
32 Tony Parker F/C 6-9 280 Miller Grove, GA (Lithonia, GA) Undecided
22 Alex Poythress F 6-8 225 Northeast, TN (Clarksville, TN) Kentucky
44 Rodney Purvis G 6-3 192 Upper Room Christian, NC (Raleigh, NC) N.C. State
24 T.J. Warren G/F 6-7 205 Brewster Academy, NH (Durham, NC) N.C. State

WEST TEAM
No. Name Pos Hgt Wgt High School (Hometown) College
10 Brandon Ashley F 6-9 215 Findlay Prep, NV (San Francisco, CA) Arizona
33 Isaiah Austin F/C 7-0 210 Grace Prep, TX (Arlington, TX) Baylor
22 Anthony Bennett F 6-7 230 Findlay Prep, NV (Brampton, Ontario) Undecided
1 Kevin Ferrell G 5-11 160 Park Tudor, IN (Indianapolis, IN) Indiana
24 Archie Goodwin G/F 6-5 195 Sylvan Hills, AR (Little Rock, AR) Kentucky
11 Grant Jerrett F/C 6-9 220 Lutheran, CA (Chino Hills, CA) Arizona
15 Shabazz Muhammad G 6-6 215 Bishop Gorman, NV (Las Vegas, NV) Undecided
5 Marcus Paige G 6-1 165 Linn-Marr, IA (Marion, IA) North Carolina
21 Devonta Pollard F 6-7 200 Kemper County, MS (Porterville, MS) Undecided
55 Cameron Ridley C 6-10 260 George Bush, TX (Houston, TX) Texas
3 Marcus Smart G/F 6-4 200 Marcus, TX (Flower Mound, TX) Oklahoma State
35 Rasheed Sulaimon G 6-4 185 Strake Jesuit (Houston, TX) Duke




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Older McDonalds All-American Game Content

Joe Jackson Interview
By Pat Stevens, March 31, 2010

Joe Jackson (6-0 guard) attends White Station HS (Memphis, Tenn.) and will play college ball next season at Memphis. He's a member of the East 2010 McDonald's All-American team. Here's what he said in Columbus, Ohio to InsideHoops.com contributor Pat Stevens.

Joe Jackson on his earliest Memory of McDonald’s Game: I remember watching it LeBron’s year.

Jackson on being Named a McDonald’s basketball All-American: It feels good. Once the opportunity came around that I felt I could make it, I worked real hard to get in it to prove this is where I belong.

On if he wasn't going to attend Memphis: Kansas or Tennessee or Kentucky.

On his most memorable High School Game: We played Melrose a bunch of times but the first time we played them this year. They were 10 deep, had a bunch of transfers who were top players at their old schools. They’ve got a good scorer Chris Jones and Adonis Thomas who is a top five prospect, and a good coach. That first game they had us down 14 with two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, and I had scored 18 in a row. We beat them on a last second buzzer beater.

On the most recent thing he learned: I’d say learning from other players. Just seeing stuff that I do wrong that people do right. For example, Kendall Marshall gets in the teeth of the defense. I can do that good too but I want to improve on that.

On the signature part of his workouts: I do a lot of spot shooting. Two-dribble pull-ups and one-dribble pull-ups. Cone drills with the ball.

On his favorite City, aside from home: Atlanta.

On advice he'd give to others: Keep working. Stay focused and stay out of trouble. Regardless of what people say just keep your head up.

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C.J. Leslie Interview
By Pat Stevens, March 31, 2010

CJ Leslie (6-9 forward) attends Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) and is considering Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina State. He's a member of the East 2010 McDonald's All-American team. Here's what Leslie said in Columbus, Ohio to InsideHoops.com contributor Pat Stevens.

C.J. Leslie on his earliest Memory of McDonald’s Game: Josh Smith’s year. He could really fly.

Leslie on being named a McDonald’s basketball All-American: It’s a great honor. It played its part in me working hard but I wasn’t worried about making it or not making it. I was doing my work regardless.

On the signature part of his workout: Nothing crazy, just getting shots up. Seven spots on the floor, 15 shots inside and 15 outside.

On the most recent thing he's learned: Shoot more in games.

On his favorite City aside from home: Atlanta. My brother lives there.

On any regrets he has: I wouldn’t do anything different. You have to make mistakes to learn.

On advice he'd give to others: Never give up on your dreams. Stay Positive.

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Jereme Richmond Interview
By Pat Stevens, March 31, 2010

Jereme Richmond (6-8 forward) attends Waukegan HS (Waukegan, Ill.) and will play college ball next season at Illinois. He's a member of the Wast 2010 McDonald's All-American team. Here's what he said in Columbus, Ohio to InsideHoops.com contributor Pat Stevens.

Jereme Richmond on his earliest memory of McDonald's All-American basketball: Shannon Brown’s year (2003). He was the guy in our area and I remember he did a 360 dunk in the game.

Richmond on being Named a McDonald’s All-American basketball player: There were times when I didn’t think I was going to make it. I was very excited when I got the call.

On his most overlooked high school game: We played Evanston, a cross-town rival. I had like 14 points, not a big scoring night. But I had 11 blocks and 16 rebounds. The people who weren’t really true basketball people said, “Oh he should have scored 30.” But I was happy and it showed I could dominate a game in other ways.

On the most recent thing he learned: After the one here, in a dunk contest you have to pull out your tricks early just to advance.

On the signature part of his workout: After everytime I leave the gym, I do the drill under the rim where I dunk 10 times off my vertical.

On where he'd be going other than Illinois: Probably Michigan State. Like I said I was a big Shannon Brown fan at the time and they always make Final Four runs.

On his favorite city aside from home: Las Vegas. Big city and bright lights. It’s a lot of fun at night.

On any regrets he has: Everything I’ve done made me the person and player I am today.

On advice he'd give to others: On the court, do what you can do. At events like this where you’re playing in front of scouts, don’t do what you’re not capable of. Do what got you here, what got you recognized.

Pat Stevens is a regular contributor to InsideHoops.com and can be found at PatStevensBasketball.com

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McDonald’s All American Basketball Game Info
March 5, 2010

The McDonald’s All American Basketball Games selection committee announced final rosters today for the 33rd annual Boys Game and ninth Girls Game on the ESPNU McDonald’s All American Selection Show. The Games will be played on March 31 at the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

These are basically most of the best high school basketball stars in the country.

“Year after year I am impressed with the extraordinary high school talent the McDonald’s All American Games brings to the forefront of the basketball world,” said Alonzo Mourning, captain of the McDonald’s All American Advisory Council. “These young athletes will not only get the chance to become basketball stars of the next generation, but more importantly they will be provided the opportunity to bring attention and raise money for an important cause and learn essential life lessons off the court.”

The 2010 McDonald’s All American Boys Team features the nation’s best high school basketball talent, including Harrison Barnes (Ames High School – Ames, Iowa), the top-ranked player in the ESPNU 100. Also taking the floor will be local star, Jared Sullinger (Northland High School – Columbus, Ohio), Brandon Knight (Pine Crest Academy – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Tristan Thompson (Findlay Prep – Henderson, Nev.) and Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick High School – Elizabeth, N.J.). The Boys Game will tip-off at 8:00 p.m. ET March 31, and will broadcast live on ESPN.

The 2010 McDonald’s All American Girls Team also boasts an exceptional roster including Chiney Ogwumike (Cy-Fair High School – Cypress,Texas), the consensus number one prospect in the 2010 class. Also suiting-up for the Girls Team will be Kaneisha Horn (Ramsay High School – Birmingham, Ala.), Chelsea Gray (St. Mary’s High School – Stockton, Calif.), Bria Hartley (North Babylon High School – North Babylon, N.Y.) and Natasha Howard (Toledo Waite High School – Toledo, Ohio). The Girls Game begins at 5:30 p.m. ET March 31, and will broadcast live on ESPNU.

This year, 48 players were selected from 2,150 nominees by a committee of basketball experts. They were chosen not only for their on-court skills, but for their performances off the court as well. Coach Morgan Wootten, who had more than 1,200 wins as head basketball coach at DeMatha High, is chairman of the selection committee.

In addition, legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, who has been involved in the McDonald’s All American Games since its inception, serves as chairman of the Games.

Since 1977, more than 950 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list that includes some of the top names in basketball history. McDonald’s All American athletes include NBA greats Alonzo Mourning (retired), Magic Johnson (retired), Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), as well as WNBA stars Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx) and Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and women’s NCAA stars Glory Johnson (Tennessee) and Maya Moore (Connecticut).

For InsideHoops.com's full coverage of the 2009 McDOnalds All-American basketball game, scroll down.

We'll have coverage of the event this year as well.

The high school basketball stars of today are often the NBA stars of the future, so it's worth watching this game every year.

2010 McDonald's All American EAST BASKETBALL TEAM ROSTER

No. Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. High School, State (Hometown) College
35 Reggie Bullock G 6-7 190 Kinston High School, NC (Kinston, NC) North Carolina
31 Tobias Harris F 6-8 222 Half Hollow Hills West High School, NY (Dix Hills, NY) Tennessee
11 Kyrie Irving G 6-3 187 St. Patrick High School, NJ (West Orange, NJ) Duke
4 Joe Jackson G 6-0 164 White Station High School, TN (Memphis, TN) Memphis
3 Perry Jones III C 6-11 225 Duncanville High School, TX (Duncanville, TX) Baylor
0 Jelan Kendrick G 6-7 195 Wheeler High School, GA (Marietta, GA) Memphis
5 C.J. Leslie F 6-9 212 Word of God Christian Academy, NC (Holly Springs, NC) Undecided
12 Kendall Marshall G 6-4 195 Bishop O’Connell High School, VA (Dumfries, VA) North Carolina
24 Jayvaughn Pinkston F 6-7 220 Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, NY (Brooklyn, NY) Villanova
32 Josh Selby G 6-3 188 Lake Clifton High School, MD (Baltimore, MD) Undecided
34 Jared Sullinger C 6-9 261 Northland High School, OH (Columbus, OH) Ohio State
1 Deshaun Thomas F 6-7 218 Bishop Luers High School, IN (Fort Wayne, IN) Ohio State

2010 McDonald's All American WEST BASKETBALL TEAM ROSTER

No. Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. High School, State (Hometown) College
32 Keith Appling G 6-3 180 Detroit Pershing High School, MI (Detroit, MI) Michigan State
40 Harrison Barnes F 6-8 210 Ames High School, IA (Ames, IA) North Carolina
1 Terrence Jones F 6-9 230 Jefferson High School, OR (Portland, OR) Undecided
5 Cory Joseph G 6-3 180 Findlay College Prep, NV (Pickering, Ontario) Undecided
11 Brandon Knight G 6-4 195 Pine Crest School, FL (Coral Springs, FL) Undecided
20 Doron Lamb G 6-4 185 Oak Hill Academy, VA (Laurelton, NY) Undecided
3 Ray McCallum G 6-1 180 Detroit Country Day School, MI (Beverly Hills, MI) Undecided
13 Fab Melo C 7-0 265 Sagemont School, FL (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Syracuse
22 Jereme Richmond F 6-8 195 Waukegan High School, IL (Waukegan, IL) Illinois
34 Joshua Smith C 6-10 280 Kentwood High School, WA (Kent, WA) UCLA
12 Tristan Thompson F 6-10 235 Findlay College Prep, NV (Brampton, Ontario) Texas
21 Patric Young F 6-9 230 Providence School, FL (Jacksonville, FL) Florida

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2009 MCDONALDS ALL-AMERICAN BASKETBALL GAME
April 1, 2009

The 2009 McDonald's All-American basketball game, featuring the best high school basketball players in the country, is in the books. The AP reports: Georgia Tech recruit Derrick Favors scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the East past the West 113-110 in the boys McDonald's All-American game Wednesday night. Favors was left wide open for an alley-oop pass from Lance Stephenson with 41.7 seconds left, and Favors slammed it home for a 111-110 lead. "Derrick is a very sneaky person," said Oklahoma-bound Keith Gallon, who scored a game-high 20 points. "You turn around and he's gone." Dominic Cheek, who is headed to Villanova, and Pittsburgh recruit Dante Taylor each scored 15 points for the East, which leads the all-time series 18-14. "When we were in the locker room, we said we are not going to lose this game," Favors said. Gallon led all scorers with 20 points for the West. Avery Bradley, who is headed to Texas, added 15.

McDonald’s Basketball Sunday Practice – East Team

Nation’s best big men Derrick Favors and DeMarcus Cousins strongest of all on Day One

By Patrick Stevens

The McDonald’s All-American practices are some of the most exclusive with NBA scouts no longer permitted and limited reporters in attendance. InsideHoops.com has the play-by-play from behind closed doors:

MIAMI, Fla. – Consensus top five players in the Class of 2009 Derrick Favors of South Atlanta H.S. (Ga.) and DeMarcus Cousins of Leflore H.S. (Ala.) were above the rest on Sunday’s opening session of McDonald’s All-American practices.

Top unsigned wing Lance Stephenson of Lincoln H.S. (N.Y.) is expected to join the group on Monday after playing a late Saturday night game in the New York State Federation Championships, where Lincoln fell to Rice H.S. in the semi-finals.

The East team broke up into teams of five and went up and down the floor while putting in plays during four breaks in action.

The pairings were Favors (Georgia Tech), Cousins (Memphis), Dexter Strickland (North Carolina), Dominic Cheek (Villanova) and Peyton Siva (Louisville) against Milton Jennings (Clemson), Dante Taylor (Pittsburgh), Ryan Kelly (Duke), Kenny Boynton (Florida) and Maalik Wayns (Villanova) with Alex Oriakhi (Connecticut) starting the session as the sub.

First Run Highlights – Ryan Kelly sinks a jumper from the left corner… Derrick Favors contests a Dante Taylor post-up, then scores on Milton Jennings… Dominic Cheek hits a three-pointer from the right wing in transition…DeMarcus Cousins forces a travel by Milton Jennings.

Second Run Highlights – Alex Oriakhi scores on a reverse lay-up during a re-post of Milton Jennings…Maalik Wayns scores a layup off a feed from Milton Jennings…Dexter Strickland drives the baseline and kicks to the perimeter to Peyton Siva, who beats the defense with a ball swing to Dominic Cheek for his second three-pointer from the right wing…Milton Jennings scores on Alex Oriakhi…Dante Taylor follows a Ryan Kelly miss in transition with a big tip jam.

Third Run Highlights – DeMarcus Cousins seals Milton Jennings for a score on the block off a feed from Dominic Cheek…Maalik Wayns with a turnover, Derrick Favors with a turnover, and Wayns with another turnover off a Favors deflection that leads to a Cousins dunk… Oriakhi misses around the hoop after the Red team forces Wayns to give up to Boynton who is forced to give up to Oriakhi with Cousins defending…Dexter Strickland hits a jumper in transition…Kenny Boynton misses a three-pointer and DeMarcus Cousins does the same…Same scenario with Wayns/Boynton/Oriakhi, credit Cousins again and the Red team for the stop…Wayns with a three-pointer from the corner off an inbounds…Favors seals Oriakhi and scores with the left hand on a high post bounce pass from Cousins.

Fourth Run Highlights – Ryan Kelly misses a three-pointer from the top of the key…Maalik Wayns feeds Alex Oriakhi for a hoop...Dominic Cheek misses a three-pointer…Oriakhi scores with the left on Favors…Peyton Siva with a hard cross over on Maalik Wayns, drives and dishes to Favors who scores on an adjustment with Milton Jennings flying at him…Siva hits Favors ahead of the pack on a leak out.

Thanks to Pat Stevens of PatStevensBasketball.com for the reports.


McDonald’s Basketball Monday Practice – West Team

Pairs of Washington and Texas AAU teammates impress most

By Patrick Stevens

The McDonald’s All-American practices are some of the most exclusive with NBA scouts no longer permitted and limited reporters in attendance. InsideHoops has the play-by-play from behind closed doors:

MIAMI, Fla. – Monday at the McDonald’s All-American practices saw 6-foot-10 combo forward John Henson of Sickles, Fla., and a pair of former teammates lead the way for the West.

Avery Bradley and Abdul Gaddy from Bellarmine Prep of Washington and AAU teammates with the Northwest Panthers were two of the most effective along with former Houston Hoops teammates Keith ‘Tiny’ Gallon and Tommy Mason-Griffin.

The five-on-five pairings were Henson (North Carolina), Gaddy (Washington), Bradley (Texas), Renardo Sidney (Southern California), Xavier Henry (Memphis) and David Wear (North Carolina) as the sub going up against Mason-Griffin (Oklahoma), Gallon (Oklahoma), Michael Snaer (Florida State), Mason Plumlee (Duke) and Travis Wear (North Carolina).

First Run Highlights: The reserves win the tip and Tommy Mason Griffin hits Michael Snaer with a lob pass for the dunk…Renardo Sidney faces up and misses a jumper over Tiny Gallon but John Henson keeps the miss alive and scores on a putback…Griffin hits Gallon with a no-look pass into the paint for a dunk…Henson misses a turn-around jumper from the foul line with two players on him…Xavier Henry misses a three-pointer from the wing but Avery Bradley hits a corner jumper off the rebound...Snaer hits a three-pointer from the top of the key on a catch-and-shoot…Bradley hits another jumper from the opposite corner of his previous made jumper…Travis Wear is fouled by Henson on a drive…Snaer posts up and misses a fade-away jumper, but Mason Plumlee rebounds the miss only to throw it away…Abdul Gaddy scores in transition off the turnover…Snaer with an athletic finish to score a lay-up in traffic…Bradley catches Snaer sleeping to go backdoor for a layup off a Gaddy feed…Gaddy hits Sidney for a dunk in transition off a turnover…Griffin drives and hits Snaer for a score…Henry crosses over Plumlee on the perimeter but is met by a second defender, forcing a kick out to an open David Wear who misses a jumper with Gallon flying at him…Snaer feeds Gallon for a dunk in transition…Henson scores on a drive past Travis Wear…Henson blocks Plumlee’s shot leading to a Sidney dunk ahead of the pack…Griffin misses a three-pointer off a screen, Snaer comes up with the loose rebound and hits a jumper from the corner…Bradley misses a jumper from the elbow but Gaddy follows it up…Gallon misses a three-pointer…Gaddy throws a lob to Bradley who misses the dunk…Gallon leaks out for a dunk…Henson hits David Wear on a cut to the basket for a score…Henson strips Gallon, leading to another Gaddy to Bradley feed behind the defense for the transition dunk.

Second Run Highlights: Gaddy hits Henry for a dunk off the jump ball…Snaer drives baseline but turns it over on a throw away…Gallon misses a three-pointer from the top of the key but follows his own shot for a dunk…Sidney steps out an hits a three-pointer…Snaer misses a pull-up jumper…Gaddy hits Henry in transition for a finish on a contest by Travis Wear…Travis Wear misses a corner jumper contested by David Wear…Henson hits a three-pointer over Plumlee…Griffin hits a step-back jumper in the corner while guarded by Bradley…Bradley comes back at Griffin but misses on a drive…Sidney misses a three-pointer…Henson hits a three-pointer over Wear…Griffin hits a pull-up three pointer in transition…Henry crosses Snaer and scores a drive to the hoop…Griffin hits a second consecutive three-pointer in transition…Bradley misses a three-pointer from the top of the key…Snaer scores in traffic in transition…Henry misses a three-pointer but Bradley follows it with a dunk…Griffin misses a three-pointer…Henson scores a corner jumper over Plumlee…Gallon misses a hook on Sidney, ball is tipped out to Griffin who misses a three-pointer, Plumlee rebounds and scores the follow…Bradley hits Sidney on a pick and pop for a three-pointer…Snaer turns it over taking it off the dribble and leads to a Bradley solo dunk in transition…Bradley hits a three-pointer from the corner over Gallon…Snaer hits a pull-up jumper in transition…Sidney misses a three-pointer from the wing with Gallon contesting…Gallon misses a solo dunk in transition…Bradley hits a pull-up jumper…Travis Wear hits a jumper from the top of the key over Sidney…Sidney steps out and misses a three-pointer…Gallon misses another solo dunk in transition.

Third Run Highlights: Sidney misses a three-pointer…Gallon leaks out for a dunk...Gaddy scores off a screen and drive to the hoop…Plumlee misses a three-pointer from the wing…Sidney misses a dunk and misses the follow…Henson misses a leaner….Gallon leaks out for a dunk…Sidney faces up and hits a jumper…Plumlee hits a half hook…Gaddy hits a step-back three pointer from the wing…Gallon feeds Plumlee for a dunk…Bradley takes Snaer baseline and draws a hard foul…Griffin hits a step-back jumper from the foul line…Gaddy misses a three-pointer…Gallon misses a three-pointer…Gaddy hits Bradley on a backdoor pass for a score…Henson strips Plumlee, leading to a Henry dunk in transition.

Thanks to Pat Stevens of PatStevensBasketball.com for the reports.


One-On-One with Practice MVP Avery Bradley

By Patrick Stevens

MIAMI, Fla. - McDonald’s practices once had NBA scouts everywhere and a lot of pressure that comes with the territory of being a top young player in this day and age where emphasis on building for your career begins early.

The Class of 2009 has its share of goofballs who lightened things up a bit for everybody, but there were a handful of players who got in their fun and also took Sunday, Monday and Tuesday seriously as a chance to compete with the best players from their class all in the gym at this one rare time.

Game MVP Derrick Favors was the most dominant throughout the four days in Miami, but it was Avery Bradley who could make the Practice MVP claim being that he was the most efficient and competitive of those who looked to be taking the event as another challenge in their road to living off the game.

This lean 6-3 shooting guard from Puyallop, Wa., is headed to Texas next season and led Findlay Prep of Nevada to an undefeated record this season while playing a national schedule.

One of the most complete players in the country, he transferred to Findlay from Bellarmine Prep of Washington where he and West team starting point guard Abdul Gaddy were previously the ‘Fire and Ice’ backcourt at school and also this past summer as teammates on the Northwest Panthers.

Gaddy connected with Bradley twice on perfectly executed backdoor plays in the West team’s five-on-fives during Monday’s practice. The first was a bounce pass from the top of the key to a cutting Bradley off the wing once one of them noticed the defender had his back to the ball.

“I haven’t got one of those all year. It was like old times,” he said.

Bradley’s built a reputation of being an exciting dunker while attacking the rim, defending with intensity, having lead-by-example traits, a tight handle, efficient mid-range game and an improving stroke from behind the arc.

He brought all of that while often matched up with Florida State recruit Michael Snaer and Oklahoma bound point guard Tommy Mason Griffin.

Against the East, he said he was looking forward to getting a chance to match up with a number of players he had never faced, which is rare in this day for elite players who make their mark early in their prep careers thanks to in-season showcase tournaments and summer ball camps.

Outside of future Florida guard Kenny Boynton from in-state Pompano Beach, who he had battles with last summer in much-anticipated games between the Northwest Panthers and Team Breakdown, Bradley hadn’t played any of the East guards before like New York’s all-time leading scorer Lance Stephenson or soon to be Villanova teammates Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns.

So not only was there plenty to look forward to for Bradley during game competition but he even came away with the Dunk Contest trophy on Monday night.

Ironically enough he said the first highlight that came to mind from past McDonald’s games was also a slam - mentioning Jonny Flynn’s dunk on Mike Beasley in 2007.

But Bradley didn’t unleash everything in the dunk contest alone.

In Tuesday’s practice during two-on-twos, Bradley caught Oklahoma bound big man Keith ‘Tiny’ Gallon on a hesitation dribble with an up-fake and went around him with one dribble, then took off with one quick leap from the block for a hard one-hander.

Earlier in five-on-five work, Bradley hit Snaer with an in-and-out dribble at the top of the key, fullback- carried the ball on his way to the rim and dropped a quick one-hander that had 6-10 Duke recruit Mason Plumlee trying to change his mind in mid-air as to challenge Bradley at the rim.

Longhorn fans will be happy to know that some of Bradley’s answers were very Texas heavy. When asked who he thought were the missing players at this year’s McDonald’s game and who he thought would star here next year, future teammates Jordan Hamilton of Los Angeles and Tristan Thompson of Toronto were the first two names rattled off.

He also mentioned top unsigned point guard John Wall as a glaring omission from this year’s game - “He was working hard all year like all of us were to get this honor” – and big man Josh Smith as another to watch for next year – “He’s from my home state Washington. He’s just dominant, very big, aggressive, and I heard he can shoot it more now.”

As for regrets on a high school career coming to a close, Bradley said he would have loved to have played in the Peach Jam.

“Everybody always talks about it,” he said. “I enjoyed myself on the Reebok circuit and at the Nike Global Games but that is one event I wish I could have played in.”

Other than getting a win in the actual game, Avery Bradley should have no regrets from the week at McDonald’s as he was one player who realized this was a special enough occasion to give a max effort and only added to his reputation of being on the path to a bright future.