2019 McDonald’s All-American Games

[DaBball]

I believe the nominations were released earlier today: https://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com/content/dam/aag/2019 McDonald's All American Nominees List.pdf

The list of notable seniors will be used by the Games’ Selection Committee to identify the top 24 girls to play in the annual event and become a part of a historic basketball legacy. The teams will take the court on Wednesday, March 27 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, marking the fourth time the city will host the Games (1983, 1992 and 2018).

The final rosters for the 2019 McDonald’s All American Games will be revealed on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN’s The Jump and at 6 p.m. ET on SportsCenter. Follow @McDAAG on Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and announcements.

Fans can watch the 18th annual McDonald’s All American Girls Game on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 27. The 42nd annual Boys Game immediately follows at 7 p.m. ET and will also air live on ESPN2.

Some storylines to look out for:

1. Neither Aijha Blackwell nor Maori Davenport (two top-20 players and USA gold medalists) will be on the roster, as neither was nominated since they have barely played the HS seasons due to the USA debacle.

2. Will Oregon State and Mississippi State add their first McDonald’s All-Americans (out of HS) in school history. These two teams have been really good in the past few years, but neither has ever recruited an McDAA out of HS, and only Oregon State has one on its rosted in Destiny Slocum. I’m pretty confident you will see at least one Miss. St. recruit on there in Rickea Jackson, and Aliyah Matharu has definitely made herself a case. I’d say Kennedy Brown and Taylor Jones have decent chances over at Oregon State too.

3. Will UConn have the highest percentage of McDonald’s All-Americans in its 2019 class. All it takes is 1/1, and that “1” is Aubrey Griffin. Had she been healthy, I’d feel pretty confident, but being that she has missed a fair amount of games, its up in the air. Depending on how you look at it - Amihere not being eligible and another recruit being a walk-on, South Carolina could go 3/3, and they likely will.

 

[Orangutan]

As to #3, I think ND is likely to go 2/2 with Peoples and Brunelle.

 

[Orangutan]

Here are Dan Olson's picks for the 24 he'd select (ignoring the official selection criteria)

In actuality, Davenport, Blackwell, and Amihere are not among the nominees and will not be a part of the game.

One insider's choice for the 2019 McDonald's All American rosters

Laeticia Amihere (South Carolina)
Breanna Beal (South Carolina)
Fran Belibi (Stanford)
Kierstan Bell (Ohio State)
Aijha Blackwell (Missouri)
Aliyah Boston (South Carolina)
Kennedy Brown (Oregon State)
Jakia Brown-Turner (NC State)
Sam Brunelle (Notre Dame)
Zia Cooke (South Carolina)
Maori Davenport (Rutgers)
Nyah Green (Louisville)
Aubrey Griffin (UConn)
Jordan Horston (Tennessee)
Rickea Jackson (Mississippi State)
Haley Jones (Stanford)
Diamond Miller (Maryland)
Jordyn Oliver (Baylor)
Charisma Osborne (UCLA)
Jaden Owens (UCLA)
Ashley Owusu (Maryland)
Anaya Peoples (Notre Dame)
Ashten Prechtel (Stanford)
Malu Tshitenge-Mutumbo (North Carolina)

 

[eebmg]

Blurb for Aubrey

Aubrey Griffin: A sprained ankle has slowed the UConn signee for part of her senior season, but she has certainly shown enough throughout her career to get a McDonald's roster spot. The 6-foot-1 versatile guard from Ossining (New York) should provide scoring depth to the East roster.

 

[Shades]

Fran Belibi (Stanford)

Has anybody ever dunked in a McDonald’s All American game?

 

[DaBball]

For the most part, his choices pretty much just match his rankings, with the exception of Aubrey Griffin at 33 and Malu Tshitenge-Mutumbo at 56. His only top-20 omission is Celeste Taylor.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

As to #3, I think ND is likely to go 2/2 with Peoples and Brunelle.

Brunelle had foot surgery. It's not certain she'd be able to play.

 

[Orangutan]

Brunelle had foot surgery. It's not certain she'd be able to play.

Recovery period on the surgery is supposed to be 6 to 8 weeks. The game is 10 weeks away.

I think she'll try to come back for her HS playoffs if it's at all possible.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

So not a major injury. That's good.

 

[Reypl21]

So not a major injury. That's good.

I believe in the past some players were named McD AAs even though they would be unable to play. Anna Wilson comes to mind, she was invited to attend the festivities still. Wasn't Gabby Williams also invited and attended, but injured?

I'm not sure what the cut off criteria is, and Jessica Shepard was not a AA because of injury. I think she must have been injured her whole senior season.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Wasn't Gabby Williams also invited and attended, but injured?

Gabby was invited and then blew out her knee again. I don't remember her attending the game though.

 

[Orangutan]

I believe in the past some players were named McD AAs even though they would be unable to play. Anna Wilson comes to mind, she was invited to attend the festivities still. Wasn't Gabby Williams also invited and attended, but injured?

I'm not sure what the cut off criteria is, and Jessica Shepard was not a AA because of injury. I think she must have been injured her whole senior season.

I found a selection criteria document that said the player must have played half of the games of their senior season. Given that the teams are to be announced next week, that must be half of the games as of roughly now. Which I think Brunelle would meet(?).

I think Gabby tore her ACL after being selected, but I'm not 100% on that.

 

[Orangutan]

Gabby was invited and then blew out her knee again. I don't remember her attending the game though.

I think she did attend the game. That was the year I went to game and I seem to remember her being there at the end of the bench in street clothes.

 

[CBus13]

I believe in the past some players were named McD AAs even though they would be unable to play. Anna Wilson comes to mind, she was invited to attend the festivities still. Wasn't Gabby Williams also invited and attended, but injured?

I'm not sure what the cut off criteria is, and Jessica Shepard was not a AA because of injury. I think she must have been injured her whole senior season.

One player I remember being present and participating in the festivities, in a boot, was then-Vanderbilt signee Stephanie Holzer. I believe she had some scar tissue problems in her ankle during her senior year and re-aggravated the ankle in the State Championship game (which Cardinal O'Hara, which included Natasha Cloud, lost to Mount Lebanon). Holzer was lower ranked, I think around 90's on Hoopgurlz, for a typical McDonald's All-American (The only other player I can think of that was that low ranked was Michigan State's Madison Williams, a 6'6" post who was ranked 100th) but ended up being All-SEC twice but retired early due to chronic injuries.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I'm still shocked Dara Taylor made the game being #52 in HoopGurlz in 2009.

 

[DaBball]

The only unranked player I could think of that even has a shot would be Aliyah Matharu, the Mississippi State signee. That would be if it was heavily based off of senior seasons, because is regularly the leading scorer for the #1 team in the country. Maria Alvarez was also big in the Nike TOC.

 

[CompSci87]

I believe in the past some players were named McD AAs even though they would be unable to play. Anna Wilson comes to mind, she was invited to attend the festivities still.

Anna Wilson was healthy when invited and was planning to play. She was injured in a McDonald's AA team practice prior to the game and was unable to play in the game only for that reason. It would have literally added insult to injury if she were no longer considered to have been named a McDonald's All-American because of that.

 

[PoppaBear]

Odyssey Sims attended the game on crutches. She blew out her knee in the Texas state semifinal game. She won the Wade trophy that year.

 

[DaBball]

Another's picks. His are much more randomized than Olson's, who pretty much just chose those at the top of his rankings. Definitely include some interesting names, but also omit one I think is a LOCK in Fran Belibi.

 

[nwhoopfan]

but also omit one I think is a LOCK in Fran Belibi

Yeah, I can't see them failing to name her as one of the team members. Too big of a wasted opportunity with the excitement and buzz she is generating with her dunking ability.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Can a Canadian player even be chosen for an All-American game?

 

[Fightin Choke]

Can a Canadian player even be chosen for an All-American game?

If she plays high school in the USA, yes. Otherwise, no. Amihere cannot play in the game.

 

[Go/huskies]

Can a Canadian player even be chosen for an All-American game?

Andrew Wiggins was named an ALL American, but I believe he played high school ball in the USA, the Jordan game is more likely for Amihere.

 

[DaBball]

Laeticia seems very likely to be nominated for the Jordan Brand Classic. Satou Sabally was nominated when she was entering Oregon.

 

[nwhoopfan]

If she plays high school in the USA, yes.

A bunch of star players from Canada have played at prep schools in the U.S. on the men's side. Do the women even have prep schools? Findlay near Vegas, Oak Hill in Virginia and IMG in Florida are 3 of the really big ones. Pretty much all star teams every year.