2025 McDonald's AA Day 1 Recap

[FreeKlaiber]

Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but we are getting four high BB IQ but limited athletically into a program that needs a heavy dose of athleticism. I mean everyone see this right. We need two not one score off the dribble players. I see everyone of these recruits seem to be anything but that.

So it makes sense that we would want our best athletic players staying then picking a few up in the portal. You cannot have enough guards that have the ability to get to the hoop and really I don’t care if they are 6’5” I just want them to be able to finish occasionally. 6’3” or bigger would be a bonus as long as they are fast/quick.

THIS. Takes a minute to change the direction of the boat. As long as they portal athletes who can dribble penetrate and guard the perimeter we will be ok, but this is a real issue. Our burger boys arent near plug and play like Castle or McNeeley & need more weight room time to wall off defensively in Big East (though I have hope for the Aussie right away, as he can create his own shot Cam-like)

 

[Hunt for 7]

The biggest “fish out of water” McDs game I ever saw from one of our guys was Rip Hamilton. Was maybe 2-8 shooting, looked frail, fell down a lot, and at one point stuffed himself on the rim when trying to dunk.

You know about the nattie 3 years later, and we aren’t that patient these days, but as a freshman midway through the year, he had to play point guard vs. No. 1 Kansas after Ricky Moore was suspended and had 24 points and 8 assists.

I stopped caring about the all star game circuit sometime around then.

I remember when he played point. At that moment when I saw he could do that ok not great my opinion of his ceiling completely changed. A 6’5”-6’6” wing was able as a freshman to move into the starting PG and perform well. It was a harbinger of things to come.

But I think I get the overall point you are trying to make. You really never know until they get here what they are going to be. And then even sometime you have to wait until they are sophomores to get the full picture of their ceiling. But the portal impacts the ability to be patient.

 

[superjohn]

I don’t know what to think about this group to be honest and these reports aren’t the best, but it’s free flowing practice.

Mullins looks like an A+ shooter but I’m not sure what else he brings to the table. McNeeley was great last season in large part because he can do a little bit of everything. So even if his 3 was falling he could still find other ways to score and was solid defensively.

For Mullins if there’s stretches where his 3 isn’t falling what will he be able to provide?

Adams being slender and possibly asked to play the 1 doesn’t bode well IMO for instant impact his first year. Even though I like his game the best and he played well in this scrimmage. I’m just unsure how his high volume game and shot selection will fit on next years team as a freshman off the bench.

Reibe seems like he needs to get stronger. I wonder if next year is a year Singare may be ready to get playing time just in case.

Mullins is the best shooter in the class and can score from everywhere, he also should be very good on D because he has quick side to side movement. Adams isn't a great athlete and he's rail thin but he's highly skilled and has a lot of wiggle to his game and is great with his change of pace getting near the rim and finishing creatively. Reibe I've never seen play other than some short clips. He didn't look too good in the clips posted here at the McDonald's scrimmage and he may take some time but Donovan probably wouldn't have looked all that good in this type of setting either. They all need to gain strength and we need athleticism and strength in the portal.

I've seen a lot of players over the years who shine in McD's, Jordan Brand and these all-star settings who don't pan out when it comes to actual games. I remember watching the McDonald's game live with Rip and I was thinking oh great, UConn got the skinny kid who can't dunk. That was one of the most stacked years ever with a lot of future big time NBA players but I was upset because UConn didn't land Corey Benjamin and Vassil Evtimov who looked like can't miss guys. Winfred Walton also dominated.

These guys are McD's all-Americans for a reason. The write up I saw from 247 Saturday's practice said Mullins was the best shooter they saw and he was automatic. Write up from Sunday practice is good for Adams and Reibe...

Redirect Notice

 

[Deleted at users request]

Mullins is the best shooter in the class and can score from everywhere, he also should be very good on D because he has quick side to side movement. Adams isn't a great athlete and he's rail thin but he's highly skilled and has a lot of wiggle to his game and is great with his change of pace getting near the rim and finishing creatively. Reibe I've never seen play other than some short clips. He didn't look too good in the clips posted here at the McDonald's scrimmage and he may take some time but Donovan probably wouldn't have looked all that good in this type of setting either. They all need to gain strength and we need athleticism and strength in the portal.

I've seen a lot of players over the years who shine in McD's, Jordan Brand and these all-star settings who don't pan out when it comes to actual games. I remember watching the McDonald's game live with Rip and I was thinking oh great, UConn got the skinny kid who can't dunk. That was one of the most stacked years ever with a lot of future big time NBA players but I was upset because UConn didn't land Corey Benjamin and Vassil Evtimov who looked like can't miss guys. Winfred Walton also dominated.

These guys are McD's all-Americans for a reason. The write up I saw from 247 Saturday's practice said Mullins was the best shooter they saw and he was automatic. Write up from Sunday practice is good for Adams and Reibe...

Redirect Notice

Currently don’t have 247 so can’t check it out. From what I’ve read and watched with Mullins I don’t know if he has the same creativity to score putting the ball on the floor as McNeeley.

Like if teams start face guarding him and running him off the 3 point line could he still find success scoring? Everything I’ve read is that he’s elite off the ball but nothing about him creating for himself. Defensively it says he’s quick but is still slight at 185. I’m curious how all that will translate as a freshman. Do we really want our 3 that plays next to a 6’3 Ball to be 6’5 185 after the size concerns from this past year?

Adams, I’ll say again, is my favorite prospect of the class. He actually looked pretty good in the scrimmage. I just don’t know if he’ll be able to take the volume of shots he is used to as a freshman. And from everything I’ve seen he’s a volume scorer, not necessarily efficient.

So how much rope will he have if he struggles to get in a rhythm along with probably being smaller on the defensive side AND learning to play PG? Thats moreso what im worried about.

Donovan actually looked pretty good when he got around other great players. I remember when he went to that top 100 camp (or something similar) and kind of proved he could play against top talent there.

Reibe first and foremost will have to be tough to play for Hurley. I don’t see him playing a center who can’t hold his own in the paint.

 

[Mister P]

 

[djct1999]

I think with the success we had the last two years, I forgot how weird the boneyard gets when our season is over and basketball is still being played. Mullins is a perfect fit for us.

 

[ctbro1999]

I've seen a lot of players over the years who shine in McD's, Jordan Brand and these all-star settings who don't pan out when it comes to actual games. I remember watching the McDonald's game live with Rip and I was thinking oh great, UConn got the skinny kid who can't dunk. That was one of the most stacked years ever with a lot of future big time NBA players but I was upset because UConn didn't land Corey Benjamin and Vassil Evtimov who looked like can't miss guys. Winfred Walton also dominated.

Found a reddit post from someone that watched the McD's game in 2023, and here are some true hot takes:

• "Cody Williams and Ron Holland look like the favorites to be picked first"
• "Bronny James put on a shooting clinic and played great defense"
• "Aaron Bradshaw can really shoot the ball"
• "Justin Edwards looked much more confident today"
• "Collier and DJ (Wagner) put on a great display and both were rewarded with Co-MVP. Absolutely the top 2 guys
• "Stephon Castle looks lazy in a more concerning way than I expected"

LOL

 

[Scrutineer]

Found a reddit post from someone that watched the McD's game in 2023, and here are some true hot takes:

• "Cody Williams and Ron Holland look like the favorites to be picked first"
• "Bronny James put on a shooting clinic and played great defense"
• "Justin Edwards looked much more confident today"
• "Collier and DJ (Wagner) put on a great display and both were rewarded with Co-MVP. Absolutely the top 2 guys
• "Stephon Castle looks lazy in a more concerning way than I expected"

LOL

We were excited to go to the McD's games in which Donyell Marshall and Richard Hamilton played but neither was given a chance to do much as best we recall.

The flashy dunkers and ball dominant players got the bulk of the shots while our guys were largely overlooked. Few if any passes to them and few opportunities to do anything.

We liked the way it worked out in the end for UConn!

 

[Scrutineer]

Like the way Adams moves and Braylon and Adam’s look like they shoot it well. Reibe looks like he’s not as advanced but you can never tell by videos like these. I’ve thought this before by videos and for all I know, Reibe comes in and is the most successful one of the three.

Adams and Mullins shot well and seemed to handle well but did look like high school kids physically, as opposed to the Boozers, who look like men.

Reibe looked like he didn't know where to be on defense, fumbled passes and just looked out of sorts.

Someone mentioned we're recruiting a 5 and after seeing how Reibe looked (admittedly in very limited time) that wouldn't be surprising. It would also be an indicator that Singare isn't developing as we hoped.

 

[superjohn]

Currently don’t have 247 so can’t check it out. From what I’ve read and watched with Mullins I don’t know if he has the same creativity to score putting the ball on the floor as McNeeley.

Like if teams start face guarding him and running him off the 3 point line could he still find success scoring? Everything I’ve read is that he’s elite off the ball but nothing about him creating for himself. Defensively it says he’s quick but is still slight at 185. I’m curious how all that will translate as a freshman. Do we really want our 3 that plays next to a 6’3 Ball to be 6’5 185 after the size concerns from this past year?

Adams, I’ll say again, is my favorite prospect of the class. He actually looked pretty good in the scrimmage. I just don’t know if he’ll be able to take the volume of shots he is used to as a freshman. And from everything I’ve seen he’s a volume scorer, not necessarily efficient.

So how much rope will he have if he struggles to get in a rhythm along with probably being smaller on the defensive side AND learning to play PG? Thats moreso what im worried about.

Donovan actually looked pretty good when he got around other great players. I remember when he went to that top 100 camp (or something similar) and kind of proved he could play against top talent there.

Reibe first and foremost will have to be tough to play for Hurley. I don’t see him playing a center who can’t hold his own in the paint.

He was one of their East practice standouts along with Shon Abaev, Darius Acuff Jr., Nate Ament, and Cameron Boozer. It's free content.

 

[ctbro1999]

Adams and Mullins shot well and seemed to handle well but did look like high school kids physically, as opposed to the Boozers, who look like men.

Reibe looked like he didn't know where to be on defense, fumbled passes and just looked out of sorts.

Someone mentioned we're recruiting a 5 and after seeing how Reibe looked (admittedly in very limited time) that wouldn't be surprising. It would also be an indicator that Singare isn't developing as we hoped.

Based on what I've heard from the grape vine, us portal recruiting a 5 is a definite must.

 

[Deleted at users request]

He was one if their East practice standouts along with Shon Abaev, Darius Acuff Jr., Nate Ament, and Cameron Boozer. It's free content.

View attachment 108325

The attached is what came up for me.

And that doesn’t address any of my concerns I talked about. He’s the best shooter in the country, we know that. But what else can he do? Especially if he’s expected to be the starting 3.

 

[superjohn]

The attached is what came up for me.

And that doesn’t address any of my concerns I talked about. He’s the best shooter in the country, we know that. But what else can he do? Especially if he’s expected to be the starting 3.

You can scout him yourself. It's going to he a tremendous amount of threes. He shot 47% from three on over 6 threes per game in AAU. He shot 48% from three his senior season on tremendous volume.

 

[Deleted at users request]

You can scout him yourself. It's going to he a tremendous amount of threes. He shot 47% from three on over 6 threes per game in AAU. He shot 48% from three his senior season on tremendous volume.

You said this same thing about the Mahaney, Liam, Karaban core for this year last summer. Lol

I remember you saying “we’ll outscore everybody”. You have to be able to do more than shoot 3s man.

Even Cam was great because along with being a terrific shooter, he could put the ball on the floor and create as a 3 level scorer. I haven’t seen anything about Mullins that he is good at anything besides shooting and off ball movement. But he is super elite at that skill.

 

[superjohn]

You said this same thing about the Mahaney, Liam, Karaban core for this year last summer. Lol

I remember you saying “we’ll outscore everybody”. You have to be able to do more than shoot 3s man.

Even Cam was great because along with being a terrific shooter, he could put the ball on the floor and create as a 3 level scorer. I haven’t seen anything about Mullins that he is good at anything besides shooting and off ball movement. But he is super elite at that skill.

What the hell are you talking about? I gave you video and his three point percentages on volume.

 

[Deleted at users request]

You can scout him yourself. It's going to he a tremendous amount of threes. He shot 47% from three on over 6 threes per game in AAU. He shot 48% from three his senior season on tremendous volume.

Got damn can he shoot though woo

 

[InKembaITrust]

The fact our burger boys get to be a sponge off of all this talent is invaluable. Very excited for them to get on campus and begin the Hurley gauntlet of practices.

 

[3rdbass]

I don’t know what to think about this group to be honest and these reports aren’t the best, but it’s free flowing practice.

Mullins looks like an A+ shooter but I’m not sure what else he brings to the table. McNeeley was great last season in large part because he can do a little bit of everything. So even if his 3 was falling he could still find other ways to score and was solid defensively.

For Mullins if there’s stretches where his 3 isn’t falling what will he be able to provide?

Adams being slender and possibly asked to play the 1 doesn’t bode well IMO for instant impact his first year. Even though I like his game the best and he played well in this scrimmage. I’m just unsure how his high volume game and shot selection will fit on next years team as a freshman off the bench.

Reibe seems like he needs to get stronger. I wonder if next year is a year Singare may be ready to get playing time just in case.

Sorry McNeeley was not a good defender as he was continously getting beat off the dribble. Just too slow at times and he wasn't good with his hands in getting steals like Cam who lacked foot speed too.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Sorry McNeeley was not a good defender as he was continously getting beat off the dribble. Just too slow at times and he wasn't good with his hands in getting steals like Cam who lacked foot speed too.

I don’t disagree. Don’t think Mullins looks to be any better. And he’s smaller while looking to start at the same position after playing at Indiana public schools compared to Liam at Montverde.

I love him coming off the bench as a flamethrower, similar to Joey C (but better than Joey C of course just talking about an energizer role here). But if we want to win at a high level I don’t think he’s a great fit as a starter next to Ball at the 3.

If Ball could play the 1 though so Mullins can move up to the 2 where he’d have a positional size advantage I’d be more encouraged!

 

[3rdbass]

Mullins is the best shooter in the class and can score from everywhere, he also should be very good on D because he has quick side to side movement. Adams isn't a great athlete and he's rail thin but he's highly skilled and has a lot of wiggle to his game and is great with his change of pace getting near the rim and finishing creatively. Reibe I've never seen play other than some short clips. He didn't look too good in the clips posted here at the McDonald's scrimmage and he may take some time but Donovan probably wouldn't have looked all that good in this type of setting either. They all need to gain strength and we need athleticism and strength in the portal.

I've seen a lot of players over the years who shine in McD's, Jordan Brand and these all-star settings who don't pan out when it comes to actual games. I remember watching the McDonald's game live with Rip and I was thinking oh great, UConn got the skinny kid who can't dunk. That was one of the most stacked years ever with a lot of future big time NBA players but I was upset because UConn didn't land Corey Benjamin and Vassil Evtimov who looked like can't miss guys. Winfred Walton also dominated.

These guys are McD's all-Americans for a reason. The write up I saw from 247 Saturday's practice said Mullins was the best shooter they saw and he was automatic. Write up from Sunday practice is good for Adams and Reibe...

Redirect Notice

Nowlll shined in that game last year but had a very sub-par season so I agree you can't tell from these type of scrimmages or games how they will perform when it is real.

 

[3rdbass]

I won’t disagree. I don’t think Mullins looks to be any better. And he’s smaller while looking to start at the same position after playing at Indiana public schools compared to Liam at Montverde.

I love him coming off the bench as a flamethrower, similar to Joey C (but better than Joey C of course just talking about an energizer role here). But if we want to win at a high level I don’t think he’s a great fit as a starter next to Ball at the 3.

If Ball could play the 1 though so Mullins can move up to the 2 where he’d have a positional size advantage I’d be more encouraged!

Is Mullins really going to start at the 3? I hope it is Stewart starting there and we get a decent PF to take over for Alex who might not come back. I think Mullins would be better suited to back up Ball at the 2 guard as he is very thin. At least McNeeley was built better to use his strength at SF.

 

[BugsyCT]

 

[aboogieee]

 

[aboogieee]

Full Scrimmage

 

[Son of Robert]

How often do ya see stuff like this. It's commendable is what it is, already locked in. Versatile scorer, Darius has a great shooting stroke, puts it on the floor, mixes it up with some contact, makes tough shots with his length. Got some Rip to him for sure.