Feb 1 2012
Every Spring, some of the top high school basketball players in the United States face off in one of the oldest and most prestigious all-star games in hoops: the McDonald's All American game.The game serves as many fans' first look at the NCAA and NBA stars of tomorrow.
I'm lovin' it.
2012 McDonald's All American Game
The 35th Annual McDonald's All American games will be played at the United Center in Chicago on March 28, 2012. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.McDonald's All American Game History
McDonald's its first All American team in 1977. That squad -- led by future hall-of-famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson -- played against a team of high school stars from the Washington D.C. metro area.The first All American Game, in the "East vs. West" format, was staged in Philadelphia in 1978 and featured future NBA great Mark Aguirre.
Since then, the game has served as the debut for nearly every big-name pro and college basketball player... from Isiah Thomas, James Worthy and Dominique Wilkins in 1979 to Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley in 2007.
The program was expanded to include a girls game in 2001.
Selection Process
The initial list of potential All Americans is compiled by Sports America. Sports America compiles a list of up to 1,800 boys and 1,200 girls, verifies their eligibility, and culls the list down to the top 150.At that point a selection committee chaired by legendary DeMatha Catholic coach Morgan Wooten votes for the top players.
There are four rounds of voting in all. The top 20 vote-getters after round four are named to the team.
Over the years, some observers have commented that the selection process is unfairly weighted towards players committed to North Carolina and Duke. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils have 50 and 46 McDonald's honorees to their credit, respectively -- nearly twice as many as Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA, tied for third place with 26 each. Given that UNC and Duke are routinely in the top five for recruiting every year, the complaint may just be jealousy... but it's certainly possible that an early commitment to one of college basketball's glamor programs might have generated buzz for a few less-deserving players over the years.
- Download a detailed explanation of the selection process. (Adobe PDF)
The 2009 Game
Georgia Tech recruit Derrick Favors scored 18 points to lead the East to a 113-110 win. Center Keith "Tiny" Gallon -- a soon-to-be Oklahoma Sooner -- led all scorers with 20 points.- Game Recap and Box Score
- 2009 McDonald's All American Rosters
- the University of Miami's Bank United Center
The 2008 Game
The 2008 McDonald's All American game was played at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on March 26. The East team, led by game MVP Tyreke Evans' 21 points and 10 rebounds, won 107-102.Willie Warren led the West team with a game-high 23 points.
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