Sunday night, the 2016 McDonald’s All-American team was announced. Headlined by 2016’s No. 1 overall prospect, here are the players who will compete in the nationally televised game at the United Center in Chicago on March 30th.
EAST TEAM
Bam Adebayo, PF, High Point (N.C.) Christian
Where he’s going: Kentucky
Rank: No. 7
Udoka Azubuike, C, Jacksonville (Fla.) Potter’s House
Where he’s going: Undecided
Rank: No. 27
Tony Bradley, C, Bartow (Fla.) High
Where he’s going: North Carolina
Rank: No. 30
Miles Bridges, SF, Huntington (W.V.) Prep
Where he’s going: Michigan State
Rank: No. 11
Terrance Ferguson, SG, Dallas (Texas) API
Where he’s going: Alabama
Rank: No. 12
De’Aaron Fox, PG, Katy (Texas) Cypress Lakes
Where he’s going: Kentucky
Rank: No. 5
Markelle Fultz, SG, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha
Where he’s going: Washington
Rank: No. 13
Andrew Jones, SG/PG, Irving (Texas) MacArthur
Where he’s going: Texas
Rank: No. 38
Sacha Killeya-Jones, PF, Lynchburg (Va.) Virginia Episcopal
Where he’s going: Kentucky
Rank: No. 26
V.J. King, SF, Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI
Where he’s going: Louisville
Rank: No. 24
Kobi Simmons, PG/SG, Alpharetta (Ga.) St. Francis
Where he’s going: Arizona
Rank: No. 19
Jayson Tatum, SF, St. Louis (Mo.) Chaminade
Where he’s going: Duke
Rank: No. 3
WEST TEAM
Jarrett Allen, C, Austin (Texas) St. Stephens
Where he’s going: Undecided
Rank: No. 20
Lonzo Ball, PG, Chino Hills (Calif.) High
Where he’s going: UCLA
Rank: No. 8
Marques Bolden, C, DeSoto (Texas) High
Where he’s going: Undecided
Rank: No. 16
Zach Collins, C, Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman
Where he’s going: Gonzaga
Rank: No. 32
Alterique Gilbert, PG, Lithonia (Ga.) Miller Grove
Where he’s going: Connecticut
Rank: No. 36
Kyle Guy, SG, Indianapolis (Ind.) Lawrence Central
Where he’s going: Virginia
Rank: No. 44
Dewan Huell, PF, Miami (Fla.) Norland
Where he’s going: Miami
Rank: No. 23
Frank Jackson, SG/PG, Highland (Utah) Lone Peak
Where he’s going: Duke
Rank: No. 10
Josh Jackson, SF, Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep
Where he’s going: Undecided
Rank: No. 1
Joshua Langford, SG, Madison (Ala.) Academy
Where he’s going: Michigan State
Rank: No. 18
T.J. Leaf, PF, El Cajon (Calif.) Foothills Christian
Where he’s going: UCLA
Rank: 15
Malik Monk, SG, Bentonville (Ark.) High
Where he’s going: Kentucky
Rank: No. 15
Notes on game selections
There are a few notable omissions from the game that are easily explainable. No. 2 overall prospect Harry Giles and No. 4 overall prospect Dennis Smith suffered knee injuries that cost them their senior seasons and made them ineligible for the game. Smith went ahead and enrolled early at N.C. State. Also in the National top 10, No. 9 overall Rawle Alkins was ruled to be a fifth year player, meaning he was not eligible, either. Also ineligible due to being a prep player was Kentucky bound forward Wenyen Gabriel.
Of the 24 players to make the game, 19 are currently considered five-star prospects while the other five are currently four-star prospects. Ranked No. 44 overall, Virginia bound shooting guard Kyle Guy is the lowest ranked player to be selected to play in the game. At No. 38 overall, Texas bound combo guard Andrew Jones is likely to be moved to five-star status during the next rankings update.
Duke, Kentucky, UCLA and Michigan State each have multiple players on this year’s team. Kentucky leads the way with four of their signees making the game while the Blue Devils, Bruins and Spartans each placed two players on the list.
Zach Collins is the first Gonzaga commitment to be named a McDonald’s All-American. Former Zag Micah Downs and current star Kyle Wiltjer both played in the game but they arrived in Spokane as transfer players.
The matchup that Rivals.com is most looking forward to in the game is the one between No. 1 Josh Jackson and No. 3 Jayson Tatum. The two elite wing players have caused a lot of damage playing together with USA Basketball over the past three summers but this is a head to head matchup that we would have liked to see long ago.
