HOUSTON – The 2024 McDonald’s All -American game has come and gone. At its core, the event was a celebration of the top basketball prospects in the 2024 class. It’s also the last chance for players to impact their rankings.
Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy was on hand for practices, scrimmages and the game itself. He shares the ranking impact of this year’s event below.
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STOCK UP
Nobody is currently more underrated than Freeman, who has been playing his best basketball every time he’s taken the floor since Rivals last updated its rankings back in November. The Syracuse signee sits on the No. 52 for now but isn’t long for that ranking, as he’s earned a healthy shot up the Rivals150, and could flirt with the top 10 in the next refresh.
Freeman has been remarkably consistent from the last five months and is showing the ability to impact games in vast ways, as both his long-range jumper and defensive intensity have taken strides forward.
Freeman was one of the top performers in nearly every McDonald’s All-American workout and while he registered just six points on 50 percent in the game itself, he finished the contest plus-15, the highest +/- number of any prospect in attendance. Freeman is a winning player that seems to be hitting his stride at the right time.
The charismatic Jackson was very assertive during McDonald’s week, showing himself to possess a skill set that managed to stand out among other elite players. Jackson is the No. 9 prospect in the Rivals150 but looks like a more complete and college-ready prospect than a few prospects currently ranked in front of him.
The week in Houston saw the future Tar Heel put pressure on the defense from start to finish, getting to the rim almost on command and showcasing an ability to fill it up from deep. Jackson is a streaky shooter from the perimeter but is capable of absolutely taking over a game from there when he’s going well.
Combine that with his top-flight athleticism and you have a player that checks a lot of boxes on both ends of the floor. He’ll slide up closer to the top five in the finals rankings.
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HOLDING STEADY
The MVP of the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game and one of the top performers of every practice in the week leading up to the event, Harper backed up his current No. 3 ranking. The question is whether or not Harper will slide into the No. 2 position, jumping future Rutgers teammate Airious Bailey, who had a hot-and-cold week in Houston. The conversation will be an upside-vs-production debate, as Bailey’s long-term ceiling feels a bit higher than the hyper-productive Harper's.
The internal debate at Rivals will rage right up until the final 2024 rankings are released in a few weeks.
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Flagg’s spot at the top of the Rivals150 feels safe even if he was outperformed by Harper at McDonald’s. This is based on a years-long body of work and the dynamic skill set the 6-foot-8 point forward brings to the table. Flagg was undoubtedly one of the leaders of the elite group that assembled in Houston this week and took on a clear leadership role at the event.
There’s something to say about a headliner that embraces the headliner role, and you can certainly say it all about the Duke-bound Flagg, the early frontrunner to top the 2025 NBA Draft class.
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ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Bol remains an intriguing upside prospect, as his fluidity, length and basketball IQ make him a promising college prospect. His lack of upper body strength and still-developing jumper hindered him at McDonald’s however, as did less than reliable hands. That's said, the Ole Miss-bound big man continues to show real promise, even if he doesn’t reach his full potential on the offensive end until a little later in his college career.
Bol is a reliable, motivated and nimble defender in the paint and agile enough to be a weapon in the pick-and-roll down the road. He simply needs some polish offensively before he’s ready to impact the highest level of college hoops on that end of the floor.
Diallo did some nice things in Houston but looked a touch behind some of the other lead guards at the elite event. That’s no insult to the Washington-bound star’s game, as the company he was keeping at McDonald’s was truly elite. Diallo’s size and advanced court vision make him a promising long-term prospect, but the hope is that he becomes a better shooter and more consistent at-rim finisher down the road.
His strengths are his size and feel for the game, both of which are unmistakable and make his team better. He’ll need to become a more dynamic offensive weapon to back up his current lofty running, however, as he lacks the burst and wiggle as some other truly elite guards.
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