McD's AA: Monday practice

CHICAGO -- The 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game festivities got off to their official start with an open practice Monday morning. Here’s a look at some of the standouts including 2016’s No. 1 player Josh Jackson.

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Let's start at the top with 2016's No. 1 overall player Josh Jackson. When he wanted to, the undecided senior made it look easy on both ends of the floor. He got where he wanted to via the dribble, made plays for others and used his ample athleticism when needed. He had just as many good moments on defense as he did offense and one of Arizona, Kansas and Michigan State is getting an impact player.

Unsigned Texan five-stars Marques Bolden and Jarrett Allen often found themselves matched up against each other and it was enjoyable to watch them get after it. Bolden is a low post space eater with great hands and sneaky bounce while Allen is a long strider who motored from one end to the other and made plays with his quickness and athleticism. Both show some promise with their touch.

In the preview for the week, one of the questions we had is who would emerge as the top point guard? If it were decided off of one practice session then UCLA-bound Lonzo Ball would be leading the way. He made the right pass one time after another, hit some jumpers and finished at the rim. For his high school team he has been flashy, in practice he was simply utilizing all of the weapons around him and letting them make him look good.

From an effort standpoint, you had to like what Connecticut-bound point guard Alterique Gilbert and Gonzaga-bound center Zach Collins brought to the table. Gilbert gave any squad he was running with a charge of energy and really looked like he was there to compete. He's the smallest player here by a pretty considerable margin but gets after it. Collins, on the other hand, seemed to be in the right place at all times. He helped defensively, played well on the glass and stuck open jumpers from between 12 and 15 feet. He's got a great frame to build on and looks like the Zags' next big time post player.

It was also a pretty good day for Michigan State-bound Joshua Langford. The well-built 6-foot-6 wing didn't try anything fancy, he simply took what was available and more often than not made the right play. He played defense, he boarded and he made some open looks. He seems like the exact kind of player that Tom Izzo will love.

There is only one player in attendance whose future school is playing in this weekend's Final Four and that's North Carolina-bound big man Tony Bradley. The Floridian big man doesn't overwhelm with athleticism and doesn't do much fancy, but he is sure plenty effective. He was patient in the paint, didn't mind playing physically and was solid from beginning to end on Monday morning.

Given his reputation for being a dangerous jump shooter, Terrance Ferguson is a guy whose name many of the 50 or so NBA scouts in attendance had circled. The 6-foot-6 undecided wing didn't disappoint, hitting several jumpers from NBA range and beyond. He's easily got the prettiest shot in the class of 2016 and will help either Arizona, Baylor or Kansas space the floor with his shooting.

The University of Washington took some tough blows last week when freshmen Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss both announced that they would be turning pro and hiring agents. However, the still have Markelle Fultz coming in and that's something to be thankful for if you are a fan of the Huskies. Fultz is a pure scorer who can play on or off the ball and he had his dynamic mid-range game on display. Floaters, pull-ups, changes of pace, he has it all. Fultz can also keep defenders honest from deep and is a sneaky athlete with long arms.

Future Duke Blue Devil Jayson Tatum hasn't been shy on the offensive end. Watching the guy it's clear that he puts a lot of individual work into his game. His series of spins, stepbacks, fadeways and you name it out of the mid to high post is quite advanced for his age and he played with a world of confidence. Even when shots didn't go in, his ability to get them with NBA-type moves opened eyes.

Maybe the person working hardest to recruit Josh Jackson is Michigan State bound wing Miles Bridges. He's been working his longtime friend non stop to join him in East Lansing. When he's focused on the floor, Bridges has been every bit as impressive. He's a physically strong and tough athlete who really sought contact. Bridges shot the ball pretty well and showed his tremendous athleticism in the open floor. His ball-handling still needs some work, but he's made huge strides as a senior.