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The McDonald’s All American Games unveiled the official rosters for the 36th Annual McDonald’s All American Boys Game and 12th Annual Girls Game during today’s Selection Show on ESPNU. The annual high school all-star event will again be played at Chicago’s United Center on April 3.
The 2013 McDonald’s All American Boys Team will feature top ranked prep talent and Canadian-born Andrew Wiggins (Huntington Prep, West Virginia) playing alongside hometown hero Jabari Parker (Simeon Career Academy, Chicago). Aaron and Andrew Harrison (William B. Tavis, Texas) mark the first set of twins since 2009; the most recent pairs include David and Travis Wear (2009) and Brook and Robin Lopez (2006). The Harrison twins, who will be attending Kentucky in the fall, account for two of the McDonald’s All American Games record five boys recruits that will be attending the same university, including Dakari Johnson (Montverde Academy, Florida), Marcus Lee (Deer Valley High, California) and James Young (Rochester High, Michigan). The previous record of four was held by Michigan (1991), Duke (1999), and Kentucky (2011). The Boys Game begins at 8:30 p.m. CT April 3, and will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Girls Team will feature the first-ever McDonald’s All American Games father/daughter duo with Taya Reimer (Hamilton Southeastern, Indianapolis), daughter of Ben Davis (1991). Other top female talent includes Mercedes Russell (Springfield High, Oregon), Diamond DeShields (Norcross High School Georgia), and local Chicago star Linnae Harper (Whitney Young, Chicago). California will be well represented with four female student-athletes making the final team, including Oderah Chidom (Bishop O’Dowd), Kendall Cooper (St. Anthony), Erica McCall (Ridgeview High), and Kelsey Plum (La Jolia Country Day School). The Girls Game begins at 6 p.m. CT April 3, and will broadcast live on ESPNU.
Freddy Johnsonof Greensboro Day School in Greensboro, North Carolina, will coach the Boys East team, while Mike Flaherty of Chicago’s Mt. Carmel High School will lead the Boys West team. Fred Priester of Oakton High School in Vienna, Virginia, will coach the Girls East team, while Anthony Smith of Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook, Illinois, will man the sidelines for the Girls West squad. Combined, the four coaches have won more than 2,450 games and 12 State Championships.
“It’s becoming a tradition for the top high school basketball stars to gather in Chicago for the McDonald’s All American Games,” says Douglas Freeland, director of the McDonald’s All American Games. “These players are the ‘heirs apparent’ to the basketball royalty throne, and we look forward to hosting them in the Windy City for this can’t miss event.”
This year’s teams were selected from the field of more than 800 Nominees by the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee, led by committee chairman, Morgan Wootten, legendary Hall-of-Fame basketball coach.
Since 1978, more than 1,100 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list of some of the top names in basketball history, including Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker, and Maya Moore.
The POWERADE Jam Fest—featuring many of the McDonald’s All Americans in a skills competition, three-point shootout and dunk contest—will be held at the Gerald Ratner Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Chicago on April 1. The qualifying competitions will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT and the finals will air live at 8:00 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
