McDonald's All American Team
From Hoopedia
The McDonald's All-American Team is named each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball. Consisting of the top American players, the teams play a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the high school basketball season. As part of the event there is also a dunk contest and three-point competition.
The McDonald's All-American Team is the best-known of the American high school basketball All-American teams. Having the designation of McDonald's All-American instantly brands a player as one of the top high school players in the United States.
The teams are sponsored by McDonald's, the restaurant chain. Money raised is donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
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History
In 1977, McDonald’s selected the best high school basketball players in the country and named them to the first McDonald’s All American Boys High School Basketball Team. The Team competed in the Capital Classic Game (started in 1974) against the best players in the Maryland – D.C. – Virginia area.
Then, just one year later, McDonald’s launched its own all-star high school game – the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Game® – an all-star event featuring an East and a West team made up of the best high school players in the country. The inaugural Boys Game was played in 1978 before a crowd of more than 13,000 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. In 2003, more than 18,700 fans packed Gund Arena in Cleveland, making it the largest crowd in McDonald’s All American Games history.
2008 marks the 31st anniversary of the McDonald’s All American High School Boys Basketball Game. This year also marks the seventh annual Girls Game, allowing basketball fans to witness the best high school girl players in the country.
The first Girls Game took place in 2002 at Madison Square Garden in New York City before a crowd of nearly 17,000.
Many of the biggest stars in American basketball have been McDonald's All-Americans. The list of past team honorees includes Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Chris Webber, Magic Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Eddy Curry, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Isiah Thomas, J.J. Redick, Kirk Hinrich, and Chris Bosh. For a list of game Most Valuable Players, see McDonald's All American Game MVP Award Winners.
Since the inception of the McDonald's All-American team, only twice has a US collegiate team won a national championship without having a former McDonald's All-American on its roster (Kentucky in 1978 and Maryland in 2002).
Team Selection
A selection committee of prominent high school coaches, prep scouts and media from across the country choose the nation’s top graduating high school boys and girls basketball players from a pool of approximately 2,500 seniors. Morgan Wootten, who won more than 1,200 games as coach of DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, MD), serves as chairman of the McDonald’s All American Selection Committee and legendary former UCLA coach, John Wooden, chairman of the McDonald’s All American Game, serves as an advisor to the committee.
The 2007 Games
The 2007 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games were held on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.
For more information on the 2007 games, see 2007 McDonald's All American Team.
Boys MVP Award
2009 Game
The 2009 game will be will be held at the BankUnited Center on the University of Miami's Coral Gables campus. The game will be played on April 1, 2009 and will be nationally televised on ESPN.
2009 East Roster
| Name | Number | Position | Height | Weight | Hometown | Highschool | College of Choice |
| Kenny Boynton, Jr. | G | 6-3 | 190 | Pompano Beach, Florida | American Heritage School | Florida | |
| Dominic Cheek | G | 6-6 | 185 | Jersey City, New Jersey | St. Anthony High School | Villanova | |
| DeMarcus Cousins | C | 6-11 | 265 | Mobile, Alabama | LeFlore Magnet High School | Memphis | |
| Derrick Favors | F | 6-9 | 235 | Atlanta, Georgia | South Atlanta High School | Georgia Tech | |
| Milton Jennings | F | 6-9 | 215 | Cottageville, South Carolina | Pinewood Prep | Clemson | |
| Ryan Kelly | F | 6-10 | 217 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Ravenscroft School | Duke | |
| Alex Oriakhi | F | 6-9 | 240 | Lowell, Massachusetts | Tilton School | UConn | |
| Peyton Siva | G | 6-0 | 175 | Seattle, Washington | Franklin High School | Louisville | |
| Lance Stephenson | G | 6-6 | 220 | Brooklyn, New York | Lincoln High School | Undecided | |
| Dexter Strickland | G | 6-3 | 180 | Rahway, New Jersey | St. Patrick High School | North Carolina | |
| Dante Taylor | F | 6-9 | 230 | [West Chester, New York | National Christian Academy | Pittburgh | |
| Maalik Wayns | G | 6-1 | 185 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Roman Catholic High School | Villanova |
2009 West Roster
| Name | Number | Position | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | College Choice |
| Avery Bradley | G | 6-3 | 180 | Puyallup, Washington | Findlay College Prep | Texas | |
| Abdul Gaddy | G | 6-3 | 183 | Tacoma, Washington | Bellarmine Prep | Washington | |
| Keith Gallon | C | 6-9 | 293 | Huffman, Texas | Oak Hill Academy | Oklahoma | |
| Xavier Henry | G | 6-6 | 225 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Putnam City High School | Memphis | |
| John Henson | F | 6-10 | 200 | Odessa, Florida | Sickles High School | North Carolina | |
| Wally Judge | F | 6-9 | 230 | Landover, Maryland | Arlington Country Day School | Kansas State | |
| Tommy Mason-Griffin | G | 5-11 | 192 | Houston, Texas | James Madison High School | Oklahoma | |
| Mason Plumlee | F | 6-11 | 220 | Winona Lake, Indiana | Christ School | Duke | |
| Renardo Sidney | F | 6-10 | 250 | Los Angeles, California | Fairfax High School | USC | |
| Michael Snaer | G | 6-5 | 200 | Moreno Valley, California | Rancho Verde High School | Florida State | |
| David Wear | F | 6-10 | 225 | Huntington Beach, California | Mater Dei High School | North Carolina | |
| Travis Wear | F | 6-10 | 230 | Huntington Beach, California | Mater Dei High School | North Carolina |
