- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,151,271
- Reaction score
- 59
In the 49th McDonald's All American Games, Jason Crowe Jr. and Caleb Holt were named co-MVPs of the West Boys' 102-86 win over the East, while Saniyah Hall was named the MVP of the East Girls' 91-71 victory over the West.
The high school stars, 48 of the best boys and girls basketball players in the class of 2026, competed in front of crowds at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ that included former McDonald's All Americans Paul Pierce, Baron Davis, and local legend Diana Taurasi. They watched as the field of potential future pros made their mark on the prestigious game.
"I've been dreaming about this ever since I entered high school," Crowe said on Media Day on Monday.
"It's definitely an honor," Hall said. "I'm definitely grateful for this opportunity."
The No. 1-ranked player on the 247Sports Composite, Hall took charge in the first half with 13 points in 10 minutes of play. She kept the East team close when North Carolina commit Kate Harpring suffered a shoulder injury after scoring seven points in eight minutes.
On the West side, South Carolina commit Jerzy Robinson controlled the pace of the game, but tight defense limited her to just 1-for-8 shooting in the half. Clemson commit Trinity Jones was key for the team, with seven points, four rebounds and three steals.
The West team led by a point at halftime, but Jenica Lewis and Jordyn Jackson played key roles in getting the East a lead by the end of the third quarter. Lewis had seven rebounds in the frame, including two offensive, and Lewis scored six points.
Harpring returned to the game in the third quarter and returned to form in the fourth, scoring nine points to demonstrate why she's considered a top-2 player in the class. By the time Hall checked back in with about five minutes to play, East had built its lead to double-digits, and the USC commit added six points to finish with 21 on the day and help outscore West 32-15 in the quarter.
Harpring finished with 17 points, while Jackson and Lola Lampley also scored double-figures. West's leading scorers were Lizzy Spaight and Brihanna Crittendon, both of whom finished with 11. Oliviyah Edwards, who won the Queen of the Court challenge and competed in the dunk contest at the Sprite Jam Fest, finished with eight points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
The boys game started with both teams leaning on their bigs: Toni Bryant (6-foot-9), Darius Ratliff (6-foot-11), Cameron Williams (6-foot-11) and Arafan Diané (7-foot-1) were all in the starting lineups, and the four of them combined for 16 of the 22 points scored in the first five minutes of play, prior to the media timeout and mass lineup substitution.
But it was the guards who came alive for the rest of the game. Crowe played a crafty game for the West, hitting contested floaters — including over Ratliff — and rallying for 16 points and five assists in 22 minutes of play. The 6-foot-3 guard, who averaged more than 40 points per game this season, showed what Mizzou can expect from the electric scorer.
Holt, an Arizona commit, played a strong game on both sides of the floor, scoring 11 points with five rebounds and four assists while defending all around.
Both teams relied heavily on the top two players in the country: Tyran Stokes and Jordan Smith Jr. The two dictated the pace for their respective offenses and dueled each other directly on more than one occasion, with Smith using his strength and Stokes using his length to battle.
Stokes was impressive, with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal and a pair of blocks in 21 minutes of play. As West pulled away in the second half, he was very involved in the action, with rebounds and quick reads in the backcourt leading to decisive downcourt passes and easy finishes at the rim. On multiple plays, he passed the ball up to a teammate who got the finish before Stokes crossed half court. He turned and celebrated.
"It's a dream that I've had as a kid growing up, being able to be part of a historical event like this and be able to play with and against great players," Stokes said during Media Day.
Smith was in attack mode throughout the game, going after defenders ranging from point guard Austin Goosby to the lengthy Stokes to the giant Diané. He finished with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting and hit a pair of 3s. He also had six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
"I grew up watching this prestigious event, and just to have the opportunity to play in it is really a full circle moment," Smith said.
The West's 39 fast break points were essential, which contributed to 66 points in the paint.
JJ Andrews, who is committed to Arkansas alongside Smith, had 12 points, five of which came in the first quarter. Bryant finished with 14 and Jaxon Richardson had 13.
"The legacy behind it, all the players that's played in this event, you can go down a long list — LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan — and just being here with the best of the best, and being able to also do other things like the Ronald McDonald House, like giving back to the kids and the less fortunate ... it's awesome to be able to do all those things," Andrews said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: McDonald's All American Game: See who shined brightest on big stage
Continue reading...
The high school stars, 48 of the best boys and girls basketball players in the class of 2026, competed in front of crowds at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ that included former McDonald's All Americans Paul Pierce, Baron Davis, and local legend Diana Taurasi. They watched as the field of potential future pros made their mark on the prestigious game.
"I've been dreaming about this ever since I entered high school," Crowe said on Media Day on Monday.
"It's definitely an honor," Hall said. "I'm definitely grateful for this opportunity."
You must be registered for see images attach
The No. 1-ranked player on the 247Sports Composite, Hall took charge in the first half with 13 points in 10 minutes of play. She kept the East team close when North Carolina commit Kate Harpring suffered a shoulder injury after scoring seven points in eight minutes.
On the West side, South Carolina commit Jerzy Robinson controlled the pace of the game, but tight defense limited her to just 1-for-8 shooting in the half. Clemson commit Trinity Jones was key for the team, with seven points, four rebounds and three steals.
The West team led by a point at halftime, but Jenica Lewis and Jordyn Jackson played key roles in getting the East a lead by the end of the third quarter. Lewis had seven rebounds in the frame, including two offensive, and Lewis scored six points.
Harpring returned to the game in the third quarter and returned to form in the fourth, scoring nine points to demonstrate why she's considered a top-2 player in the class. By the time Hall checked back in with about five minutes to play, East had built its lead to double-digits, and the USC commit added six points to finish with 21 on the day and help outscore West 32-15 in the quarter.
Harpring finished with 17 points, while Jackson and Lola Lampley also scored double-figures. West's leading scorers were Lizzy Spaight and Brihanna Crittendon, both of whom finished with 11. Oliviyah Edwards, who won the Queen of the Court challenge and competed in the dunk contest at the Sprite Jam Fest, finished with eight points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
The boys game started with both teams leaning on their bigs: Toni Bryant (6-foot-9), Darius Ratliff (6-foot-11), Cameron Williams (6-foot-11) and Arafan Diané (7-foot-1) were all in the starting lineups, and the four of them combined for 16 of the 22 points scored in the first five minutes of play, prior to the media timeout and mass lineup substitution.
But it was the guards who came alive for the rest of the game. Crowe played a crafty game for the West, hitting contested floaters — including over Ratliff — and rallying for 16 points and five assists in 22 minutes of play. The 6-foot-3 guard, who averaged more than 40 points per game this season, showed what Mizzou can expect from the electric scorer.
Holt, an Arizona commit, played a strong game on both sides of the floor, scoring 11 points with five rebounds and four assists while defending all around.
Both teams relied heavily on the top two players in the country: Tyran Stokes and Jordan Smith Jr. The two dictated the pace for their respective offenses and dueled each other directly on more than one occasion, with Smith using his strength and Stokes using his length to battle.
Stokes was impressive, with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal and a pair of blocks in 21 minutes of play. As West pulled away in the second half, he was very involved in the action, with rebounds and quick reads in the backcourt leading to decisive downcourt passes and easy finishes at the rim. On multiple plays, he passed the ball up to a teammate who got the finish before Stokes crossed half court. He turned and celebrated.
"It's a dream that I've had as a kid growing up, being able to be part of a historical event like this and be able to play with and against great players," Stokes said during Media Day.
Smith was in attack mode throughout the game, going after defenders ranging from point guard Austin Goosby to the lengthy Stokes to the giant Diané. He finished with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting and hit a pair of 3s. He also had six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
"I grew up watching this prestigious event, and just to have the opportunity to play in it is really a full circle moment," Smith said.
The West's 39 fast break points were essential, which contributed to 66 points in the paint.
JJ Andrews, who is committed to Arkansas alongside Smith, had 12 points, five of which came in the first quarter. Bryant finished with 14 and Jaxon Richardson had 13.
"The legacy behind it, all the players that's played in this event, you can go down a long list — LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan — and just being here with the best of the best, and being able to also do other things like the Ronald McDonald House, like giving back to the kids and the less fortunate ... it's awesome to be able to do all those things," Andrews said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: McDonald's All American Game: See who shined brightest on big stage
Continue reading...
