McDonald’s Game: Game Top Performers
PrepHoops Network was in attendance at the McDonald’s High School All-American Game festivities all week. Wednesday night was the finale with the game itself. It was a competitive contest and the players played hard. Here we break down the top performers from the game.
West Team
SF Josh Jackson (Prolific Prep, CA)
Jackson showed his complete game on the big stage. At 6’7” he is a wiry strong wing with elite athleticism. His quickness off the bounce and ability to get in the lane and to the rack with power is impressive. He is a smooth ball handler with explosion off the bounce. Jackson had several spins in the lane that he converted for points. Jump shot was solid from mid-range pulling up and from three off the catch. Defensively he did a great job in his matchup with Tatum in the first half using his length and lateral quickness to make him take tough shots. Jackson finished with 19 points (9-11 FG), 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
PG Frank Jackson (Lone Peak, UT – Duke)
Jackson had quite a week winning the dunk contest and game co-MVP with his fellow Jackson on the West team. The point guard who is headed to Duke was looking to score in this game. Jackson is a strong guard that is powerful with the ball in his hands. Displayed his ability to really shoot the rock especially from beyond the arc off the catch. Plays with a lot of confidence and showed this week he is more athletic than a lot of people gave him credit for.
PG Lonzo Ball (Chino Hills, CA – UCLA)
If you just look at points no Ball wasn’t impressive. To anyone who was evaluating the game he showed a ton! The 6’5” point guard who has been compared to Jason Kidd showed his elite vision and feel for the game from the lead guard position. He did it in a variety of ways on drive and kicks to shooters, alley oops to finishers, and pushed it up the court to his wings in transition. Defensively his length plays well and has a chance to be a plus defender at the next level and beyond. Ball had 0 points (0-3 FG), but recorded an event record 13 assists.
SG Malik Monk (Bentonville, AR – Kentucky)
Monk didn’t shoot it well from the perimeter, but let the nation watching on TV in on his elite athleticism. He had several high flying dunks and impressive finishes above the rim. Also showed his underrated passing ability. Monk went for 11 points (5-12 FG) and 4 assists.
PF Marques Bolden (DeSoto, TX)
The nation’s top uncommitted post elevated his stock significantly this week with his play in the practices. In the game he kept up his strong play. Bolden is a mobile post with size. He is a plus rebounder that is quick to the glass on both ends of the floor. He high points rebounds and clears them with quality outlet passes. Finishes well around the hoop with both hands and is efficient with his touches. Ran the floor well all week. Bolden had 13 points (6-8 FG) and 7 rebounds.
PF Jarrett Allen (St. Stephens Episcopal, TX)
Allen was right there with Bolden and Bradley as the most impressive posts this week. The uncommitted big man has an outstanding combination of strength, mobility, and athleticism. He was a force on the defensive end as a shot blocker and post defender. Allen altered and blocked shots on a variety of players from the East team. Finished with power on the interior. Great energy. Allen went for 9 points (4-7 FG), 6 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
East Team
SF Jayson Tatum (Chaminade, MO – Duke)
Tatum struggled early in his head to head matchup with Josh Jackson. He got it going as the game went along. The skilled 6’9” wing got loose in the transition game for several finishes where he used his quickness and athleticism to finish at the rim. Worked well in the post and mid-post attacking and getting to the foul line where he was perfect. Tatum had 18 points (5-15 FG) (8-8 FT), 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
PF Tony Bradley (Bartow, FL – North Carolina)
The 6’10” center finished off a solid week with another productive performance in the game. Bradley doesn’t wow you with athleticism, but just knows how to get the job done. He is crafty around the hoop, finishes in the high/low game, and gets to the foul line. The North Carolina commit had 11 points (3-6 FG) in the contest.
PF Bam Adebayo (High Point, NC – Kentucky)
Bam got off to a bit of a slow start, but the strong and athletic post used his motor to get on the offensive glass where he dominated. Adebayo had 8 offensive rebounds. Many of those he turned into points. Quick second jump to the glass and finished above the rim. Not a natural scorer with his back to the basket at this point. More of an energy guy that you don’t have to run plays for in order for him to be effective. Showed potential all week on a mid-range jumper that he is working on. Adebayo finished with 16 points (6-9 FG) and 12 rebounds.
SG Markelle Fultz (Dematha, MD – Washington)
The scoring combo guard from the DMV is a slick handling senior who flashes upside. He is smooth with the ball in his hands getting through tight traffic. Potential as a shooter from deep. Took some bad shots in the game which led to a poor shooting percentage. Solid passer that has a good feel for getting others involved. Defensively blocked a perimeter jumper and had several steals. He went for 10 points (4-12 FG), 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.
C Udoka Azubuike (Potters House Christian, FL – Kansas)
The Kansas commit wants to tear every rime down that he plays on. It was clear he was trying to do that at the United Center on Wednesday night. Azubuike is so powerful around the hoop finishing through defenders. Dominant area rebounder that shoots a high percentage from the field on touches. He went for 9 points (4-6 FG), 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
SF Miles Bridges (Huntington Prep, WV – Michigan State)
The physically gifted wing had several of his patented powerful dunks including a windmill that had the crowd buzzing. Jump shot wasn’t falling, but impacted the game with his motor and toughness. Had several nice passes as well. Bridges had 8 points (4-7 FG), 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.