Tag: McDonald’s All American Game

WATCH: Cooper Flagg gets way above the rim in viral McDonald’s All-American Game block

Five-star Duke signee Cooper Flagg got his hand a full foot above the rim in a viral block during Tuesday’s McDonald’s All-American game.

In case anyone needed a reminder, Duke signee Cooper Flagg can jump.

The 6-foot-9 Montverde Academy product is the No. 1 ranked player in the Class of 2024, and plays like his viral block during the McDonald’s All-American Game reminds everyone why.

During the second quarter of the East’s comeback win on Tuesday night, the West’s Dylan Harper tried to lay in a floater near the paint. Flagg had none of it.

The future Blue Devil elevated, his hand getting more than a foot above the rim. In fact, the top of his head was nearly level with the basket by the apex of his jump, and he swatted the ball into the East bench behind Harper.

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Obviously, every player at the All-American game is a standout, but Harper isn’t a nobody among them. The Rutgers commit is the third-ranked player in the class.

Flagg ended the game with eight points, six rebounds, and three assists.

The best looks at Cooper Flagg and Isaiah Evans from the McDonald’s All-American Game

Check out some of the best photos of Duke signees Cooper Flagg and Isaiah Evans from the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Duke’s 2024 recruiting class is making headlines before the 2023-24 season has even drawn to a close, and five-star signees Cooper Flagg and Isaiah Evans are two big reasons why.

The duo helped lead the East team to a comeback victory in the McDonald’s All-American Game on Tuesday night, with Flagg offering eight points, six rebounds, and three assists to the victorious effort.

Both players also talked about next year’s expectations and threw some barbs at North Carolina during the week, showing they are both ready to go for the 2024-25 season.

Here are some of the best photos of them from this week’s game and festivities.

Cooper Flagg says 2024-25 Duke team has ‘the chance to do something really special’

With the No. 1 overall recruit and three other five-stars coming to Durham next season, 2024-25 could be a special year in Cooper Flagg’s eyes.

The 2024-25 Duke basketball season has a chance to be memorable, according to the Blue Devils top signee Cooper Flagg.

In an article from USA TODAY Sports’ Kristian Dyer, the top overall recruit in the Class of 2024 talked about the expectations that will follow him and Duke’s No. 1 recruiting class to Durham next year.

The Blue Devils lost the last game of the regular season and their first game of the ACC Tournament this season before a run to the Elite Eight included taking down top-seeded Houston.

However, Duke lost to 11-seed NC State on Sunday, and while a trip to the Elite Eight is plenty for most programs, a fanbase with five national titles is always hungry for a sixth.

Flagg said the Sunday loss to the Wolfpack didn’t change how he feels about next season.

“We haven’t been there,” Flagg said. “So I think once you get there, like you said, get acclimated, I think we have the chance to do something really special.”

Fellow five-star Duke signee Isaiah Evans echoed Flagg’s sentiment.

“I don’t really feel pressure from this year’s team,” Evans said. “I think that we’re going to create our own journey.”

‘He’s 27’: Duke signee Isaiah Evans takes a swipe at UNC’s Cormac Ryan

During media sessions for the McDonald’s All-American Game, Duke signee Isaiah Evans reminded some future Tar Heels how old Cormac Ryan really is.

Isaiah Evans won’t need any practice adopting the Duke-North Carolina rivalry.

The five-star Duke signee, who was named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball for the second straight year this season, turned heads by jawing some fans in Tar Heels merch at one of his high school games.

Earlier this week, during media sessions for the McDonald’s All-American Game, it was Cormac Ryan.

Ryan, a fifth-year senior and a Tar Heels starter this season, scored 31 points and made six 3-pointers in the regular-season finale at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season. He’s also 25 years old, having begun his playing career with Stanford in the 2018-19 season, a detail Evans does not forget.

In a short social media clip shared earlier this week, UNC commit Drake Powell tried to remind Evans of Ryan’s performance. The future Blue Devil had none of it.

“Cormac Ryan, is he not a pro in your eyes?” Powell asked.

“He’s 27, bro, that’s what he is,” Evans responded quickly.

Evans and Flagg will get the chance to square off with Powell, UNC commit Ian Jackson, and the Tar Heels next season.

Duke signees Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans praise each other at McDonald’s All-American media day

Five-star Duke signees Isaiah Evans and Cooper Flagg took turns praising the other at the McDonald’s All-American game media session.

Cooper Flagg and Isaiah Evans got the chance to show off on Tuesday night at the McDonald’s All-American Game, each contributing to the East’s comeback win.

However, the two five-star Duke signees spoke about the upcoming 2024-25 season in Durham during media sessions the day before. According to 247Sports’ Eric Bossi, both had plenty of praise to heap upon their future teammate.

“I think (Evans is) a great player,” Flagg said. “Really versatile and really well rounded.”

Flagg said he isn’t thinking about specific ways the two fit each other or any matchups they’ll draw in college. Instead, he’s focused on winning games.

Evans, when it was his turn to talk about Flagg, praised the No. 1 recruit’s effort and intensity.

“If I’m building a scouting report on Cooper, I think I would just say that you have to match his energy,” Evans said. “You can’t get lazy. He’s going to keep coming at you every play, and it doesn’t matter if it’s an offensive rebound or a jump shot, you just have to keep playing with him.”

The two will lead an incredible recruiting class in Durham next year made up of four total five-stars and two additional four-star recruits.

Cooper Flagg’s East team wins McDonald’s All-American Game

The East defeated the West by two points on Tuesday night, helped by a strong showing from the top recruit in the nation.

Cooper Flagg and the East team won the McDonald’s All-American game in a fourth-quarter comeback on Tuesday night, outscoring the West by six in the final frame for the 88-86 victory.

The West led 44-37 at the halfway point, but the East trimmed the lead to 66-62 after three quarters.

Flagg, a five-star Duke signee and the top recruit in the Class of 2024, finished the game with eight points, six rebounds, and three assists. He added one block and one steal apiece.

His high school teammate, Derik Queen, led the game with 23 points on 10/15 shooting. Queen is committed to Maryland.

Isaiah Evans, a fellow Duke signee and another five-star prospect, finished the game, played 20 minutes and added four rebounds and an assist, but he missed all six of his shots.

Flagg and Evans lead a dominant 2024 recruiting class for the Blue Devils, which currently boasts four five-stars and six players inside 247Sports’ top 51.

Top 2024 recruit Cooper Flagg turns heads at McDonald’s All-American practice

Cooper Flagg, a Duke commit and the top recruit in the Class of 2024, turned heads with his Sunday work at McDonald’s All-American practice.

Cooper Flagg, the five-star Duke commit and No. 1 player in the Class of 2024, turned heads during a practice session for the McDonald’s All-Americans on Sunday.

Bleacher Report shared a 45-second video of Flagg showing off his skills. He fought through contact into the lane, both using the attention to dish the ball to teammates and using spin moves to give himself open looks.

Flagg, who stands 6-foot-9, also threw down a few dunks to show off his bounce, including one lob from a teammate in transition. He also found Liam McNeely for a 3-pointer, setting up the basket with a smooth one-handed behind-the-back pass.

Flagg headlines Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class made up of four five-star prospects.

Future teammate Isaiah Evans, who was named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball for the second straight year this season, joined Flagg at the practice sessions.

Photos of Bronny James at McDonald’s All-American games

We’re sharing some of the best photos of Bronny James at the McDonald’s All-American game last week. Do you hope to see him in an Ohio State uniform?

Yes, we know that LeBron James is a polarizing figure for Ohio State fans. We also know that there’s at least a little bit of a shot at his son, Bronny, eventually committing to the OSU program when he finally makes his decision. Lebron has said many times that he would have attended Ohio State if not for the ability to go straight to the NBA from high school when he graduated as a prep. James is also a huge Buckeye fan and has a wall of shoes and his own locker at Ohio State.

So yeah, there’s a little interest in King James and what the prince does leading up to a commitment that is reported to be between OSU, Oregon, and USC.

But before that, Bronny took part in the McDonald’s All-American game last week to much fanfare. He finished the game with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, all from beyond the arc despite his West team falling to the East by a score of 109 to 106. Despite many claiming that he is overhyped, he more than looked the part on a court full of Alphas.

We thought we’d get together some of the best photos of Bronny doing his thing in Houston at the 2023 McDonald’s All-American game this last week. Here are some of the best high-resolution photos of it all.

How Mookie Cook, KJ Evans, and Bronny James performed in 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game

Mookie Cook shot 66% from the floor and Kwame Evans was perfect from the FT line. With 5 three-pointers, though, it was Bronny James who stole the show.

The ultimate showcase for high school basketball players took place on Tuesday night with the McDonald’s All-American Game being broadcast on ESPN. The top basketball players in the 2023 class were able to get on the court and compete in an all-star game that has featured some of the best players in both NBA and WNBA history over the past several decades.

For fans of the Oregon Ducks, there was reason to tune in, with signees Mookie Cook and KJ Evans taking part in the festivities. There was also the main attraction of Bronny James, son of NBA legend LeBron James, who is reportedly considering a commitment to the Ducks in the coming months, along with USC and Ohio State as well.

The game itself was highly entertaining, with the East taking a hard-fought victory over the West, 109-106. While there were a ton of stars to watch, here’s how the two Oregon players — Cook and Evans — and the potential Oregon player — James — ended up playing in the showcase.

Was Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad snubbed from McDonald’s All-American Game?

The rosters for the McDonald’s All-American Game came out on Tuesday, and Oregon 4-star PG Jackson Shelstad was notably missing.

On Tuesday afternoon, the rosters for the McDonald’s All-American Game were released for 2023. Fans of the Oregon Ducks likely scanned the lists and were happy to see that both 5-star Mookie Cook and 5-star Kwame Evans made the list. They may have even been excited to see that 4-star Bronny James — a high profile recruit who has been strongly considering the Ducks — was in the mix as well.

However, it was a disappointment to see that 4-star Oregon point guard Jackson Shelstad was not on the list.

As the best player on the No. 1 ranked team in the nation — West Linn — it seems that Shelstad belongs, especially with the senior season he is having. Earlier this year, Shelstad led West Linn to the Les Schwab Invitational Championship, defeating No. 16 Sierra Canyon — and Bronny James — as well as Duncanville, the previous No. 1 ranked team in the nation.

So was Shelstad snubbed? Does he deserve to be in the All-American showcase this spring? Our guys at SBLive seem to think so:

All we can figure here is that nobody on the selection team watched the Les Schwab Invitational. The Oregon commit was the best player on the floor against Sierra Canyon and Duncanville, both of which will have representatives in the McDonald’s All-American Game in March.

While the best players in the nation will get a chance to showcase their talents on a national stage later this spring, Shelstad won’t get that opportunity, unfortunately. He’ll have to wait until next year in Eugene to show the world what he can really do.

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