Everything NBA Fans Need to Know About 2015 McDonald's All-American Game

The 2015 McDonald's All-American Game, which features the top high school seniors in the country, will take place Wednesday night at the United Center in Chicago. 

And there will be plenty of future NBA talent for scouts and fans alike to evaluate. 

The players have been split up into East and West teams. They go through practices and scrimmages on Monday and Tuesday before the main event Wednesday night.  

Where to watch: Wednesday, April 1 on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET

The East Team

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Dwayne Bacon, SF, 6'6", Oak Hill Academy, Virginia, Committed to Florida State

Antonio Blakeney, 6'4", SG, Oak Ridge High School, Florida, Committed to LSU

Isaiah Briscoe, 6'3", PG, Roselle Catholic High School, New Jersey, Committed to Kentucky

Jaylen Brown, 6'7", SF, Wheeler High School, Georgia, Undecided 

Thomas Bryant, 6'10", C, Huntington St. Joseph Prep, West Virginia, Undecided

Cheick Diallo, 6'9", PF/C, Our Savior New American School, New York, Undecided 

Henry Ellenson (broken hand, will not play), 6'10", PF, Rice Lake High School, Wisconsin, Committed to Marquette

Jawun Evans, 6'0", PG, Justin F. Kimball High School, Texas, Committed to Oklahoma State

Luke Kennard, 6'5", SG, Franklin High School, Ohio, Committed to Duke

Dedric Lawson, 6'8", PF, Hamilton High School, Tennessee, Committed to Memphis

Ben Simmons (shown above), 6'9", SF/PF, Montverde Academy, Florida, Committed to LSU

Diamond Stone, 6'10", C, Dominican High School, Wisconsin, Committed to Maryland

The West Team

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Carlton Bragg, 6'9", PF, Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, Ohio, Commited to Kansas

Jalen Brunson, 6'1", PG, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Illinois, Committed to Villanova

Deyonta Davis, 6'9", PF, Muskegon High School, Michigan, Committed to Michigan State

P.J. Dozier, 6'6", PG/SG, Spring Valley High School, South Carolina, Committed to South Carolina

Brandon Ingram, 6'8", SF, Kinston High School, North Carolina, Undecided

Chase Jeter, 6'10", PF, Bishop Gorman High School, Nevada, Committed to Duke

Malik Newman, 6'3", PG/SG, Callaway High School, Mississippi, Undecided

Ivan Rabb, 6'11", PF, Bishop O'Dowd High School, California, Undecided

Malachi Richardson, 6'6", SF, Trenton Catholic Academy, New Jersey, Committed to Syracuse

Caleb Swanigan, 6'8", C, Homestead High School, Indiana, Undecided

Allonzo Trier, 6'4", SG, Findlay Prep, Nevada, Committed to Arizona

Stephen Zimmerman (shown above), 7'0", C, Bishop Gorman High School, Nevada, Undecided 

11 of the Last 16 No. 1 Overall Draft Picks Have Been McDonald's All-Americans

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If you're looking to scout for the No. 1 pick in the 2016 or 2017 NBA drafts, you might want to tune in. Recent first-round picks who've participated in the game include: Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, Greg Oden, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kwame Brown and Elton Brand.

Duke's Jahlil Okafor and Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns, the top two No. 1 overall candidates for 2015, were also McDonald's All-Americans.

And if you're looking for a head start with regard to pinpointing the best candidates, look no further than All-American forwards Jaylen Brown, who's yet to commit anywhere, and LSU-bound Ben Simmons.

The 2016 No. 1 Pick Debate Is Currently Between Two McDonald's All-Americans

From Greg Oden versus Kevin Durant and Andrew Wiggins versus Jabari Parker to Jahlil Okafor versus Karl-Anthony Towns, there have been some good debates over the years when it comes to predicting the No. 1 overall pick.

And it looks like we'll have another one in 2016. 

Though it's obviously early, Jaylen Brown (Wheeler High School, Georgia) and Ben Simmons (Montverde Academy, Florida) have seemingly separated themselves from the rest of their high school class. 

At 6'7", 220 pounds, Brown, who's yet to make a college decision, already has the look and feel of an NBA wing. Athletic, physical and skilled, he blends power with finesse to generate offense in both the half court and transition. 

Brown is unstoppable on the way to the rim, where he can plow through traffic and finish after contact. And he's showcased a developing scoring attack on the perimeter as a pull-up shooter and finisher on the move.

Simmons' game revolves around versatility. At 6'9", he's a high-flyer who scores like a wing and passes like a guard. Some might even call him a point forward.

With too much foot speed for 4s and the height to play over 3s, Simmons offers some unique mismatch potential as a combo player in the frontcourt. 

Brown and Simmons faced off in December in the City of Palms Classic championship. Brown ended up going for 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in the win. Simmons finished with 28 points and 11 boards.

As things stand, it seems pretty clear Brown and Simmons will enter their freshman years atop most draft boards. 

"Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown look every bit the part as top-two prospects in the class," tweeted 247Sports' Jerry Meyer from Monday's practice in Chicago.

Noteworthy Big-Man Prospects Will Be Matching Up

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With Ivan Rabb and Stephen Zimmerman representing the West, and Diamond Stone and Cheick Diallo playing for the East, scouts will get the chance to see a few lottery-caliber big men match up against each other. 

Stone, who'll be attending Maryland, won't be hard to spot. At 250 pounds, he takes up a ton of room in the paint, where he operates as a back-to-the-basket bully and an above-the-rim finisher. He'll likely see plenty of Zimmerman, a mobile, 240-pound 7-footer who runs and jumps like a forward.

Zimmerman is the more skilled big and one who can play away from the hoop, while Stone is more physically overwhelming.

However, it's Rabb who might arguably have the most upside of any power forward or center. At 6'11", he's ultra athletic, light on his feet and an instinctive rebounder. And he has decent touch in the mid-range, a developing low-post game and the ability to face up and attack slower bigs with a quick first step. 

Diallo is another big man likely to generate lottery attention due to his athleticism, 7'3" wingspan and motor in the paint. He isn't particularly polished offensively, but Diallo can control the glass, protect the rim and finish around it. 

Florida State-Bound Wing Dwayne Bacon Can Jump

Oak Hill Academy's Dwayne Bacon showcased his hops Monday night by winning the Powerade Jam Fest Dunk Contest title.

Bacon completed a number of ridiculous slams that highlighted his top-shelf athleticism, including one that saw him fly over the top of 6'8" Jalen Rose. 

Given the expected up-and-down tempo of Wednesday night's game, you'd like to think Bacon will continue adding to his highlight reel. 

At 6'6", he has excellent size (and obvious burst) for an NBA 2-guard, as well as the ability to score from all three levels. Bacon was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year for Virginia by USA Today High School Sports after averaging 24.4 points this year and leading Oak Hill to a 45-0 record. 

He may have the opportunity to move the needle for himself with a strong game Wednesday night. His upside is eye-opening.

Watch Out for Scoring Machine Malik Newman

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According to The Clarion-Ledger (via USA Today High School Sports), guard Malik Newman was just named Mississippi's Gatorade Player of the Year after he averaged 29.8 points per game in 2014-15.

He can score in bunches, and if he ended up taking over the McDonald's All-American Game, it wouldn't be much of a shock. 

Newman fits the mold of a Monta Ellis-type offensive weapon. Though undersized for an NBA 2-guard, he can get to any spot on the floor and turn it into a makable shot, whether it's a layup, floater, pull-up or step-back jumper. 

Newman actually played point guard in high school, thanks to his ability to make things happen with the ball in his hands. 

If he's able to convince scouts it's a position he can transition to as a pro, his draft stock could soar.

Newman has yet to decide on where he'll play next year, but he did recently speak about an interesting fit at LSU, via The Courier-Journal's Steve Jones:

"

The biggest thing they're telling me is they need me as a point guard. They're recruiting me for the point guard. I think Antonio [Blakeney] and Ben [Simmons] are doing a great job recruiting me also. They are telling me to come in, and they'll give me the keys, I can run the show, and they'll let me do my thing and all us can just get in and get out.

"

Brandon Ingram Could Be Best Bet to Shoot Up Draft Boards

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From an NBA perspective, there aren't many prospects more intriguing than Kinston High School's Brandon Ingram. 

He's an exceptionally skilled face-up scoring wing with mismatch 6'8" size. And he's been generating some buzz during the practice sessions in Chicago. 

"Brandon Ingram is dominating the McDonald's West practice. It's a joke really. More than 10 jump shots made. Four threes. Up to 6'9"," tweeted Scout.com's Evan Daniels on Monday. 

"Not sure I've seen one guy dominate a McDonald's practice session like Brandon Ingram just did. 2015 SF [small forward] consistently created and knocked down shots," added Scout.com's Josh Gershon.

The only question with Ingram stems from his spaghetti-like arms and legs. He's listed at just 190 pounds, an awfully low number for a small forward.

But there is just no denying Ingram's offensive talent. He'll be one of the key prospects to watch Wednesday night and arguably one of the better bets to rise up draft boards if he can put on a show for scouts.

Practices Monday and Tuesday Are as Important as Wednesday Night's Game

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Though the main event takes place Wednesday night, scouts may actually get more out of the practices and scrimmages that go down before it. 

Like most exhibition showcase events, there isn't usually much defense played in the McDonald's All-American Game. 

However, with everyone looking to make first impressions, the intensity during the first two days can be higher than the third. 

"Jaylen Brown yelling at Malik Newman during McDonald's scrimmage: 'He ain't a point guard.' East team is talking some stuff," tweeted Scout.com's Evan Daniels on Tuesday. 

Of course, scouts will also be lined up to watch the big game Wednesday night. But a quiet performance in terms of stats may not equate to a wasted opportunity—depending on how that particular prospect fared the two days before.