McDonald's All-American Game 2015: Players to Watch from East and West Rosters
For 38 years, the McDonald's All-American Game has been a premier exhibition of the best high school basketball talent in North America. On Wednesday, April 1, 24 of the best prep players will take the United Center court in Chicago to show off their skills one last time before heading to their respective colleges or future hoops endeavors.
Here's a look at the rosters for the East and West squads.
| Dwayne Bacon | SF | 6'6" | Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia) | Florida State |
| Antonio Blakeney | G | 6'4" | Oak Ridge (Orlando, Florida) | LSU |
| Isaiah Briscoe | PG | 6'3" | Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) | Kentucky |
| Jaylen Brown | SF | 6'7" | Wheeler (Marietta, Georgia) | Undecided |
| Thomas Bryant | C | 6'10" | Huntington Prep (Huntington, West Virginia) | Undecided |
| Cheick Diallo | PF | 6'9" | Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.) | Undecided |
| Henry Ellenson | PF | 6'10" | Rice Lake (Rice Lake, Wisconsin) | Marquette |
| Jawun Evans | PG | 6'0" | Justin F. Kimball (Dallas, Texas) | Oklahoma State |
| Luke Kennard | G | 6'5" | Franklin (Franklin, Ohio) | Duke |
| Dedric Lawson | PF | 6'8" | Hamilton (Memphis, Tennessee) | Memphis |
| Ben Simmons | PF | 6'9" | Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida) | LSU |
| Diamond Stone | C | 6'10" | Dominican (Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin) | Undecided |
| Carlton Bragg | PF | 6'9" | Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland) | Kansas |
| Jalen Brunson | PG | 6'1" | Adlai E. Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Illinois) | Villanova |
| Deyonta Davis | PF | 6'9" | Muskegon (Muskegon, Michigan) | Michigan St. |
| P.J. Dozier Jr. | PG | 6'6" | Spring Valley (Columbia, South Carolina) | South Carolina |
| Brandon Ingram | SF | 6'8" | Kinston (Kinston, North Carolina) | Undecided |
| Chase Jeter | C | 6'10" | Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) | Duke |
| Malik Newman | G | 6'3" | Callaway (Jackson, Mississippi) | Undecided |
| Ivan Rabb | PF | 6'10" | Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, California) | Undecided |
| Malachi Richardson | SF | 6'6" | Trenton Catholic Academy (Trenton, N.J.) | Syracuse |
| Caleb Swanigan | C | 6'8" | Homestead (Fort Wayne, Indiana) | Undecided |
| Allonzo Trier | G | 6'4" | Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nevada) | Arizona |
| Stephen Zimmerman | C | 7'0" | Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) | Undecided |
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Players to Watch
Malik Newman
A 6'3", springy guard, Malik Newman has elite off-the-dribble moves. He reminds me a bit of the Los Angeles Clippers' Jamal Crawford. Newman is currently undecided as it pertains to college, but Chris Fisher of 247Sports predicts Newman will land with the Kentucky Wildcats.
If that happens, the rich will continue to get richer, as Newman is currently the No. 4-ranked prospect in the nation, per 247Sports.
Newman's showmanship, hops and handles could make him an exciting attraction at the McDonald's game.
Stephen Zimmerman
While he might look like Alan Ruck from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Stephen Zimmerman is not to be slept on.
With above-average athleticism and length, Zimmerman is one of the best big men prospects in the country. He's currently rated No. 9 by 247Sports, but a strong showing in Chicago might boost his stock.
He already put on a show at the event's annual slam dunk contest. Despite his near 7-foot frame, Zimmerman hammered down windmills and leapt over the head of fellow All-American Jalen Brunson for a slam.
You can see Zimmerman's best dunks during the contest in the video below from City League Hoops TV.
He's also undecided on his college choice, but something tells me coaches will increase their pursuit of the young man from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas after Wednesday night.
Dwayne Bacon
Hailing from the legendary Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, the Florida State-bound Dwayne Bacon has already made his presence felt in Chicago. He won the slam dunk contest on Monday and would love to follow that up with a strong performance in the game on Wednesday.
He's ranked 17th in the nation, but the 6'6", 190-pound guard doesn't lack confidence.
He plays with a swagger that will earn him some oohs and aahs on the floor. We'll see if he has any more nasty slams left in his arsenal after the dunk contest.
Ben Simmons
Last, but not least, is Ben Simmons, the top-rated player in the country. Simmons has drawn comparisons to Tracy McGrady from NBADraft.net. While watching Simmons play, the first word that comes to mind is "smooth."
He makes everything look so easy. Whether he's around the basket or on the perimeter, Simmons is efficient and deadly. He and fellow Floridian Antonio Blakeney are headed to Baton Rouge to play for the LSU Tigers when the college basketball season begins.
Thanks to their recruitment, it seems Kentucky might have some stiff competition in the SEC next season.
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