Every year 24 of the best high school seniors come together to compete at the McDonald’s All American Game in Chicago. Last year, I was able to talk to guys like De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson and more, who went from being high school seniors to college stars and are now just months away from being top 10 NBA picks. So, listen to me when I tell you that the players I’m about to tell you about will become household names come by March Madness of next year.
This extremely talented group works really hard on the court, but as soon as practice ends, they certainly have some fun. Whether it’s arguing over who’s going to win the national championship next year or just joking around with each other, all you have to do is hand these guys a mic, and it’s pure entertainment. Towards the end of the Media Day about eight guys were huddled around one mic and one camera. Mizzou’s Michael Porter is laughed at by the Kentucky squad when he tells them they will lose to Missouri next year, and that Porter will “Drop 40 [points] on them.” Trae Young makes a promise that his Oklahoma Sooner’s will take home the Big 12 crown, but immediately gets flushed out by the Duke and Kentucky commits telling him he won’t make the tournament. It was definitely an entertaining scene to be apart of, but all created by the respect and admiration the kids have for each other.
While each player is an accomplished star, here are a few standouts I had the opportunity to chat with:
Wendell Carter (Duke)
The big man out of Pace Academy really stood out to me in the practice today, his footwork and intangibles as a post player, on offense and defense, are exceptional. Carter also recently had his hair dyed blue (either for Duke or his school Pace Academy) so I had to ask him if he has plans of bringing it back for the season next year. He says that if he doesn’t cut it off by then then he’ll “definitely consider” bringing back the smurf top, and no that is not his name for it. He also loves listening to the rapper Future and told me he prefers the album FUTURE over HNDRXX, which is a big controversy in the music industry.
Gary Trent Jr. (Duke)
Let’s just start off by saying that Trent was probably my favorite interview of the day. He was as energetic and entertaining as anyone there, but also remained very humble. The Duke signee is also a killer on the court, with NBA size at his position, Trent can body his defender to get the shot he wants. He also is always hustling for rebounds and loose balls to round out his game. Trent is a Drake fanatic and told me that, “Every project [Drake] puts out is a classic,” he included that his favorite track off “More Life” (Drake’s latest project) is “Blem.”
Jarred Vanderbilt (Kentucky)
Known as the jokester with this group, off the court the Kentucky commit is always looking to have fun. But on the court, he’s all business. He’s very athletic for his height and has the slashing ability to take him to the next level. The only question is his outside shot, but that was not an issue today. Vanderbilt shot the ball extremely well from behind the arc and from midrange. That being said, Vanderbilt is a very intriguing prospect who should make a big impact at the next level. He also told me he tries to make sure, “No one is too serious,” and continued to say that some people here, “Just need a joke to lighten their mood.”
Quade Green (Kentucky)
Green is one of my favorite players in the entire class for two reasons. First, his personality off the court, and second, his game on the court. The Kentucky signee’s personality is one of a kind, he is always laughing and smiling, and always trying to have a good time. Last night during the Jam Fest you may have spotted Green walking around with a film camera for MaxPreps, it looked like he was having the time of his life capturing the up close action, and when I asked him about it, he replied with, “I was just trying to have fun and help everyone else have a good time.” And that quote describes a big part of his game on the court too. In my eyes, he is one of the last of the dying breed of “True Point Guards.” He is always creating for others and is very efficient. Seeing his teammates score and knowing he helped to facilitate the success is what motivates him. That is one of his versions of “fun.” Just like seeing everyone talking to his video camera puts a smile on his face. Assuming the departure of De’Aaron Fox, the Wildcats are still in good hands with Green, there is no doubt in my mind that he will lead that team next year.
Lonnie Walker (Miami)
To me, Walker was the biggest surprise of this morning’s practice, in a really good way. I knew he could play, but I had never seen him play in person, and the Miami signee absolutely blew me away today. There was a time where Walker had hit five straight threes in a row, two of them were even contested step backs. Walker is a really good scorer who is determined to put his hometown of Reading, PA back on the map. He told me he stayed in Reading instead of going to a prep school to, “Inspire the youth, make them believe that they can excel at anything they want to, wether it’s athletics or academics.” In my eyes, there’s no stopping Lonnie Walker, he is definitely a name to remember.
Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri)
The number one player in the country certainly lived up to his hype this week. There is absolutely ZERO ceiling for Porter, he’s listed at 6’10” but has the speed and handle of a guard and can shoot with the best of them. He had to fight off the trash talk from all the Kentucky guys that were saying, “Were gonna blow Mizzou out next year, by 50” but there’s no doubt that even if Mizzou gets blown out, Porter will showcase what he can do. He never shies away from the moment and is almost unguardable. And if you’ve seen Porter on TV, you may have noticed he has a clean cut every time he’s on ESPN, so I had to ask him about it. I asked him if it was a routine to get a shape up the day before he plays on TV, he started hysterically laughing and responded saying that he actually goes to the barber every Friday, take note everyone.
Trae Young (Oklahoma)
Another hometown kid, Trae Young lives and breathes Norman, Oklahoma, literally. Known by some as “Little Steph Curry” and I know you may think it’s a stretch, but it is absolutely valid. Young and Curry both play with that one of a kind swagger. The Oklahoma kid has one of the best handles in the class and has by far the purest jump shot, as he showcased in the three point contest last night. Back in Norman, Young is a bit of a celebrity. He was backstage at the Migos concert a couple of weeks ago which he said was a, “Really cool experience.” He also has a relationship with former Oklahoma star Buddy Hield that he described to me as, “Bigger than basketball.” Previously, Young has talked to me about his special relationship with Kevin Durant and how he is lucky enough to be able to seek his advice as well.
Collin Sexton (Alabama)
Known by his family and friends as the “Young Bull” why? Because he’s “Young and a bully on the court”… it’s as simple as that. And, Sexton is absolutely a bully on the court. Before last year’s EYBL, Sexton was not touted as anywhere near a McDonald’s All American, but that was only because they hadn’t seen enough of the Young Bull. He went on to average over 30 points in EYBL which would earn him invites to USA Basketball, the McDonald’s All American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and many more top tier events. He described the surreal jump to stardom as, “A blessing.” You can also tell just by watching him that he is a true competitor, every time he misses a shot he has a look on his face that reads, “I just need that shot back.” He wants to be the best he can be, and with his skill, there’s no limit.
Chuck O’Bannon Jr. (USC)
O’Bannon definitely comes from what we like to call a “Basketball Family,” the son of Chuck O’Bannon Sr. and the nephew of Ed O’Bannon, who are both in the UCLA Hall of Fame. Which, makes it even more interesting that “Chuck Breezy” as his friends and family call him, decided to be a USC Trojan next year. Anyways, Chuck Jr. definitely made a name for himself today, he attacked the rim with purpose and strength, while stretching the floor and knocking down some three balls. I’m sure Big Chuck had some helpful tips for Chuck Breezy, but he more than held his own today.
Brandon McCoy (Undecided)
I got the pleasure of sitting next to McCoy’s Mom during the practice today, and like mother like son, they both have great personalities. McCoy shined on court this morning, banging down low with the big guys, but also becoming a matchup nightmare, showing his ability to stretch his range all the way out to the three point line. The 5-star big man is still undecided and when I asked him what he was looking for he said, “A family, and a Coach who believes in me.” Just about every school I know I’m sure would love to have McCoy on campus, but we’ll have to see which one he loves back. The future is bright for McCoy and hopefully he can reach his dream of checking his favorite player Karl Anthony-Towns in the league.
Mo Bamba (Undecided)
The most reflective player at the event was definitely the New York native, Mo Bamba. The 5-star looked and talked like he belonged at Harvard and was easily one of the most intriguing people to talk to at the event. On the court, Bamba is a beast. Listed at 6’11”, Bamba knows how to use every single inch of his length to block shots and finish around the rim. As a Michigan fan, I told him a couple of times that we’d love to have him, he laughed and enjoyed the praise. Imagine having two big men (Bamba and Mo Wagner), both named Mo, from opposite sides of the world, that would be epic.
MJ Walker (Undecided)
This one is for all you Maryland fans, Walker is the Terps top target for the class of 2017. He is extremely versatile on offense, Walker has the outside shot, and the athleticism to make him a legit scorer at the next level. He told me that he “Loves the system that Turgeon runs [at Maryland]” and that Turgeon really wants him to come up for an official visit to see what the school is all about. This would be a huge pickup for the Terps if Walker picks Maryland on decision day.
You can catch all these guys tomorrow night on ESPN at 7 ET in the McDonald’s All American Game!