mcdonalds all americans

SoCal High School & Prep Report

McDonald's All-American Nominees:
Many From SoCal--(January 29, 1998)

Most people have heard about the McDonald's All-American Basketball team. Few people though know how the teams and players are selected. Last year's games marked the 20th anniversary of the McDonald's All American High School Basketball Game, which is truly one of the best known and most important gathering of high school all-stars.

Over the past two decades, the McDonald’s All American Game has annually included the
country’s best high school seniors. Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Grant, Hill, Glenn Robinson, Isiah Thomas, Patrick Ewing, Kobe Bryant. They've all been McDonald’s All
Americans over the past 20 years.

Over 97 percent of McDonald’s All American’s go on to play in the NCAA. In fact, since 1979, at least one McDonald’s All American has contributed to an NCAA Championship including 1996 All American Mike Bibby of the National Champion Arizona Wildcats. In all, 51 alumni have claimed an NCAA title.

Currently, 116 of the past 460 Team members are playing in the NBA and 16 alumni have played on NBA championship teams. Eight gold medals earned from the 1992 and 1996 Olympics shine brightly for former McDonald’s All Americans Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Christian Laettner, Chris Mullin, Grant Hill, Shaquille O’Neal, and Glenn Robinson.

So how does the Selection Process work? Fifteen hundred outstanding senior basketball players nationwide are nominated each year by coaches and members of the media. Last year, the recommendations were forwarded to the selection committee headed by Morgan Wootten, head basketball coach at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. The selections were reviewed by members of the advisory committee, chaired by legendary former UCLA coach John Wooden.

This year, sixty-one SoCal high school basketball players -- including five from Westchester alone, and four from Ocean View High -- have been selected as candidates to fill out the 1998 McDonald's All American High School Basketball Team.

The SoCal nominees, including Victor Munoz of Harvard-Westlake, Tayshaun Prince, and others, are among a list of 1,500 prep basketball standouts nationwide nominated by the McDonald's All American Basketball Team Selection Committee.

The LA Times' locally published paper, the Daily Pilot, featured a small story today on several of the local Ocean View nominees, including center Kevin Hanson and forwards Jason Martini, Matt Kiemle, and David Hatch. As nominees, these players are in the running to be selected to the 20-member McDonald's All American Team, which will be announced in February.

Ocean View was just one of three Southern California high schools to have four players nominated, joining Compton and Dominguez. Westchester of Los Angeles led all schools with five players nominated.

McDonald's Chicago corporate office told the Pilot Tuesday that "a network of writers and scouts were used to identify top high school talent in each region of the United States. In addition, discussions with high school coaches were also held to learn more about each athlete, including their academic accomplishments".

SoCalHoops has contacted McDonald's and we are awaiting the arrival of the list of nominees from the SoCal area. As soon as we have it, you'll see it.

The 1998 McDonald's All American Game will be played March 25 before a live ESPN cable television audience from the Scope Cultural and Convention Center in Norfolk, Va.

The All-American Game is also used principally to benefit a children’s charity in the host city, with total funds raised surpassing $1 million. The benefactor of the 1997 All American Game was Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Colorado. This year it will be another charity in the Norfolk, Virginia area.