Release courtesy of McDonald’s / GolinHarris
OAK BROOK, Ill. (Jan. 29, 2014) – The McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games unveiled the official rosters for the 37th Annual Boys Game and 13th Annual Girls Game during today’s 2014 McDonald’s All American Games Selection Show on ESPNU. The nation’s top annual high school basketball all-star event will again be played at Chicago’s United Center on April 2. Net proceeds from the Games benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). The Games have raised more than $10 million for RMHC since 1978.
Link to both the boy’s and girl’s 2014 McDonald’s All-American teams
http://epkzone.com/2014allamericangames/media/2014_MCDAAG_Final_Team_Roster.pdf
This year’s Girls Team includes top ranked A’Ja Wilson (Heathwood Hall Episcopal School – Columbia, S.C.) along with five players from California and four from Texas. California participants include Jordin Canada (Windward School – Los Angeles, Calif.), Lajahna Drummer (Long Beach Polytechnic High School – Long Beach, Calif.), high school teammates, Mikayla Cowling (St. Mary’s College High School – Albany, Calif.) and Gabby Green (Saint Mary’s College High School – Albany, Calif.) and Mariya Moore (Salesian High School – Richmond, Calif.). The four Texas participants include Brianna Turner (Manvel High School – Manvel, Tex.), Ariel Atkins (Duncanville High School – Duncanville, Tex.), Recee’ Caldwell (FEAST Home School – San Antonio, Tex.), and Brooke McCarty (Clear Springs High School – League City, Tex.).
UCLA and their top ranked recruiting class lead the way with three selections to the 2014 squad. Eight other teams have two apiece while four teams lay claim to one each. Forward A’ja Wilson is the only unsigned player competing in Chicago this year. From a conference standpoint, the ACC set the bar high with seven participants, followed by the SEC with five and the Pac-12 with three. The state of California can claim top honors with five individuals. Texas followed with four while Ohio registered three.
The East
The West
Images by Mark Lewis / Blue Star Media
The Girls Game begins at 6:00 p.m. CT April 2, and will be televised live on ESPNU. Tickets to the 2014 McDonald’s All American Games are available now through Ticketmaster or charge-by-phone at 1-866-909-GAME. Tickets start at $10 and include free parking.
“The McDonald’s All American Games are where the elite players serve notice of what’s to come at the next level,” said Douglas Freeland, director of the McDonald’s All American Games.
“With the great success of last year’s players at the collegiate level this year, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for Chicago on April 2.”
This year’s teams were selected from the field of more than 1,000 Nominees by the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee, led by committee chairman, Morgan Wootten, legendary Hall-of-Fame basketball coach.
Since 1978, more than 1,150 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list of some of the top names in basketball history including, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker, Maya Moore and Elena Delle Donne.
The POWERADE® Jam Fest – featuring many of the McDonald’s All American Games players in a skills competition, three-point shootout and dunk contest – will be held at the Gerald Ratner Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Chicago on March 31. The competitions will air live at 8:00 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
The 2014 McDonald’s All American Boys Team features the consensus number one player in the country Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young – Chicago, Ill.), playing for the West Team against the East Team’s top big man Cliff Alexander (Curie High School – Chicago, Ill.). Tyler Ulis (Marian Catholic – Chicago Heights, Ill.) rounds out the Chicago trio. Okafor will square off against highly ranked centers Karl Towns, Jr. (St. Joseph High School – Metuchen, N.J.) and Myles Turner (Trinity High School – Euless, Tex.), one of five boys hailing from Texas. Other players with ties to the Lone Star state include Emmanuel Mudiay (Prime Prep Academy – Dallas, Tex.), Justin Jackson (Homeschool Christian – Tomball, Tex.), Justise Winslow (St. John’s High School – Houston, Tex.) and Kelly Oubre (Findlay Prep – Henderson, Nev.), originally from Richmond, Tex. Of the 24 Boys selected to the team, Kentucky and Duke have the most commitments, each with four. The Boys Game begins at 8:30 p.m. CT April 2, and will also be televised live on ESPN.
For more information about the McDonald’s All American Games, POWERADE Jam Fest or Game Week activities in Chicago, please visit www.mcdaag.com and follow us @McDAAG. Proud sponsors of the 2014 McDonald’s All American Games include POWERADE®, Coca Cola®, adidas®, American Family Insurance, THE ROCK®, Orbit® gum, Fathead®, Lids® and Athletico Physical Therapy.
About McDonald’s
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 26 million customers every day. Approximately 90 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent businessmen and women. Since 2011, McDonald’s Operators of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana have hosted the McDonald’s All American Games. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), an independent non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 58 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children’s programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-operated and supported programs provide access to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org, follow RMHC on Twitter (@RMHC), or like RMHC on Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHC Global).
