2025 Draft Watch: Thoughts on the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game
July 14th, 2024
By Alan Lu
This time around, I wanted to get a better feel for what the 2025 draft could look like, and in order to do so, I decided to watch the 2024 High School McDonald’s All-American game that was played on April 2nd, with thanks to YouTube via Swish to get a sense of what the top incoming freshmen can do on the floor all together. This starred Duke’s incoming freshman forward Cooper Flagg, who has been getting buzz to be the top pick and was excellent in the scrimmages against the US squad this summer. In this game, Dylan Harper and Derik Queen were named co-MVPs of this event, both of whom could end up being lottery picks in the 2025 draft. Here are my thoughts on how each of the prospects fared, as well as how their skills may translate to the NBA.
Ron Harper’s son, Dylan Harper scored 22 points and had 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and Derik Queen had 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, as they were named co-MVPs in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American game. (Photo: Kevin M. Cox/Associated Press, via NJ.com)
Now to be fair, this game won’t mean much in the 2025 draft rankings as the college basketball season progresses, and it especially may not factor much at all by the 2025 draft, but it’s a showcase that featured the best high school players in the country, and it is also a way so that I can analyze a lot of players quickly and help set my 2025 draft board to start the season. Also, for those that are interested in the box score of this game, the link is here, via the McDonald’s All American website.
Strong Performances (7)
Rutgers’ 6-6 incoming freshman swingman, Dylan Harper had a terrific, all-around performance to help the West in this game. He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor.
Harper shot the ball very well from all over the floor. He showed a knack for making pull-up jumpers from both beyond the arc and the mid-range, and he also made a spot-up three early on. He also excelled at scoring on quick, speedy drives to the hoop, and he also managed to score on a high-flying dunk. Plus, Harper also excelled at scoring in transition, and he would throw down highlight reel-worthy jams on the break. Every once in a while though, he would over-dribble and take tough, rushed shots in traffic that would lead to some misses, but Harper generally excelled at making shots on offense.
Harper also passed the ball very well. He showed a knack for making sharp interior passes as well as passes off the dribble, and Harper excelled at finding teammates on the move to rack up assists. He also was able to throw a lob pass on a give and go to help set up a score for a teammate on the break. Plus, Harper also took great care of the basketball, and he did not commit a single turnover in this game.
He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball. Harper would leap up to get tough boards on both ends of the floor, and he would sometimes push the pace off of defensive boards. Also, Harper defended well. He was able to swipe a ball away from an opponent to get a steal, and he also managed to block a put back due to possessing very good athleticism, timing, and instincts. He also was able to actively contest a three to force a miss. His only notable defensive miscue seemed to be when he pushed an opponent down on offense to commit a foul that time.
Overall, Dylan Harper had a tremendous showing to help his team in this game, and he showed off strong all-around skills for the West squad. He is a very talented prospect, and Harper will likely be a top 3 pick in the 2025 draft.
Maryland’s 6-10 incoming freshman center, Derik Queen also played very well to help the East get a narrow win over the West. He especially thrived as a low post scorer, passer, and rebounder to get his team the victory.
Queen is a strong finisher that would often score on powerful dunks and layups at the rim. He also showed a knack for scoring off of put backs and in transition. He was able to score on powerful dunks off of offensive rebounds, and he also showed the handles to be able to score on drives in transition. He also would draw free throws on rolls to the rim. He also attempted a baseline mid-range jumper, but he missed awkwardly that time.
He also showed off solid playmaking skills in this game. Queen is an unselfish player that passed the ball very well, as he excelled at finding cutters and throwing crisp passes on the break to notch assists. He does a good job of passing out of the post, and he would consistently find the open man to get his teammates the basketball. On the downside, he did commit one turnover, and on play, he attempted to drive to the hoop in transition, but ended up losing the ball out of bounds.
Also, Queen did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He was quite active at crashing the glass, and he led all players in rebounds with eight in this game. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. For the positives, Queen excelled at poking balls away from opposing ball handlers to get steals, and he also was able to intercept a pass to get another. He also managed to rotate to contest a shot off of a drive to force a miss. On the downside, he and his team would struggle to defend in screen situations, which would lead them to give up open baskets. Other times, he wouldn’t always run hard back on defense, and would sometimes not step up to contest shots when defending in screen situations, which would lead his team to allow scores.
Overall, Derik Queen put forth a solid performance to help his team get the win in this game. He is a skilled big man that can make plays out of the post and is an underrated passing big man. He will need to add a reliable outside shot, improve his lateral mobility, and be a more focused team defender on a consistent basis, but his ability to score, pass, and rebound combined with having solid size and athleticism could enable him to be a lottery pick in the 2025 draft.
Texas’ 6-6 incoming freshman swingman, Tre Johnson had an excellent showing to help the West in this game. He did a terrific job of knocking down threes in this game. Johnson showed a knack for making smooth, step-back threes, and he excelled at making dribble threes with range. He also was able to make a very deep three another time. Plus, Johnson was able to score on a turnaround, mid-range jumper in transition. He also appeared to score on a thunderous tip slam off of an offensive rebound another time.
Also, Johnson showcased solid playmaking skills. He excelled at making passes off the dribble and on the break, and he excelled at throwing very long outlet passes to find open teammates in stride. He did commit a couple of turnovers though, as he had a ball poked away from him once, and he also threw an errant pass that was intercepted another time.
Also, Johnson showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball, and he would crash the glass to get a handful of defensive boards. Plus, he also defended very well. Johnson was able to hound an opposing ball handler and poke a ball away to force a shot clock violation. He also made quick rotations and would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses.
Overall, Johnson had a fantastic performance to help the West. He is a very athletic, sharpshooting swingman that showed off strong all-around skills, and he could end up being a top 5 pick in the 2025 draft.
Syracuse’s 6-9 incoming freshman forward, Donnie Freeman is an athletic, smooth sharpshooter that excelled as a 3 and D guy in this game, and he played well overall. Freeman showed a knack for making spot-up threes off the catch. He was able to utilize a crafty pump fake to make a corner three. He also moved quickly off the ball to make another three-pointer. On the downside, he missed on a contested pull-up, mid-range jumper after utilizing a crossover move to get his shot off early on, but Freeman excelled as a three-point shooter on offense.
He showed off fairly average playmaking skills. Freeman was able to use a poewr dribble to make a drop off pass to find the open man once. On another play though, he drove to the hoop but threw an ill-advised jump pass that led to a passing turnover. Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, Freeman was able to get a defensive board in this game.
Also, Freeman defended well. He would get his hands on errant passes to help his team get steals. He also contested a three to force a miss. On the other hand, there was one play where he rotated to defend in the post, but wildly bit on the pump fake to commit a foul that time.
Overall, Donnie Freeman did a very good job of making shots and defending, and he is a smooth, skilled forward that could end up being a lottery pick in the 2025 draft.
Arizona State’s 6-9 incoming freshman forward Jayden Quaintance had a solid showing to help the East get the win over the West. He is an athletic, energetic player that excelled at making hustle plays, and while he didn’t take many shots, he was very efficient at making the shots he took on offense. Quaintance showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays. He would throw down powerful dunks off of cuts and in transition, and he would crash the glass to get offensive boards, which enabled him to use a dribble move to score on a put back. He also managed to use a pump fake to score on a quick, left-handed drive to show his ability to score off of the bounce.
He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Quaintance was able to push the pace and find a teammate ahead to notch an assist, and he also threw a long outlet pass to notch another. He did a good job of making passes on the break. On the other hand, he fell down on an offensive rebound in traffic, which led him to get the ball ripped away from him while he was on the ground that led to a turnover.
Quaintance did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball, and he is a high-motor forward that would constantly chase down balls to get numerous boards on both ends of the floor. Plus, he also defended very well. Quaintance showed a knack for poking balls away to get steals, and he also would get his hands on passes to collect other steals. He also managed to hustle back to poke a ball away on the break to force a ball-handling turnover. Plus, he also was able to rotate to alter a shot off of a drive to a teammate to get a stop another time. On one play though, he sagged too far off of a shooter, which led his team to give up a corner three score.
Overall, Jayden Quaintance is an athletic, high motor combo forward that excelled at making hustle plays, especially on the defensive end. He will need to be more assertive on offense and add a reliable jumper to his arsenal, but he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA, and he could end up being a first round pick in the 2025 draft.
Arkansas’ 6-2 incoming freshman point guard, Boogie Fland had a solid showing, as he is versatile shot making and solid offensive skills helped him on the floor in this game. He showed a solid ability to knock down threes and score off the dribble. Fland showed that he can knock down open, spot-up threes, and he also was able to pull up to knock down a three early on. He also excelled at scoring on quick drives in transition, and he also managed to score on a tip-in due to possessing a solid motor. On the downside, he would sometimes tend to take tough, dribble mid-range jumpers that would lead to misses.
He also passed and handled the ball well. Fland showed a solid ability to throw interior passes and to find teammates on the break to set up scores for them. On the downside, he threw a high interior pass that got deflected and intercepted once.
Also, he did a good job of rebounding the basketball. Fland also defended well. He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. He also would contest mid-range shots to force misses. Overall, Fland played well in this game, and he is an agile, skilled playmaker that could make an immediate impact at the collegiate level, and he could end up being a first round pick in the 2025 draft.
Arkansas’ 6-6 incoming freshman swingman, Karter Knox had a strong showing to help the West in this game. He showed a knack for scoring on strong, right-handed drives to the hoop. He also was able to maneuver around a throng of defenders to score on a smooth, crafty layup another time. Plus, Knox ran the floor to get the ball in order to knock down an open three off the catch. On the downside, he missed a couple of mid-range shots, but overall, Knox showed that he can make threes or score off the dribble with ease.
He didn’t look to pass the ball too often, but Knox showed that he can handle the basketball. While he didn’t grab many rebounds, he was able to fly in to get a defensive board once. Overall, Knox is an agile, skilled sharpshooter that can knock down a variety of shots. He will need to improve his playmaking and defensive skills, but his ability to score the basketball could enable him to be a first round pick in the 2025 draft.
Mixed Results (8)
Duke’s 6-9 incoming freshman, Cooper Flagg is a very athletic, skilled forward that was able to make energetic plays on both sides of the ball, but in this particular game, he didn’t shoot the ball as well as hoped. Flagg is normally a solid shooter that can shoot it really well from deep, and he was able to make a smooth pull-up three off the dribble in this game. However, he was too streaky with his jump shot, as he had trouble consistently knocking those shots down, and he also struggled to score consistently off the dribble or in traffic. Flagg excelled at scoring on fast breaks, as he was able to score on a strong drive in transition while getting an additional free throw, and he also threw down a powerful dunk on the break another time.
Flagg also showcased solid playmaking skills. He passed and handled the ball well, and he did a good job of finding the open man and finding teammates on the break to set up scores for them.
Plus, he also did a satisfactory job of rebounding the basketball. Flagg was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and sometimes he would push the pace off of defensive boards.
Also, Flagg defended very well. He is a rangy defender that makes crisp rotations. He was able to rotate to block a floater out of bounds, and he also was able to poke a ball to a teammate to help his team get a steal. He showed good lateral footwork to stay with opponents when defending off the dribble, and he would actively contest outside shots to force misses.
Overall, Flagg is a very talented prospect that has a lot of skills, and he is a high-upside prospect that could end up being the best prospect to come out of the 2025 draft, as he will start out the season atop the 2025 draft board. He also played well in the US scrimmage game, and if he reaches his ceiling, he could end up being a superstar in the NBA.
Baylor’s 6-5 incoming freshman guard V.J. Edgecombe had his ups and downs in this game for the West. He is an athletic slasher that can finish plays above the rim, and he also looked to be a terrific defender, but he will really need to improve his jump shot, and he was also quite turnover prone on offense.
Edgecome showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays. He would run the floor to score on fast breaks, as he was able to score on a high-flying, scintillating alley-oop dunk on a give and go, and he also caught a lob pass to score another time. He also was able to score on a quick, acrobatic layup off of a strong baseline drive to showcase his shot-creation skills. On the downside, he didn’t take many outside shots, and when he did, he missed a pull-up three badly. He also attempted to post up off of an offensive rebound, but he ended up missing on a turnaround jumper.
But while he looked to have the ball in his hands aplenty, Edgecombe was quite turnover prone. On one good play, he was able to make a drive and kick pass to find an open shooter. However, he would tend to handle the ball too loosely when pressured, which would lead him to get stripped to commit turnovers. Other times, he would throw inaccurate passes that would sail out of bounds.
Also, Edgecombe showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball. He was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he would actively crash the glass to get them. In addition, he defended really well in this game. Edgecombe showed a knack for hustling and rotating to block shots to teammates to help his team protect the paint. He also showed good lateral agility to stay with opposing ball handlers, and he would contest shots when defending off the dribble to force a wealth of misses.
(Source: X/@NoCeilingsNBA)
Overall, Edgecombe is a very talented prospect that has great athleticism, as well as very good shot-creation and defensive skills, and he has the physical tools, abilities, and the mentality to be a shutdown defender at the NBA level. He will need to improve his outside shot and take better care of the basketball, but he is a high-upside prospect that could end up being a lottery pick in the 2025 draft.
North Carolina’s 6-6 incoming freshman, Ian Jackson had a decent showing in this game. He is a very athletic, energetic swingman that excelled at making hustle plays, but he also took a lot of shots and struggled to knock down jumpers from the outside. But while he did score 21 points in this game, he also took 21 shots, so he wasn’t very efficient on offense.
Jackson showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays. He would often score on highlight-reel worthy plays on drives in transition, as he can score on crafty layups as well as on high-flying dunks. He also excelled at scoring on quick backdoor cuts, and he also was able to throw down a jam off of one.
On the downside, he struggled to consistently score on half-court drives. For the positives, he can use a patient hesitation move to score, but other times, he would take tough, rushed shots in traffic that would lead to misses. Jackson was able to make an open pull-up three once, but he really struggled to make threes consistently, particularly off the catch, and he also really struggled in trying to make mid-range shots.
He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Jackson generally excelled at making passes off the dribble and out of the post, and he excelled at finding teammates on the move to set up scores for them. He also was able to utilize a nifty crossover to get an opponent to fall due to possessing very good ball-handling skills. On the other hand, there was one play where he seemed to handle the ball very loosely before throwing an errant, inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds, as it looked to be primarily due to miscommunication.
While Jackson didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, he was able to leap up to get an offensive board once, as he will look to crash the offensive glass. He also defended very well. Jackson would poke balls away to get steals, and he also ran back to intercept pass to get a steal early on. He also would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to help force misses. There was one play where he got beat off the dribble on a quick drive to allow a score, but generally he did a very good job of defending in this game.
Overall, Ian Jackson had a fairly solid showing in his team’s win over the East. He is a scorer that showed off a versatile skill set, but he will need to improve his outside shot and shot selection. Still, he is a high-upside prospect that will be a player to watch, and North Carolina’s 6-6 incoming freshman could be a possible lottery pick for the 2025 draft.
John Bol had his ups and downs in his this game. He is a very athletic, 7-2 center that will be attending Ole Miss, and he showed a knack for throwing down powerful, thunderous dunks, as the second one came when he sprinted to score in transition. On the other hand, he didn’t show much in the way of one-on-one skills, as he had his shot blocked on a turnaround jumper from the post, and he also missed a baseline floater another time.
He didn’t seem to make any noteworthy passes, but Bol dropped a pass off of a short roll that led to a turnover. Though he didn’t get many rebounds for a player his size, Bol was able to get a board on each end of the floor. He also defended fairly well. Bol was able to defend an opposing ball handler on a baseline drive, and he showed solid lateral footwork and deflected a pass off of an opponent out of bounds to help his team get a steal.
Overall, John Bol is an intriguing prospect, as he is a very tall, athletic center that can make hustle plays on both ends of the floor. He’ll need to expand upon his skill set offensively and improve his rebounding, but he looks to be a high-upside prospect that could end up being a mid first round pick in 2025.
Kansas’ 6-9 incoming freshman big man, Flory Bidunga quietly had a decent showing to help the West in this game. While he seemed to have quite a limited role offense in this game, Bidunga thrived at making plays on the interior to help shore up the paint for his team on both ends of the floor.
He really excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He didn’t really look to go beyond himself or take risks on offense, and Bidunga was able to score on dunks and layups at the rim. He ran the floor to get the ball, which allowed him to score on a thunderous dunk. He also excelled as the roll man, and he was able to score on another rim-rocking jam.
Also, Bidunga did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he showed a knack for getting boards on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. For the positives, Bidunga was able to block a shot when defending in the post. He also would contest shots off the dribble to force some misses. However, sometimes he would be late to rotate or contest shots, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Another time, he got beat off the dribble, which led to his team to give up another basket.
Overall, Bidunga is a mobile rim protector that can make energetic hustle plays on both ends of the floor, and he is a very athletic forward that can play the center position. However, he will need to improve his skill set offensively moving forward. He is a bit undersized to play inside, but he could end up being a second round pick sometime in the future.
North Carolina’s 6-6 incoming freshman swingman, Drake Powell had his ups and downs in this game. He didn’t play very well on offense, as he was held scoreless, but he had a strong defensive game. On offense, he missed on shots off the dribble as well as from the outside, and he didn’t take many of them. On the upside, he passed and handled the ball well, and he showed a good ability to make passes off the dribble and in transition.
Powell rebounded the ball well. He also defended very well. He was able to intercept a pass and poke a ball away to get steals, and he also would actively contest shots to force misses. He did a good job of staying in front of his man as he has good lateral agility and footwork to do so, and he would apply constant pressure to help his team get stops.
Overall, Powell wasn’t able to score the basketball, but he is an athletic, energetic swingman that can pass and defend, and he has the potential to be a shutdown defender at the NBA level. He’ll need to improve his jump shot, but he is a team-oriented player and is a pesky defender that could end up being a second round pick in 2025.
Alabama’s 6-8 incoming freshman forward, Derreon Reid had his ups and downs for the West squad in this game. He is a fairly athletic, energetic combo forward that thrived as a shot blocker and at a making hustle plays, but he will need to improve his jump shot and playmaking skills.
On offense, Reid excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to score on a quick running layup off the dribble. Plus, he also managed to score on a tip-in. However, he missed on a fadeaway turnaround jumper from the post, and he also missed an open three-pointer another time.
However, he was very turnover prone on offense. He would throw inaccurate passes that would go astray, and he also had a ball stolen away from him when handling it that led to another turnover.
Reid did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. He also defended well. Reid was a shot blocking presence that would rotate to swat shots to help his team protect the paint. However, he tried to block a put back once, but was called for the foul that time.
Overall, Darrion Reid is a mobile, energetic shot blocking forward whose defense is ahead of his offense right now. He will need to expand upon his skill set offensively, but he is a talented prospect that could end up being a second round pick in the 2025 draft.
Trent Perry didn’t take many shots, but he quietly had a satisfactory showing in this game. UCLA’s 6-4 incoming freshman guard wasn’t featured much, but he showed his shotmaking abilities when he hoisted up shots. Perry was able to use a stutter step, hesitation move to score on a tough, fallaway layup off the dribble. He also utilized a pump fake and showed solid footwork to knock down a smooth, pull-up three. Perry is a smooth scorer that projects to be a three-level scorer, and he was able to make a tough shot with range.
As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. Perry can make drive and kick passes to find open shooters. However, he didn’t notch an assist in this game, and he committed one turnover, where he dribbled the ball too high and loose, which allowed a defender to steal the ball away from him. Also, Perry did not grab a rebound in this game. He also defended fairly well. Perry was able to successfully draw a charge on a drive. He also rotated to alter a shot off of a drive. On another play though, he was late to close out on a shooter, which led his team to give up a three-point basket.
Overall, Perry is a promising, sharpshooting combo guard that showed shot-making skills and above average athletic gifts, but he will need to do more than make shots as a low to moderate usage player in order to move up draft boards. He’ll need to show NBA teams that he can consistently run the point, and he’ll need to consistently shoot the ball well this season. Still, he is a talented prospect that could end up being a second round pick in a future NBA draft.
Lackluster Performances (8)
Ace Bailey is a very athletic, energetic swingman that showed some playmaking skills and a promising jump shot, but he didn’t shoot the ball well overall, and he was quite turnover prone in this game.
Bailey was able to score on a put back due to making a solid hustle play. He also was able to make a smooth, step-back mid-range jumper early on, and he showed that he can knock down that difficult shot and make it look easy. On the downside, he struggled to make pull-up jumpers from the mid-range or beyond the arc, and Bailey missed all of his three-point shots.
He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. Bailey can throw crisp passes to find teammates on the move, and he is an unselfish player that can make passes off the dribble and in transition to help set up scores for his teammates. On the downside, he tended to force the issue too much on offense, which led him to be turnover prone. He would sometimes tend to throw inaccurate passes that would go astray. Other times, he would over-dribble and either would get balls poked away or would lose the ball to commit other turnovers.
Also, he showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball, and Bailey was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. He also defended well. Bailey would chase down loose balls to help his team get steals, and he also would contest outside shots to force misses. On the other hand, there was one play where he rotated but bit on a pump fake, which led his team to give up a dunk at the rim.
Overall, Ace Bailey is a very tall, athletic playmaker that can make a variety of plays on offense, but he will need to improve his jump shot and decision-making skills on offense. It may be too early to tell where he will end up in the 2025 draft, but he is a very talented prospect that has the potential to end up being a lottery pick in the future if he can cobble together a solid season in college basketball.
Indiana’s 6-6 freshman swingman, Bryson Tucker had his ups and downs in this game. Tucker didn’t take many shots, but he was able to make a deep three-pointer from beyond the arc. On the downside, he also missed a contested turnaround jumper from the mid-range another time.
He didn’t show much in the way of playmaking skills, but there was one play where he committed a charging foul when he attempted to drive in from the baseline. Tucker didn’t grab any rebounds in this game. Also, he was active defensively. Overall, Tucker didn’t show very much in this game, but he is an athletic swingman that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.
Duke’s 6-6 incoming freshman swingman, Isaiah Evans had a lackluster game, as he was held scoreless. He missed all of his threes, regardless if they were off the catch or dribble. He missed on a dunk on an aggressive drive to the hoop. He also got his shot blocked when attempting to score on a drive in transition another time.
On the other hand, he passed the ball well. Evans showed that he can make passes off the dribble and in transition, and he was able to throw a long outlet pass to set up a score once. Also, he showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball. He also defended fairly well, and he was able to jump on a loose ball to help his team get a steal.
Overall, Evans is an athletic swingman that can pass and defend, but he will need to improve his jump shot and ability to score the basketball. Currently, he may project to go in the second round of the 2025 draft.
Aiden Sherrell had a lackluster showing in this game. Alabama’s 6-10 incoming freshman big man was terrible on offense in this game. He missed all of his three-pointers, even though he had ample time and space to shoot them off the catch. He was able to roll to get the ball in the post, but then had the ball stolen away from him to commit a turnover.
He didn’t grab many rebounds, but he was able to get a pair of defensive boards in this game. Sherrell was much better defensively, and he generally defended well. Sherrell did a great job of rotating and defending in the paint to block shots, and he also was able to leap up to deflect a pass out of bounds. He showed good instincts, and he would contest shots off the dribble to force misses. On the other hand, sometimes he would be late on his rotations or would be out of position, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.
Overall, Sherrell didn’t have his best game, but he is an athletic shot blocker that shows promise as a rim protector, and if his jump shot comes around, he could add a stretch component to a team on offense. He’ll need to continue to improve, but currently, he projects to be a second round prospect for the 2025 draft.
Arizona’s 6-8 incoming freshman forward, Carter Bryant didn’t have a great game, but he was able to block a shot when he was on the defensive end. He didn’t shoot the ball very well nor take many shots, but Bryant was able to use a pump fake to make a baseline mid-range jumper off the dribble. However, he missed a long two from off the dribble, and he also had his shot blocked another time on the break. He also missed both of the corner threes that he took on offense.
As a playmaker, he looked to be about average. Bryant was able to push the pace to throw a skip pass to set up a score for a teammate in transition. However, he also was a bit turnover prone. He threw a long, up for grabs pass that went out of bounds, and he also had a ball poked off of him when handling it on the break that led to another turnover.
Bryant did a good job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well, and Bryant was able to block a three-point shot to get a stop that time. Overall, Bryant didn’t play very well, but he is an agile forward whose defense is ahead of his offense right now, and if he can improve his jump shot, he could project into a 3 and D role in the future.
Miami (Fl)’s 6-4 incoming freshman guard, Jalil Bethea had a lackluster showing in this game. He didn’t show a whole lot of offensive skills, and he seemed to only be an average athlete. He was very passive, but he was able to make a quick three early on. However, he missed on pull-up threes as well as on a put back. He also didn’t pass the ball very well overall. He was able to push the pace and kick it out to an open shooter to set up a score on the break. However, he tended to throw inaccurate passes that led to turnovers.
Bethea rebounded the ball well. He hauled in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, as he would chase down offensive rebounds, and he also would sometimes push the ball up the court off of defensive rebounds. On the other hand, there was one play where he was too aggressive on the defensive end, and he fouled a jump shooter on a long two that led his team to give up a score and an extra free throw.
Overall, Bethea played very poorly, and he didn’t shoot or pass the ball very well in this game. On the other hand, he won the 2024 McDonald’s All-American dunk contest, so he could be a prospect to watch sometime in the future.
UConn’s 6-8 incoming freshman forward, Liam McNeeley didn’t make much of an impression in this game, as he scored just two points on six shots, and did not make a field goal in this game. He is only an average athlete, and but he was able to make some team plays to help his team at times.
He missed all of his outside shots, and he struggled to make them off the catch or dribble. He also had one of his three-point shots blocked, and he couldn’t get into a rhythm in this game. McNeeley also had one of his put back attempts blocked. On a positive note, he was able to draw free throws on a put back due to making a good hustle play that time.
Also, McNeeley did a good job of passing the basketball, and he would throw timely passes to find the open man and make passes off the dribble to get the ball to his teammates. He generally looked to be a good decision-maker when he would look to pass, and he showed that he can pass and handle the ball. Plus, he also did a good job of rebounding the basketball, especially on offense. He also defended fairly well. He was able to rotate to alter a shot off of a drive in transition to force a miss. Another time though, he got beat off the dribble, which led his team to give up the basket.
Overall, McNeeley did not play very well, and he will need to show that he can reliably knock down shots and score to move up draft boards in 2025. This setting probably wasn’t the best showcase for him, but he could be a prospect to watch if he plays well in college basketball.
Washington’s 6-4 guard, Zoom Diallo also did not play well in this game. He didn’t do much on offense, as he was held scoreless, and he was also highly turnover prone. He missed a couple of pull-up jumpers from the mid-range, and he didn’t show much in this game. Diallo was able to make some solid drive and kick passes, but that was negated by inaccurate passes that led to turnovers, and he also had a ball poked away from him that led to another.
He didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, but he was able to get a defensive board once. He also seemed to defend fairly well. Diallo was able to jump on a loose ball to help his team get a steal. Overall though, Diallo didn’t do much of anything in this game, and this didn’t really showcase much of his skills. He showed a little bit of playmaking and defensive skills, but he will need to improve his jump shot, shot selection, and decision-making skills on offense. He will need time to hone his game, but if so, he could end up being a possible second round pick in a future NBA draft.
Other Notes:
(Source: X/@ChrisForsberg_)
Cooper Flagg was very impressive in the US scrimmage game, and his performance in the scrimmage game was fantastic. He was making threes off the catch and dribble, he made a smooth, turnaround jumper out of the post, and he also flew in to score on a put back. Flagg showed off good athleticism, energy, as well as sharpshooting and scoring prowess as he more than held his own against a really good squad that featured some of the very best NBA players in today’s game. These clips will definitely get people hyped for the 2025 draft, and the early read on Flagg is that he is a tremendous prospect that has the potential to be an NBA superstar in the future.
All in all, those are my thoughts on the 2024 McDonald’s All-American game, as well as on how Flagg performed in the Team USA scrimmages. Thanks for reading.