Future Watch: Thoughts on the 2026 McDonald’s High School All-Star Game

July 15th, 2026

By Alan Lu

This time around, I decided to watch the 2026 McDonald’s High School All-American game that was played on March 31st, with thanks to YouTube via SportsCenter Next and ESPN.  It was a fast-paced game, and Jason Crowe and Caleb Holt ended up being named co-MVPs of this event.  Here are my thoughts on how they and other prospects fared in this game. Also, thanks to Dinos Trigonis for providing the link to the box score.

Strong Performances:

Caleb Holt had a strong showing to help lead the West to get the win in this game.  He is a 6-5 incoming freshman that will play at Arizona, and he really excelled offensively to help his team get the victory.

Holt did a great job of making pull-up threes, and he has deep range on his shot.  He also was able to quickly score on a left-handed drive to the hoop.  Plus, he also did a good job of passing and handling the basketball, and he made a variety of passes to set up scores for his teammates.  In addition, he also rebounded the ball very well.

In general, Caleb Holt is an agile, very skilled guard that has a variety of skills that could prove to be useful at the NBA level, and he projects to be a likely lottery pick in the 2027 draft, as he could end up being a solid starter in the NBA.

Jason Crowe Jr. also played very well to help lead the West to get the win.  He is an athletic 6-3 point guard that will play for Missouri, and he did a great job of attacking the rim to score the basketball, and he also passed the ball really well.

Crowe showed a knack for scoring on crafty drives to the hoop, and he has good balance, agility, and touch to consistently finish plays around the basket.  He also showed a knack for scoring in transition, and he also was able to throw down a dunk.  Plus, he passed the ball really well, and he did a great job of making outlet passes and throwing lobs to set up scores for teammates on the break.

He also defended fairly well.  He was able to apply solid ball pressure to help force some turnovers.  Sometimes though, he wouldn’t stay in front of his man, which would occasionally lead his team to allow a score.

In summary, Jason Crowe had a solid showing, and he is a talented prospect that could end up being a likely lottery pick in the 2027 draft.

Jordan Smith Jr. is a very athletic, 6-2 point guard that will play at Arkansas.  He had a strong all-around game, and he quietly played very well for the East.

Smith did a great job of scoring on quick, fleet-footed drives to the hoop.  He has a very good first step, and he can consistently finish plays in traffic.  Plus, he also made a pull-up three, although he didn’t quite shoot as well from the outside.

Also, Smith generally passed and handled the ball well.  He can find teammates on the move, and he can throw a lob pass to set up a score for a teammate.  He also rebounded the ball very well.  Plus, he also defended well.  Smith would intercept passes to get steals.  On one play though, he lost track of a cutter to allow a score.

Overall, Jordan Smith played very well, and he had a very good all-around showing to help the East.  He is a very athletic playmaker that can excel on both ends of the floor, and he could end up being a top 5 pick in the 2027 draft.

Toni Bryant is a very athletic, 6-9 forward that will play for Missouri, and he played well for the East.  He shot the ball well, especially from the outside.  He showed a knack for making spot-up threes, and he has a crafty pump fake that can draw defenders in the air.  He also managed to score on a pull-up, mid-range jumper, and he used a spin move to score on a cut in traffic. 

Plus, he also showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays, and he also would throw down dunks from the post as well as in transition.  But sometimes, he would sometimes struggle to finish plays in traffic.  Bryant also passed the ball well, and he is an unselfish player that would keep the ball moving.  Aso, he was able to haul in some defensive rebounds.  He also defended well, and he would use his length to contest and block shots.  Every once in a while though, he would struggle to stay in front of his man, which would lead his team to give up a basket.

Overall, Bryant quietly had a solid showing in this game, and his blend of athleticism, skill set, and upside could enable him to be a lottery pick in the 2027 draft.

JJ Andrews is a very athletic 6-7 forward that will play at Arkansas.  He did a very good job of scoring and rebounding the basketball.  He showed a knack for scoring on high-flying dunks on the break.  He also made a three.  He also did a decent job of scoring off the dribble, as he has some handles and can finish plays in traffic.  Sometimes though, he can struggle to score in traffic, which led to some misses.

Plus, he also rebounded the ball very well.  Overall, Andrews is a very athletic forward that played very well for the East, and he could end up being a likely lottery pick in the 2027 draft.

Jaxon Richardson is a very athletic, 6-6 swingman that will play at Alabama, and he did a great job of scoring the basketball to help the East in this game.  Richardson showed a knack for finishing plays in transition. He would soar to score on high-flying dunks, he has great hands to catch lobs to score on jams, and he also would drive in to finish plays at the rim.  In addition, Richardson was able to score on a tip-in.

Plus, he also generally passed the ball well.  Richardson showed that he can make an assortment of passes and can make timely reads to set up scores for his teammates.  He also defended well, as he would get his hands on balls to help get steals and deflections, and Richardson was able to block a shot.

Overall, Richardson is a very athletic swingman that showed a knack for making hustle plays.  Plus, he also won the 2026 Sprite Jam Fest Dunk Contest, a significant feat that shows his great athletic gifts. He’ll need to improve his jump shot, but he is the son of former NBA star guard Jason Richardson, and Jaxon Richardson is a high upside prospect that could end up being a lottery pick in 2027.

Quinn Costello is a 6-10 forward that will play for Michigan, and he helped the West get the win.  He is an agile, skilled player that shot the ball well, as he showed a knack for making outside shots, and he can do so both off the catch and dribble. He also ran the floor to score on a reverse layup.

Plus, he is a crafty player that excelled at making outlet passes to set up scores for his teammates.  He also generally rebounded and defended well.  He would get his hands on balls to get steals.  Overall, Costello is a big, mobile forward that could project into a 3 and D role, and he could end up being a first round pick in 2027.

Mixed Bag:

Caleb Gaskins is a 6-8 forward that will play for the Miami Hurricanes, and he had his ups and downs in this game for the West.  He was able to make a variety of shots, as he can spot up to make shots from the outside, and he also would run the floor to score on the break.  He even managed to throw down a high-flying dunk in this game.

He also was able to drive in to make a drop-off pass to get an assist.  However, he would struggle to stay in front of his man, and sometimes he would bite on pump fakes, which would lead him to give up baskets.  Overall, Gaskins is a versatile scorer that can pass and handle the basketball, but he’ll need to improve his rebounding and defense, but his skill set, athleticism, and upside could enable him to be a first round pick in 2027.

Christian Collins is a very athletic, 6-9 forward that will play for USC, and he had a decent showing to help the West get the win.  He can score the basketball in a variety of ways.  Collins would frequently score on hustle plays, as he drove up court to score in transition, and he also caught a lob to score on a high-flying, alley-oop dunk.  He also scored on a thunderous dunk off of a cut.  On the downside, he missed all of the three-pointers he took in this game.

He also made a nifty, behind-the-back pass out of the high post to find a cutter to notch an assist.  He also poked a ball away to get a steal defensively.  Overall, Collins is a big-time athlete and has a lot of potential, but he will need to improve his jump shot.  Still, he is a talented prospect that could end up being a first round pick in the 2027 draft.

Latrell Allmond is a very athletic, 6-8 forward that will play for Oklahoma State, and he showed a knack for making hustle plays on both ends of the floor.  He would score on thunderous dunks on fast breaks.  He also was able to make a drive and dish to find a cutter to notch an assist.  He also has great timing, and he would block shots inside to help his team protect the paint.

Overall, Allmond is a very athletic, energetic forward that is a high-motor player, but he’ll need to improve his jump shot.  Still, he is a talented prospect that could end up being a first round pick if he can have a breakthrough season in college basketball, and he could be an intriguing Tari Eason-level of a defensive stopper at the NBA level.

Cameron Williams is an athletic, 6-11 skilled forward that will play for Duke.  He showed off a variety of skills, even if it didn’t necessarily show up in the box score.  He showed a knack for running the floor to score on high-flying dunks.  He also made an open three-pointer.  Sometimes though, he would take tough shots that would lead to misses, and he also didn’t actually shoot as well from the outside overall.

He also passed and handled the ball well.  He has good court vision, and he would make a variety of moves to find ways to make creative passes to get assists. He also set an on-ball screen to help a teammate get an open jump shot to set up a score for him.

He also was able to get some rebounds. Williams also was able to intercept a pass to get a steal.  On one play though, he was late to close out, and then got beat off the dribble to allow a score.

Overall, Cameron Williams is a talented 6-11 forward that has very intriguing offensive skills.  He’ll need to be a more consistent player on both ends of the floor, but his vast talent level and skill set could enable him to be a lottery pick in 2027.

Tyran Stokes is an athletic, skilled 6-7 forward that will play for Kansas, and he also helped the West get the win in this game.   Though he struggled to score efficiently in this game, he was able to attack the hoop to score the basketball.  He excels at scoring on drives and fast breaks.  Stokes is a gifted ball handler that was able to use a creative set of ball-handling moves, and he can score on crafty layups around the basket.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to finish plays in traffic, and he also didn’t shoot well from the outside at all.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills.  Stokes did a good job of throwing long outlet passes to find teammates on the break, though sometimes he would force difficult passes that would result in turnovers.

Also, Stokes rebounded the blal really well.  He also defended well.  He would get his hands on balls to help his team get steals, and he also hustled back to block a shot to a teammate.  On the downside, he and his teammate struggled to defend a backcut off of a screen situation once, which led their team to give up a basket.

Overall, Stokes is a talented prospect whose point forward skills makes him an intriguing prospect. He’ll need to improve his jump shot, but his feel for the game and skill set could enable him to be a lottery pick in 2027.

Arafan Diane had a decent showing for the West to help them get the win.  He’s a very athletic, seven footer tall center that will play for the Houston Cougars, and he was very efficient as a scorer and excelled as a rebounder in this game. 

Diane showed a knack for scoring on powerful put back slams, and he also made a mid-range jumper.  Plus, he rebounded really well.  On the downside, he would tend to struggle to stay in front of his man, and sometimes he and his team would struggle to defend in screen situations, which would lead them to allow scores.

Overall, Diane played fairly well in his team’s win, and he is an intriguing prospect that could end up being a first round pick in the 2027 draft.

Austin Goosby is an athletic, 6-4 guard that will play at Texas, and he had a fairly solid showing to help the West get the win.  He especially excelled at scoring on fast breaks, as he would catch lobs and score on high-flying dunks.  He also would jump on loose balls to get steals.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to stay in front of his man or overhelp defensively, which would lead him to be out of position and to give up baskets.

Overall, Goosby is an athletic guard that excels at making hustle plays.  He’ll need to continue to refine his jump shot and handles, but he is a talented prospect that could end up being a first round pick in the 2027 draft.

Brandon McCoy Jr. is a 6-5 guard that will play for Michigan, and he was on the West team that got the win.  He generally passed the ball well, and he also showed that he can score on athletic plays in transition.  He is a very athletic guard that can make highlight reel worthy plays, but he didn’t shoot well from the outside, and can sometimes tend to over-dribble, which can get him into trouble.

He also was able to block a mid-range jump shot.  But on one play, he struggled to defend in the post once, as he got overpowered and beat on a spin move to allow a score that time.

Overall, McCoy is a very athletic playmaker that can pass, score, and defend, but he’ll need to improve his jump shot.  He is a talented prospect that could end up being a first round pick in 2027.

Anthony Thompson is a very athletic 6-8 forward that will play for Ohio State.  He showed some scoring skills, as he was able to make an open corner three, and he also scored on a put back.  Plus, he also was able to rip a ball away to get an offensive boards.  He is a player that will project into a 3 and D role in the NBA, and he could be a player to watch in the future.

Taylen Kinney is a very athletic, 6-2 point guard that will play at Kansas.  He is a table-setting playmaker that can reliably run the point, and he can make some highlight reel-worthy plays on both ends of the floor.

Kinney was able to score on a thunderous dunk on a drive in transition.  He also was able to make a nifty pull-up three from the corner.  However, he struggled to make shots consistently in this game.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills.  He was able to make an assortment of passes, and his speed and court vision would enable him to find teammates on the move to rack up assists.  However, sometimes he would make hasty passes that would result in turnovers.

He also was able to get a pair of defensive rebounds. Plus, he would jump on passes to get steals.  Overall, Kinney is a fleet-footed point guard that can make exciting plays on both ends of the floor, but he’ll need to improve his shooting and shot selection.  Still, Kinney is a player that has a lot of upside, and if he can continue to develop and hone his game, he could end up being a first round pick in a future NBA draft.

Deron Rippey Jr. is a very athletic, skilled 6-1 point guard that will play for Duke.   He is a table-setting playmaker that showed a knack for passing the ball well in this game.  Rippey can attack the hoop to score and get assists.  He was able to drive in to score on a reverse layup.  He also scored on a tip-in.  However, he didn’t shoot well from the outside, as he missed all of his three-pointers.

He also passed and handled the ball well.  He especially excels at making passes off the dribble, and he can routinely find teammates in stride to set up scores for them.

He also was able to get some rebounds, as he especially excelled at crashing the glass to get offensive boards.  He was active defensively, but there was one play where he got beat off the dribble to allow an opponent to score on a floater.

Overall, Deron Rippey Jr. is a fleet-footed point guard that can make some very solid plays on both ends of the floor, but he’ll need to improve his shooting and shot selection.  Still, if he can continue to develop and hone his game, he could end up being a first round pick in a future NBA draft.

Jasiah Jervis is an agile, 6-4 guard that will play for Michigan State.  He showed some outside shooting skills, as he was able to make a long two off the dribble, as well as a spot-up three from deep.

He also is an unselfish player that will find the open man.  He also was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. On the downside, sometimes he would over-dribble, which led him to commit a turnover.  He also tried to contest a shot, but was too small, so he ended up allowing his man to score on a three-point shot.

Overall, Jervis is a player that projects into a shooting role, but he will need to improve his rebounding and defense in the meantime.  Right now, he projects to be a second round prospect for the 2027 draft.

Bruce Branch III is an agile, 6-7 swingman that will play at BYU. He showed some solid skills on both ends of the floor, but he didn’t shoot very well from the outside overall.  He was able to make a smooth, step-back mid-range jumper.  He also managed to score off of a backcut.

He also is an unselfish player that can make passes off the dribble and in transition to consistently find the open man.  He also rebounded and defended fairly well.  He contested a shot off of a backcut to force a miss. On one play though, he rotated but got beat off the dribble to allow a score.

Overall, Bruce Branch is a promising prospect that can do a little bit of everything, but he’ll need to work on his three-point shot moving forward, as he may ultimately project into a 3 and D role in the association.  If he can improve that shot, then he could end up being a first round pick sometime in the future, as his potential largely hinges on the development of his jumpshot. If he can continue to hone and progress as an overall player, he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Lackluster Performances:

Darius Ratliff is an athletic, energetic seven-foot center that will play at USC.  He was able to run the floor to score on a dunk.  However, he missed some easy shots around the basket, and he didn’t grab many rebounds.  He also got beat off the dribble to allow a score once.

Overall, Ratliff didn’t have a particularly great game. Right now, he seems to be a pretty raw prospect and it’s anyone’s guess as if he’ll reach his fulfill his potential, but if so, he could end up being a first round pick if he maximizes his skills, and his size, athleticism, and potential could enable him to project into a rim protector role in the NBA.

Darius Bivins is an agile but undersized, 5-11 point guard that will play at Saint Mary’s.  He can reliably run the team, but he didn’t really stand out in this game. And while it is an accomplishment that he ended up being invited to this game, frankly, I don’t think it made any sense that he did, considering he is a sub-six footer that was held scoreless, had one of the worst-plus minuses, and he didn’t do anything special that warranted him being at this event, especially when there were much more talented prospects that actually could end up being drafted in the first round of an NBA draft instead of him.

Bivins showed he can make solid passes off the dribble and in transition to notch assists.  He also utilized a crafty pump fake to drive to the hoop.  However, he didn’t make any shots in this game, and he was held scoreless.  He did rebound well, and he also applied ball pressure defensively.

Overall, Bivins is a table-setter that will need to improve his jump shot.  There were probably much better players they could’ve invited to this game instead, like Oregon’s incoming 6-9 forward Tajh Ariza, who is the son of former Los Angeles’ Lakers forward Trevor Ariza, but Bivins was probably invited due to his high school accomplishments.  

But as of right now, Bivins has a long way to go before becoming a legitimate NBA draft prospect.  He’ll need to prove himself as a shooter, scorer, and defender, and he’ll probably need to stay for the entire duration of his college career.  He’ll probably wind up being an unlikely bet to be drafted, but if Bivins reaches his full potential, he could have a successful college career, and perhaps reach the NBA someday.

Other Notes:

Right now, I haven’t seen a whole lot of basketball out of the 2027 draft crop, so I’d say I’m pretty far behind, but in judging off of just this one game, it seems Arizona’s Caleb Holt has a good case to be made to either be the top pick, or a top 3 pick of the 2027 draft. It’s still very early, and no college basketball games have been played yet for the 2026-27 season.

In the other high school All-Star games, West Virginia’s 6-0 point guard Miles Sadler scored 29 points on 10 of 18 shooting, made 3 threes, and had 7 assists (but also 11 turnovers) in the 2026 Nike Hoop Summit, and Caleb Holt had 24 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals, and made 4 threes. In the 2026 Jordan Brand Classic, Tyran Stokes scored 29 points, and Bruce Branch had 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists.

So, it’s very early and it’s probably unwise to base a preseason big board on just high school all-star games to predict what the incoming freshman might do, but if I had to guess, Holt might end up possibly being the top player on the big board coming into the 2026-27 season, though a lot can change between now and the draft. And judging from how Holt played in this game, and on general vibes, Holt reminds me of a cross between Devin Booker and Darryn Peterson, and that would be a very good prospect to have either atop or in the top 3 of the 2027 draft board.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.