The 2019 McDonald’s All-American rosters are set
The girls’ McDonalds All-American roster has been released and is set for March 27 on ESPN. In two short months, some of the most talented high school girls basketball players in the country will be showcased for the world to see.
It’s East versus West, but some might look at the roster and say it’s Stanford versus South Carolina or the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation (South Carolina) versus the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation (Stanford). Each will have three commits apiece taking the floor: Breanna Beal, Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke for South Carolina and Francesca Belibi, Haley Jones and Ashten Prechtel for Stanford.
Whichever way you see it, here are five things to look forward to on March 27 when these players take the floor.
- The possibility of Fran Belibi throwing it down—and let’s hope she does! While we’re on the subject, let’s hope the No. 1 prospect in the country and Belibi’s future teammate, Haley Jones, throws her an alley-oop, too. Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer did well.
- A chip on Anaya Peoples’ shoulder. Being a USA Basketball U18 teammate of Maori Davenport, she’ll be playing for something bigger. Because Davenport hasn’t played in half of her high school basketball games this year, thanks to the Alabama High School Athletic Unions decision to suspend her, she has been deemed ineligible for the game.
- Dawn Staley’s recruiting class. There’s a reason it’s been named the best one in the country. It’s one thing to see these players on film on their high school teams, it’s another to see them all on the same team and likely on the floor at the same time. We’ll definitely be getting an early taste of the 2019-2020 college basketball season for the Gamecocks.
- I know Haley Jones was mentioned earlier, but Haley Jones. Word on the street is she’s the full package. She hails from California and considered a handful of Top 25 programs, but will stay close to home the next four years. We have her passing, scoring, rebounding, ball handling, defense and pure athleticism to look forward to.
- The future of women’s basketball. A bright future at that. With 15 Division I college programs represented, it becomes obvious the game is growing and evolving, in the best possible way. Note that Connecticut has just one commit on the roster. Players are starting to realize they have an opportunity to win conference championships and national championships at more than just a couple places traditionally known for winning.