McDonald's all-American basketball nominees include 15 from Austin area
When it comes to basketball, no state balls better than Texas.
At least that’s the consensus of the evaluators who put together the nominees for the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Games, which will take place at the Toyota Center in Houston in March. Texas led the nation with 93 nominees for both the boys and girls teams, including 15 from the Austin area.
Joe Wootten, the McDonald's All American Games Selection Committee chairman, said the organization’s games provide “a national platform to elevate and honor these players.”
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"We've been doing this for over four decades and have seen some truly amazing kids come through this iconic program,” Wootten said in a press release. “That's why this moment is so special…the history, prestige and all that comes with it. These players are joining a long list of icons to be named nominees to the games and it's something that will never be taken away."
The top 24 girls and 24 boys for the class of 2023 will be revealed Jan. 24 by ESPN, a broadcast partner of the McDonald’s All-American Games.
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Local girls programs are particularly represented on the list of nominees. Austin High, ranked No. 2 in the state in the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association poll, had three nominees. TCU recruit Jade Clack, Texas-Arlington signee Aubrey Reid and sister and SMU recruit Shanel Reid are earned nominees. Hendrickson, the No. 10 team in Class 5A, also had a trio of nominees with Mikalah Buckley, Aliyah Carter and Maci Quiller.
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Blanco had two girls nominees in Haleigh Charles and Meadow Schlinke. Mia Galbraith of Lake Travis, Riley Brown of Jarrell, Janiya Davis of Manor and Avari Berry of Pflugerville also received nominations for the girls game.
Three Austin-area boys received nominations, including Jayden Barrs of Manor, Kaden Gumbs of San Marcos and Malik Presley San Marcos. Gumbs, a point guard pledged to Texas State, and four-star uncommitted forward Presley have helped San Marcos climb to No. 11 in the latest Cass 6A state rankings from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: McDonald's all-American basketball nominees include 15 from Austin area
