Cooper Flagg, Sarah Strong Headline 2024 McDonald's All-American Game Rosters
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVJanuary 23, 2024
Cooper Flagg and Sarah Strong headline the rosters for the 2024 McDonald's All-American Games for boys and girls basketball respectively.
Here's a look at the 24-player list:
2024 McDonald's All-American Game Boys Roster
East
- Jalil Bethea
- John Bol
- Isaiah Evans
- Cooper Flagg
- Boogie Fland
- Ian Jackson
- Liam McNeeley
- Tahaad Pettiford
- Drake Powell
- Jayden Quaintance
- Derik Queen
- Bryson Tucker
West
- Ace Bailey
- Flory Bidunga
- Carter Bryant
- Zoom Diallo
- VJ Edgecombe
- Donovan Freeman
- Dylan Harper
- Tre Johnson
- Karter Knox
- Trent Perry
- Derrion Reid
- Aiden Sherrell
2024 McDonald's All-American Game Girls Roster
East
- Mikayla Blakes
- Kendall Dudley
- Joyce Edwards
- Kayleigh Heckel
- Zamareya Jones
- Kate Koval
- Maddy McDaniel
- Olivia Olson
- Zania Socka
- Sarah Strong
- Syla Swords
- Berry Wallace
West
- Imari Berry
- Jaloni Cambridge
- Justice Carlton
- Morgan Cheli
- Avery Howell
- Jordan Lee
- Alivia McGill
- Me'Arah O'Neal
- Mackenly Randolph
- Arianna Roberson
- Kennedy Smith
- Allie Ziebell
The Blue Devils are falling slightly short of expectations so far this year. Their 13-4 overall and last Saturday's loss to Pittsburgh dropped them to 4-2 in ACC play. Regardless of how the season shakes out, the McDonald's All-American Game points to the program's bright future in 2024-25.
Flagg is the No. 1 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings. The 6'9" power forward is averaging 16.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for Montverde Academy.
"At 6'9" with outrageous defensive instincts, standout passing IQ and athleticism for off-ball playmaking/play-finishing, he's quickly developing more creation and shot-making skill, just in time for a projected role change at Montverde with Sean Stewart headed to Duke and Kwame Evans going to Oregon," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote in October.
Joining Flagg in Durham, North Carolina, will be Isaiah Evans, the 14th-best recruit in the country.
"Overall, Evans has immense two-way tools and could still be in the very early stages of putting them all together," 247Sports' Adam Finkelstein wrote in a February scouting report. "... If it all comes together ideally though, he could end up a big wing who scores at multiple levels, can be a secondary playmaker, and potentially versatile defender."
Rutgers fans will be tuning in to the McDonald's All-American Game with perhaps more vested interest than ever.
The Scarlet Knights have scored the biggest coup of the 2024 recruiting cycle by signing Ace Bailey and getting a commitment from Dylan Harper. The pair sit second and third respectively in 247Sports' composite rankings, and they're the two highest-ranked prospects for the program dating back to at least 2000.
You can't blame the Rutgers faithful for dreaming big ahead of what's likely to be the only season Bailey and Harper spend in college ball. The McDonald's All-American Game will provide a taste of how they look on the same squad.
On the girls side, the East and West squads illustrate how the power is increasingly becoming less concentrated around one or two programs.
Dynasties dominated women's college basketball through the years, whether it was USC in the 1980s, Tennessee in the 1990s or UConn after that. Now, a level of parity is emerging with the sport as a whole growing.
Eight schools are represented among the top 10 players in HoopGurlz's 2024 rankings, and 14 have a commitment or signing from the class taking part in the All-American Game.
Strong is the crown jewel of the group. The 6'2" forward is averaging 20.1 points and 16.6 rebounds through 20 games at Grace Christian. She will presumably have decided her future before the All-American Game tips off April 2, and for many viewers, that might be the first time they've seen her in action.