The 2009 McDonald's All-American basketball game, featuring the best high school basketball players in the country, is in the books. The AP reports: Georgia Tech recruit Derrick Favors scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the East past the West 113-110 in the boys McDonald's All-American game Wednesday night. Favors was left wide open for an alley-oop pass from Lance Stephenson with 41.7 seconds left, and Favors slammed it home for a 111-110 lead. "Derrick is a very sneaky person," said Oklahoma-bound Keith Gallon, who scored a game-high 20 points. "You turn around and he's gone." Dominic Cheek, who is headed to Villanova, and Pittsburgh recruit Dante Taylor each scored 15 points for the East, which leads the all-time series 18-14. "When we were in the locker room, we said we are not going to lose this game," Favors said. Gallon led all scorers with 20 points for the West. Avery Bradley, who is headed to Texas, added 15.

McDonald’s Basketball Sunday Practice – East Team

Nation’s best big men Derrick Favors and DeMarcus Cousins strongest of all on Day One

By Patrick Stevens

The McDonald’s All-American practices are some of the most exclusive with NBA scouts no longer permitted and limited reporters in attendance. InsideHoops.com has the play-by-play from behind closed doors:

MIAMI, Fla. – Consensus top five players in the Class of 2009 Derrick Favors of South Atlanta H.S. (Ga.) and DeMarcus Cousins of Leflore H.S. (Ala.) were above the rest on Sunday’s opening session of McDonald’s All-American practices.

Top unsigned wing Lance Stephenson of Lincoln H.S. (N.Y.) is expected to join the group on Monday after playing a late Saturday night game in the New York State Federation Championships, where Lincoln fell to Rice H.S. in the semi-finals.

The East team broke up into teams of five and went up and down the floor while putting in plays during four breaks in action.

The pairings were Favors (Georgia Tech), Cousins (Memphis), Dexter Strickland (North Carolina), Dominic Cheek (Villanova) and Peyton Siva (Louisville) against Milton Jennings (Clemson), Dante Taylor (Pittsburgh), Ryan Kelly (Duke), Kenny Boynton (Florida) and Maalik Wayns (Villanova) with Alex Oriakhi (Connecticut) starting the session as the sub.

First Run Highlights – Ryan Kelly sinks a jumper from the left corner… Derrick Favors contests a Dante Taylor post-up, then scores on Milton Jennings… Dominic Cheek hits a three-pointer from the right wing in transition…DeMarcus Cousins forces a travel by Milton Jennings.

Second Run Highlights – Alex Oriakhi scores on a reverse lay-up during a re-post of Milton Jennings…Maalik Wayns scores a layup off a feed from Milton Jennings…Dexter Strickland drives the baseline and kicks to the perimeter to Peyton Siva, who beats the defense with a ball swing to Dominic Cheek for his second three-pointer from the right wing…Milton Jennings scores on Alex Oriakhi…Dante Taylor follows a Ryan Kelly miss in transition with a big tip jam.

Third Run Highlights – DeMarcus Cousins seals Milton Jennings for a score on the block off a feed from Dominic Cheek…Maalik Wayns with a turnover, Derrick Favors with a turnover, and Wayns with another turnover off a Favors deflection that leads to a Cousins dunk… Oriakhi misses around the hoop after the Red team forces Wayns to give up to Boynton who is forced to give up to Oriakhi with Cousins defending…Dexter Strickland hits a jumper in transition…Kenny Boynton misses a three-pointer and DeMarcus Cousins does the same…Same scenario with Wayns/Boynton/Oriakhi, credit Cousins again and the Red team for the stop…Wayns with a three-pointer from the corner off an inbounds…Favors seals Oriakhi and scores with the left hand on a high post bounce pass from Cousins.

Fourth Run Highlights – Ryan Kelly misses a three-pointer from the top of the key…Maalik Wayns feeds Alex Oriakhi for a hoop...Dominic Cheek misses a three-pointer…Oriakhi scores with the left on Favors…Peyton Siva with a hard cross over on Maalik Wayns, drives and dishes to Favors who scores on an adjustment with Milton Jennings flying at him…Siva hits Favors ahead of the pack on a leak out.

Thanks to Pat Stevens of PatStevensBasketball.com for the reports.


McDonald’s Basketball Monday Practice – West Team

Pairs of Washington and Texas AAU teammates impress most

By Patrick Stevens

The McDonald’s All-American practices are some of the most exclusive with NBA scouts no longer permitted and limited reporters in attendance. InsideHoops has the play-by-play from behind closed doors:

MIAMI, Fla. – Monday at the McDonald’s All-American practices saw 6-foot-10 combo forward John Henson of Sickles, Fla., and a pair of former teammates lead the way for the West.

Avery Bradley and Abdul Gaddy from Bellarmine Prep of Washington and AAU teammates with the Northwest Panthers were two of the most effective along with former Houston Hoops teammates Keith ‘Tiny’ Gallon and Tommy Mason-Griffin.

The five-on-five pairings were Henson (North Carolina), Gaddy (Washington), Bradley (Texas), Renardo Sidney (Southern California), Xavier Henry (Memphis) and David Wear (North Carolina) as the sub going up against Mason-Griffin (Oklahoma), Gallon (Oklahoma), Michael Snaer (Florida State), Mason Plumlee (Duke) and Travis Wear (North Carolina).

First Run Highlights: The reserves win the tip and Tommy Mason Griffin hits Michael Snaer with a lob pass for the dunk…Renardo Sidney faces up and misses a jumper over Tiny Gallon but John Henson keeps the miss alive and scores on a putback…Griffin hits Gallon with a no-look pass into the paint for a dunk…Henson misses a turn-around jumper from the foul line with two players on him…Xavier Henry misses a three-pointer from the wing but Avery Bradley hits a corner jumper off the rebound...Snaer hits a three-pointer from the top of the key on a catch-and-shoot…Bradley hits another jumper from the opposite corner of his previous made jumper…Travis Wear is fouled by Henson on a drive…Snaer posts up and misses a fade-away jumper, but Mason Plumlee rebounds the miss only to throw it away…Abdul Gaddy scores in transition off the turnover…Snaer with an athletic finish to score a lay-up in traffic…Bradley catches Snaer sleeping to go backdoor for a layup off a Gaddy feed…Gaddy hits Sidney for a dunk in transition off a turnover…Griffin drives and hits Snaer for a score…Henry crosses over Plumlee on the perimeter but is met by a second defender, forcing a kick out to an open David Wear who misses a jumper with Gallon flying at him…Snaer feeds Gallon for a dunk in transition…Henson scores on a drive past Travis Wear…Henson blocks Plumlee’s shot leading to a Sidney dunk ahead of the pack…Griffin misses a three-pointer off a screen, Snaer comes up with the loose rebound and hits a jumper from the corner…Bradley misses a jumper from the elbow but Gaddy follows it up…Gallon misses a three-pointer…Gaddy throws a lob to Bradley who misses the dunk…Gallon leaks out for a dunk…Henson hits David Wear on a cut to the basket for a score…Henson strips Gallon, leading to another Gaddy to Bradley feed behind the defense for the transition dunk.

Second Run Highlights: Gaddy hits Henry for a dunk off the jump ball…Snaer drives baseline but turns it over on a throw away…Gallon misses a three-pointer from the top of the key but follows his own shot for a dunk…Sidney steps out an hits a three-pointer…Snaer misses a pull-up jumper…Gaddy hits Henry in transition for a finish on a contest by Travis Wear…Travis Wear misses a corner jumper contested by David Wear…Henson hits a three-pointer over Plumlee…Griffin hits a step-back jumper in the corner while guarded by Bradley…Bradley comes back at Griffin but misses on a drive…Sidney misses a three-pointer…Henson hits a three-pointer over Wear…Griffin hits a pull-up three pointer in transition…Henry crosses Snaer and scores a drive to the hoop…Griffin hits a second consecutive three-pointer in transition…Bradley misses a three-pointer from the top of the key…Snaer scores in traffic in transition…Henry misses a three-pointer but Bradley follows it with a dunk…Griffin misses a three-pointer…Henson scores a corner jumper over Plumlee…Gallon misses a hook on Sidney, ball is tipped out to Griffin who misses a three-pointer, Plumlee rebounds and scores the follow…Bradley hits Sidney on a pick and pop for a three-pointer…Snaer turns it over taking it off the dribble and leads to a Bradley solo dunk in transition…Bradley hits a three-pointer from the corner over Gallon…Snaer hits a pull-up jumper in transition…Sidney misses a three-pointer from the wing with Gallon contesting…Gallon misses a solo dunk in transition…Bradley hits a pull-up jumper…Travis Wear hits a jumper from the top of the key over Sidney…Sidney steps out and misses a three-pointer…Gallon misses another solo dunk in transition.

Third Run Highlights: Sidney misses a three-pointer…Gallon leaks out for a dunk...Gaddy scores off a screen and drive to the hoop…Plumlee misses a three-pointer from the wing…Sidney misses a dunk and misses the follow…Henson misses a leaner….Gallon leaks out for a dunk…Sidney faces up and hits a jumper…Plumlee hits a half hook…Gaddy hits a step-back three pointer from the wing…Gallon feeds Plumlee for a dunk…Bradley takes Snaer baseline and draws a hard foul…Griffin hits a step-back jumper from the foul line…Gaddy misses a three-pointer…Gallon misses a three-pointer…Gaddy hits Bradley on a backdoor pass for a score…Henson strips Plumlee, leading to a Henry dunk in transition.

Thanks to Pat Stevens of PatStevensBasketball.com for the reports.


One-On-One with Practice MVP Avery Bradley

By Patrick Stevens

MIAMI, Fla. - McDonald’s practices once had NBA scouts everywhere and a lot of pressure that comes with the territory of being a top young player in this day and age where emphasis on building for your career begins early.

The Class of 2009 has its share of goofballs who lightened things up a bit for everybody, but there were a handful of players who got in their fun and also took Sunday, Monday and Tuesday seriously as a chance to compete with the best players from their class all in the gym at this one rare time.

Game MVP Derrick Favors was the most dominant throughout the four days in Miami, but it was Avery Bradley who could make the Practice MVP claim being that he was the most efficient and competitive of those who looked to be taking the event as another challenge in their road to living off the game.

This lean 6-3 shooting guard from Puyallop, Wa., is headed to Texas next season and led Findlay Prep of Nevada to an undefeated record this season while playing a national schedule.

One of the most complete players in the country, he transferred to Findlay from Bellarmine Prep of Washington where he and West team starting point guard Abdul Gaddy were previously the ‘Fire and Ice’ backcourt at school and also this past summer as teammates on the Northwest Panthers.

Gaddy connected with Bradley twice on perfectly executed backdoor plays in the West team’s five-on-fives during Monday’s practice. The first was a bounce pass from the top of the key to a cutting Bradley off the wing once one of them noticed the defender had his back to the ball.

“I haven’t got one of those all year. It was like old times,” he said.

Bradley’s built a reputation of being an exciting dunker while attacking the rim, defending with intensity, having lead-by-example traits, a tight handle, efficient mid-range game and an improving stroke from behind the arc.

He brought all of that while often matched up with Florida State recruit Michael Snaer and Oklahoma bound point guard Tommy Mason Griffin.

Against the East, he said he was looking forward to getting a chance to match up with a number of players he had never faced, which is rare in this day for elite players who make their mark early in their prep careers thanks to in-season showcase tournaments and summer ball camps.

Outside of future Florida guard Kenny Boynton from in-state Pompano Beach, who he had battles with last summer in much-anticipated games between the Northwest Panthers and Team Breakdown, Bradley hadn’t played any of the East guards before like New York’s all-time leading scorer Lance Stephenson or soon to be Villanova teammates Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns.

So not only was there plenty to look forward to for Bradley during game competition but he even came away with the Dunk Contest trophy on Monday night.

Ironically enough he said the first highlight that came to mind from past McDonald’s games was also a slam - mentioning Jonny Flynn’s dunk on Mike Beasley in 2007.

But Bradley didn’t unleash everything in the dunk contest alone.

In Tuesday’s practice during two-on-twos, Bradley caught Oklahoma bound big man Keith ‘Tiny’ Gallon on a hesitation dribble with an up-fake and went around him with one dribble, then took off with one quick leap from the block for a hard one-hander.

Earlier in five-on-five work, Bradley hit Snaer with an in-and-out dribble at the top of the key, fullback- carried the ball on his way to the rim and dropped a quick one-hander that had 6-10 Duke recruit Mason Plumlee trying to change his mind in mid-air as to challenge Bradley at the rim.

Longhorn fans will be happy to know that some of Bradley’s answers were very Texas heavy. When asked who he thought were the missing players at this year’s McDonald’s game and who he thought would star here next year, future teammates Jordan Hamilton of Los Angeles and Tristan Thompson of Toronto were the first two names rattled off.

He also mentioned top unsigned point guard John Wall as a glaring omission from this year’s game - “He was working hard all year like all of us were to get this honor” – and big man Josh Smith as another to watch for next year – “He’s from my home state Washington. He’s just dominant, very big, aggressive, and I heard he can shoot it more now.”

As for regrets on a high school career coming to a close, Bradley said he would have loved to have played in the Peach Jam.

“Everybody always talks about it,” he said. “I enjoyed myself on the Reebok circuit and at the Nike Global Games but that is one event I wish I could have played in.”

Other than getting a win in the actual game, Avery Bradley should have no regrets from the week at McDonald’s as he was one player who realized this was a special enough occasion to give a max effort and only added to his reputation of being on the path to a bright future.