The biggest McDonald’s snubs

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  LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA – The rosters for the 35^th McDonald’s All-American Boys Basketball game were unveiled Thursday afternoon.

No doubt that there were 24 players – and their family, coaches and friends – who were delighted at the 24 selections.

Needless to add, there were many times that number of players – and their family, coaches and friends – who were bitterly disappointed when the team members were announced.

But, like so many other ventures in life, selecting the McDonald’s All-American team is anything but an exact science.

I should know – I’m one of the original (1977) members of the McDonald’s All-American Selection Committee.

All in all, I think the committee – uh, we – did a pretty good of selecting 24 very worthy players.

But, given the opportunity to have the last word on the squad, there are four players I would have found places for on the team.

I won’t reveal the four players I would have subbed out for these guys – I certainly can understand why the majority of voters would believe they are worthy of AA status.

Anyway, here are the guys who I feel were the most short-changed in the balloting:

 

(Listed alphabetically)

*Samuel Dekker        6-7       Sheboygan, WI (Lutheran) WISCONSIN

Comment: Any committee member who watched him play for the Wisconsin Playground Warriors during the adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas last July and didn’t vote for him on the final ballot should have his voting privileges reviewed. He was that good. Put him on the short list of the top candidates for Big 10 Freshman of the Year honors a year from now.

*Javan Felix               5-11     New Orleans, LA (St. Augustine) TEXAS

Comment: He was another standout (for the New Orleans Jazz) during the adidas event in Las Vegas last summer. Since he didn’t make the team he is obviously the most underrated point guard in the national senior class.

*Jerami Grant           6-8       Hyattsville, MD (DeMatha) SYRACUSE

Comment: I watched him play four times during the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego after Christmas and he was so impressive that I assumed that he was a near lock to make the McDonald’s cut. Oh, well . . .

*Katin Reinhardt      6-5       Santa Ana, CA (Mater Dei) UNLV

Comment: He’s having the best season of any player on California’s best team and, in my humble estimation, is the second best player (behind McDonald’s selection Grant Jerrett) in California’s senior class. So much for that meaning anything, I guess.