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Duke's Cooper Flagg, Rutgers commits Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper lead loaded McDonald's All-American roster

Cooper Flagg of Montverde Academy and Zoom Diallo of Prolific Prep are both McDonald's All-Americans (John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Cooper Flagg of Montverde Academy, right, and Zoom Diallo of Prolific Prep are both McDonald's All-Americans. (John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The McDonald's All-American boys roster has been revealed for the 2024 high school class, and it's Duke commit Cooper Flagg and Rutgers commits Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper as the top talents NBA scouts and executives will be watching in three days of practices and the game on April 2 in Houston.

The event started in 1977 and numerous NBA players have played in the prestigious game over the years. LeBron James was honored in 2003 and his son, Bronny, played last year and scored 15 points and added four assists. Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum have all been past participants in the McDonald's All-American Game.

Roster breakdown for the 2024 boys team

The No. 1 team in the country, Montverde Academy (Florida), has three players represented: Flagg (Duke), Derik Queen (uncommitted) and Liam McNeeley (Indiana). All three players will be playing for the West Team.

Prolific Prep (California) also has three players represented: Zoom Diallo (Washington), Derrion Reid (Alabama) and Aiden Sherrell (Alabama) will all be playing for the East Team.

College programs Alabama (Sherrell and Reid), Rutgers (Bailey and Harper), North Carolina (Ian Jackson and Drake Powell), Kentucky (Boogie Fland and Jayden Quaintance) and Duke (Flagg and Isaiah Evans) all have two committed players in the game.

There are three players who remain uncommitted: Queen, Karter Knox and Bryson Tucker.

Overtime Elite was eligible for players to be recognized as McDonald's All-Americans for the first time this year and have two players representing the program: Knox and John Bol (Ole Miss).

Below are the full rosters for the East and West teams.

West Team:

G Jalil Bethea (Miami)

C John Bol (Ole Miss)

F Isaiah Evans (Duke)

F Cooper Flagg (Duke)

G Boogie Fland (Kentucky)

G/F Ian Jackson (North Carolina)

G/F Liam McNeeley (Indiana)

G Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn)

G Drake Powell (North Carolina)

F Jayden Quaintance (Kentucky)

C Derik Queen (uncommitted)

F Bryson Tucker (uncommitted)

East Team:

F Ace Bailey (Rutgers)

C Flory Bidunga (Kansas)

F Carter Bryant (Arizona)

G Zoom Diallo (Washington)

G V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor)

F Donavan Freeman (Syracuse)

G Dylan Harper (Rutgers)

G Tre Johnson (Texas)

G Karter Knox (uncommitted)

G Trent Perry (USC)

F Derrion Reid (Alabama)

C Aiden Sherrell (Alabama)

Biggest snubs

The rule allowing only three players from any high school team to be recognized as McDonald's All-Americans really hurt Asa Newell (Georgia commit) and Rob Wright (Baylor commit), who are playing for undefeated Montverde this season. It's clear the team is stacked with some of the best talent in this high school class and for both players to not be recognized alongside their peers for one of the top honors in high school basketball is absolutely ridiculous.

Newell is a projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and it feels like a miss from the selection committee to exclude him from playing in front of the numerous NBA scouts and executives. Newell, ranked No. 16 overall in the 2024 class, won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2022 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup and was also a member of the Men's U19 National Team this past summer. Wright, a five-star point guard, is leading all players in assists (7.4) in Nike's EYBL Scholastic league, playing against the top high school teams in the country.

Duke commit Kon Knueppel, the No. 12 player in the country, led Nike's EYBL in scoring (22.5 points per game) last spring and summer. The 6-foot-6 guard has been incredible for his high school team, Wisconsin Lutheran, and Knueppel didn't make the trip to Las Vegas in September for the Wootten Camp (where the majority of voting members were in attendance).

Michigan State commit Jase Richardson has been playing incredibly well this season for the No. 2 team in the country, Christopher Columbus (Florida). It's a bit of too little, too late for Richardson after he was forced to sit out almost an entire year with a knee injury, and voting members likely didn't get a chance to see enough of him. He was named the most valuable player of a game at the Hoophall Classic recently after putting up 21 points (7-for-11 from the field), six rebounds and three assists. Over the summer he was third in scoring at Nike's Peach Jam, where he averaged 20.8 points and 4.2 assists per game.