After a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the brightest stars in high school basketball flocked to Chicago for the McDonald’s All-American Games on Tuesday night at Wintrust Arena.
On the girls’ side, UCLA signees Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez dazzled on opposing teams, leading their respective teams with 17 points as the East defeated the West 95-75. The future Bruins were named co-MVPs.
In the boys game, Villanova signee Cam Whitmore scored 19 points to lead the East to a 105-81 win, while Duke signee Dariq Whitehead added 13 points.
Chicago native and Sierra Canyon star Amari Bailey, a UCLA commit, added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting for the West.
It was the first time the McDonald’s games were played since 2019 because of the pandemic and the first time they were held in Chicago since a seven-year run at the United Center from 2011-17.
For Whitehead, who starred at Florida powerhouse Montverde Academy, the return of the game was a welcome sight after the pandemic affected his development and the AAU and high school basketball calendars.
“It definitely caused a lot of havoc,” said Whitehead, who was named the game’s MVP. “The timing of everything was just a bad time where I felt like I was starting to get better and get toward being a better basketball player. I feel like it impacted my development a lot.”
Whitehead, who added seven rebounds and seven assists for the East, is cautiously optimistic about the basketball circuit returning to normal.
“With COVID, you never know if this could be a turning point,” Whitehead said. “A lot of guys thought stuff was going to be good a couple months ago, then it started to come back in December, so we’ve just really got to play it by ear. But I pray to God the rest of these big events can continue to happen.”
The event drew 8,216 fans and plenty of celebrity interest, with Chicago rapper G Herbo and former Indiana Pacers big man Jermaine O’Neal in attendance and a performance from Atlanta-based rapper Lil Baby at halftime of the boys game.
Another Duke signee, power forward Mark Mitchell, made sure to soak in the atmosphere and the performance while leading the West with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
“Lil Baby is definitely one of the hottest in the game right now,” Mitchell said. “Getting to be around him and see something like that in person was really cool.”
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After a brief trip to Chicago last summer on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball circuit, Jaquez enjoyed being able to explore the city as part of the experience.
“It’s an amazing city, really pretty,” Jaquez said. “We got a tour of Chicago and Bronzeville. Just to learn some history has been really cool because there’s a lot of history here. And the history of basketball, Michael Jordan played here for many years. I’ve just had a blast.”
Rice, who paced the East with 7-of-10 shooting, warmed up to the game after seeing the ball go through the net early.
“Seeing that first shot go down, it just relaxes you,” Rice said. “This is a bigger stage than most of us played on before and on TV and everything, so there was a little more pressure. … (Duke signee Ashlon Jackson) and I were talking — we were a little bit nervous in the tunnel as we were coming out.”
Playing in front of thousands of fans and on the home court of the Chicago Sky, the reigning WNBA champions, was surreal for Jaquez and her peers.
“Being in that atmosphere,” Jaquez said, “there’s nothing really like that in getting ready for college.”
Ayanna Patterson, a Connecticut signee from Fort Wayne, Ind., said the opportunity to take the same court as Sky star Candace Parker was an experience that would resonate. And it allowed her brother — whom she hadn’t seen in a year — and her nephew to make a short trip to see her play.
And she had the rare chance to meet some of the players she’ll run up against in college.
“(It’s) a chance to see everyone in one area and see how you measure up, then of course, getting a chance to know each other a little bit off the floor,” Patterson said. “We’ve been competing against each other all our lives, so getting a chance to know each other personally is great.”
For Bailey, who stars alongside LeBron James’ son, Bronny, at Sierra Canyon in California, any occasion that brings him home to Chicago is a good one. Bailey briefly returned in February, scoring 19 points as Sierra Canyon narrowly beat Glenbard West at Illinois-Chicago.
“Honestly, just feels good to be back home,” Bailey said. “I haven’t been here, prior to playing Glenbard West, for three years. I’ve just been in LA, working and crafting. Any chance I get to see my family and friends all in one spot in an arena like Wintrust, that’s a blessing for sure.”
Bailey couldn’t give an accurate count of how many family members and friends were in attendance, but he figured it would be plenty.
“I’m the hometown kid, so I’m hoping the whole city,” he said.
For his part, Bailey was happy the event could bring people out from around the city and the country.
“It’s just a beautiful thing, honestly,” Bailey said. “You know the narrative Chicago gets already, so the McDonald’s All-American Game being here just brings the city together.”
Gavin Good is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai