AURORA | Colorado’s wait for another boys McDonald’s All American will have to wait at least one more year, as Overland’s De’Ron Davis was not among the 24 players from across the country picked for the 2016 game.
The 6-foot-9 Indiana University signee was Colorado’s lone boys senior player nominated for the annual prep all star basketball game, scheduled to be played March 30 in Chicago at the United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
With his prominence on the national radar, Davis had been been a good chance to snap a 21-year drought for Colorado in terms of selections to the McDonald’s All American Game that dates back to Chauncey Billups, who was selected to the 1995 game out of Denver’s George Washington High School.
Billups, Mark Randall of Cherry Creek (1986) and Montbello’s Craig Jackson (1984) remain Colorado’s only picks in the now 39-year history of the boys game.
Davis has averaged 14.1 points (second-best on his team), plus team-leading 9.2 rebounds and 4.6 blocked shots per contest while appearing in 11 of Overland’s 12 games. The defending Class 5A state champion Trailblazers are off to a 10-2 start.
The McDonald’s All American West roster includes three centers in Jarrett Allen and Marques Bolden — both 6-foot-9 Texas prep stars and both uncommitted — and Zach Collins of Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School, a Gonzaga recruit.
Davis helped lead Overland past the 6-11 Collins and Bishop Gorman in the Platinum Division championship game of the Tarkanian Classic on Dec. 19, 2015, in Las Vegas.
According to McDonald’s, 755 senior boys and girls from 49 states and the District of Columbia were nominated — via high school coaches athletic directors, principals and members of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee — and 24 were selected for each game.
Mesa Ridge’s Kylee Shook — a 6-6 Louisville signee — was selected to the McDonald’s All American Girls Game. Shook was one of three Colorado nominees for the girls game.
Among the boys all-time McDonald’s All American selections are Earvin “Magic” Johnson (1977), Dominique Wilkins (1979), Michael Jordan (1981), Shaquille O’Neal (1989), Kevin Garnett (1995), Kobe Bryant (1996), Carmelo Anthony (2002), LeBron James (2003), Chris Paul (2003), Kevin Durant (2006), James Harden (2007) and Derrick Rose (2007), in addition to a slew of other players who eventually made it to the NBA.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2016 MCDONALD’S ALL AMERICAN GAME ROSTERS
BOYS
East: PF — Bam Adebayo, High Point, N.C. (Kentucky); C — Udoka Azubuike, Potters House, Fla., (Uncommited); C — Tony Bradley, Bartow, Fla. (North Carolina); SF — Miles Bridges, Huntington Prep, West Va. (Michigan State); SG — Terrance Ferguson, API, Texas (Alabama); PG — De’Aaron Fox, Cypress Creek, Texas (Kentucky); SG/PG — Markelle Fultz, DeMatha Catholic, Md. (Washington); SG/PG — Andrew Jones, MacArthur, Texas (Texas); PF — Sacha Killeya-Jones, Virginia Episcopal, Va. (Kentucky); SF — V.J. King, Paul VI, Ohio (Louisville); PG — Kobi Simmons, St. Francis, Ga. (Arizona); SF — Jayson Tatum, Chaminade, Mo. (Duke). Head coach: Jack Doss
West: C — Jarrett Allen, St. Stephen’s, Texas (Uncommitted); PG — Lonzo Ball, Chino Hills, Calif. (UCLA); C — Marques Bolden, DeSoto, Texas (Uncommitted); C — Zach Collins, Bishop Gorman, Nevada (Gonzaga); PG — Alterique Gilbert, Miller Grove, Ga. (Connecticut); SG — Kyle Guy, Lawrence, Ind. (Virginia); PF — Dewan Huell, Norland, Fla. (Miami, Florida); PG — Frank Jackson, Lone Peak, Utah (Duke); SF — Josh Jackson, Prolific Prep, Calif. (Uncommitted); SG — Josh Langford, Madison Academy, Ala. (Michigan State); PF — T.J. Leaf, Foothills Christian, Calif. (UCLA); SG — Malik Monk, Bentonville, Ariz. (Kentucky). Head coach: Dale Mabrey