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SoCalHoops High School News

SoCal McDonald's All-American
Nominees Announced--(Feb. 16, 1999)

The final list of McDonald's All-American Nominees has been out for about a week, but we just haven't had time to post it, and we want to thank Steve Beck at SportsAmerica, for forwarding us the reduced "California-only" list. The list is below for only the SoCal portion of the complete California list.

SportsAmerica is responsible for organizing and promoting the official McDonald's All-American Game, and they work with the selection committee throughout the year to insure that the nominating process is fair and meticuoulously followed.  Keep in mind that the list below is not the final list of players who will be selected as the McDonald's All-American team.  The list below is instead only the SoCal contingent which was selected as nominees for consideration.  

For a high school basketball player, to be named to the McDonald's All-American Game as a member of the team is perhaps the most prestigious honor for any high school player, with the possible exception of receiving the John R. Wooden Award as the most outstanding player in the McDonald's game. For most players who don't make the team, the next best and most prestigious award they'll receive (short of All-CIF or All-League) is to be named as a McDonald's All-American Nominee.  It's kind of like getting an Oscar nomination; not everyone gets nominated for consideration, and among those who do, only a few select get the highest honor, but it's still pretty impressive just getting nominated for consideration.  

Before the McDonald's All-American team can be selected by the members of the Advisory/Selection Committee, Sports American, Inc, has to gather names from all over the country, and it relies on many sources for information.  In many cases, the members of the selection committee submit names themselves, and SportsAmerica also relies on media and contacts regional reps who follow the game in various areas of the country.  That's where we came in this year.

In Southern California this year,  SoCalHoops was contacted in early December and we submitted a list of potential nominees to the advisory/selection committee.  Of the 113 names actually selected,  we're proud to say that even though some of the names we proposed ultimately didn't make it,   every one of the names below was also on our list. 

The rest of the process of actually selecting the McDonald's All American team, goes something like this:  Once the list of potential names is gathered by Sports America, it's submitted to the members of the Advisory/Selection committee (which is chaired by John Wooden, and which has such people on it like Frank Burlison of the Orange County Register, Van Coleman of  Basketball Times, Clark Francis of The Hoop Scoop,  Howard Garfinkel from 5-Star Camps, Bob Gibbons, Jr. who puts out All Star Sports, Dave Krider from USA Today, Eddie Oliver who formerly organized the Beach Ball Classic and now puts out a newsletter featuring most of the big tournament listings, and Brick Oettinger, among others).

Obviously many rising seniors make this list based on an excellent junior year or for having an outstanding summer participating in summer camps and AAU tournaments. There is no set number of how many players can be nominated. Traditionally, the final list of "Nominees" totals between 1,000 to 1,700 names from all over the country. The names on the list are then verified, and SportsAmerica's staff confirms with a player's basketball coach, his assistant, or a person in the administration office that the nominee is indeed a senior and that he is their best player and that he is academically eligible. Additionally, the coach is also asked if he feels that there are other seniors on his squad who potentially deserve the nomination.

From there, it's a rather complicated process to whittle all these 1,000 to 1,700 names down to just the 20 who will eventually be selected as McDonald's All-Americans for the team.  If you want to read about that process, then by all means check out the SportsAmerica website, and the description they have of the voting process. Here's the link.

The list below consists of only those players who were selected as "Nominees" here in SoCal.   Among the players listed,  there are only two or possibly three,   names who have the real potential to be named as members of the actual McDonald's All-Amercan High School Team which will play in the McDonald's game this year.  If we had to guess right now, we'd say that there were two, maybe three names on the final ballots considered by the Committee:  Jason Kapono, Casey Jacobsen, and maybe even Tito Maddox (although his current academic ineligibility probably rules him out given the strict academic requirements to be selected to the team).  We'll learn the names of the final selections next week.

SoCalHoops wants to congratulate each and every 1998-99 McDonald's All-American Nominee on the list.  You each deserve it. The list below has 113 names on it.  It's organized and alphabetized by school (not by player name) but if you can't find a name that you think should be there, use the "Edit"/"Find" function of your browser to make it easier to search for a particular school or player.  Oh, and by the way:  For those who say Inland Empire basketball gets no respect, consider that J.W. North got the most nominees from any school, four in all. 

Again, congratulations to all of the 113 SoCal players listed below from all of us at SoCalHoops.

First

Last

SchoolName

City

Coach'sName

Garrett

Lepisto

Agoura

Agoura

Bill Sanchez

Devin

Montgomery

Alemany

Mission Hills

Darryl McDonald

Adam

Parada

Alta Loma

Alta Loma

Andes Anderson

Jason

Kapono

Artesia

Lakewood

Wayne Merino

Aaron

Hamilton

Artesia

Lakewood

Wayne Merino

Terrence

Dunn

Bakersfield

Bakersfield

Mark Hutson

James

McGill

Bakersfield

Bakersfield

Mark Hutson

Tony

Shoo

Bishop Amat

La Puente

Ray Walker

Tony

Booker

Bishop Montgomery

Torrance

Doug Mitchell

Marvin

Perez

Bishop Montgomery

Torrance

Doug Mitchell

Sonny

Jensen

Bonita Vista

Chula Vista

Carl Parrick

Kyle

Dodd

Brea-Olinda

Brea

Bob Terry

Jerett

Skrifvars

Brea-Olinda

Brea

Bob Terry

Michael

Goldman

Calabasas

Calabasas

Bill Bellatty

Spencer

Hariton

Calabasas

Calabasas

Bill Bellatty

Josh

Levy

Cambell Hall

North Hollywood

Brian Haloossim

Brandon

Woodard

Cambell Hall

North Hollywood

Brian Haloossim

Neil

Hammad

Canyon High

Anaheim

Rob Alexander

Ryan

Romberg

Canyon High

Anaheim

Rob Alexander

Roderick

Johnson

Canyon Springs

Moreno Valley

Jeff Stovall

Nate

Hair

Capistrano Valley

Mission Viejo

Brian Mulligan

J. J.

Sola

Capistrano Valley

Mission Viejo

Brian Mulligan

Mike

Stowell

Capistrano Valley

Mission Viejo

Brian Mulligan

Mike

Zepeda

Century High School

Santa Ana

Greg Coombs

Cayce

Cook

Chaminade

West Hills

Jeff Young

J. J.

Todd

Chaminade

West Hills

Jeff Young

Kent

Dennis

Cleveland

Canoga Park

Ralph Turner

Brad

Hertel

Clovis West

Fresno

Vance Walberg

Ashley

Knowlton

Clovis West

Fresno

Vance Walberg

Leroy

Dawson

Compton

Compton

Rod Palmer

Terry

Hofendove

Compton

Compton

Rod Palmer

Tito

Maddox

Compton

Compton

Rod Palmer

Joe

Velasquez

Cordova

Rancho Cordova

Bob Jones

Dewayne

Parker

Crenshaw

Los Angeles

Willie West

Ryan

Sims

Crenshaw

Los Angeles

Willie West

Jonathon

Stokes

Crenshaw

Los Angeles

Willie West

Armand

Thomas

Crenshaw

Los Angeles

Willie West

Marcin

Jagoda

Crespi

Encino

Richard Dornan

Tim

McDonough

Crespi

Encino

Richard Dornan

Blake

Tibbetts

Crespi

Encino

Richard Dornan

Devin

Anderson

Crossroads

Santa Monica

Darrell Roper

Chad

Gordon

Crossroads

Santa Monica

Darrell Roper

Alphonso

Stovall

Cypress

Cypress

Jeff Russell

Lonnie

Jackson

Daniel Murphy

Los Angeles

Andrew Hunter

Brian

Pichon

Diamond Bar

Diamond Bar

Bill Murray

Kevin

Turner

Diamond Bar

Diamond Bar

Bill Murray

Trenell

Eddings

Eisenhower

Rialto

Steve Johnson

Dustin

Shultz

Exeter Union

Exeter

Jim Mitchell

Joe

Shipp

Fairfax

Los Angeles

Harvey Kitani

Stanley

Thorne

Fairfax

Los Angeles

Harvey Kitani

Gary

Holmes

Fontana

Fontana

John McNally

Ryan

Moreau

Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley

Mike Warrington

Chris

Clark

Glendora

Glendora

Michael LeDuc

Casey

Jacobson

Glendora

Glendora

Michael LeDuc

Gilbert

Arenas

Grant

Van Nuys

Howard Levine

Ryan

Simon

Hanford

Hanford

Brad Felder

Alex

Holmes

Harvard-Westlake

North Hollywood

Greg Hilliard

Todd

Kurihara

Harvard-Westlake

North Hollywood

Greg Hilliard

Alex

Minn

Harvard-Westlake

North Hollywood

Greg Hilliard

Julius

Barnes

Rowland

Rowland Heights

Mike Swanigan

John

Parker

John Muir

Pasadena

Don Grant

Jeff

Washington

John Muir 

Pasadena

Don Grant

Jaqay

Carlyle

J.W. North

Riverside

Michael Bartee

Kamron

Leonard

J.W. North

Riverside

Michael Bartee

Derek

MgBeke

J.W. North

Riverside

Michael Bartee

Claudell

Walter

J.W. North

Riverside

Michael Bartee

Ben Fredrickson La Quinta Westminster James Perry

Christopher

Smith

La Quinta

Westminster

James Perry

Craig

Calloway

Long Beach Jordan

Long Beach

Ron Massey

Darren

Peterson

Long Beach Jordan

Long Beach

Ron Massey

Andre

Sparks

Long Beach Millikan

Long Beach

Michael Green

Shea

Anderson

Long Beach Poly

Long Beach

Ron Palmer

Keyon

Cooley

Long Beach Poly

Long Beach

Ron Palmer

Andrew

Pleick

Los Alamitos

Los Alamitos

Steve Brooks

Brian

Segbefia

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

John Brooker

Keywan

Floyd

Lynwood

Lynwood

Bill Lee

Gary

Lenoir

Lynwood

Lynwood

Bill Lee

Chris

Bennett

Marshall Fundamental

Pasadena

Kyle Douglas

Mike

Bayer

Mater Dei

Santa Ana

Gary McKnight

Derrick

Mansell

Mater Dei

Santa Ana

Gary McKnight

Shawn

Corkery

Moorpark

Moorpark

Tim Bednar

Khary

Lands

Moreno Valley

Moreno Valley

John Dahl

Jerome Beasley Moreno Valley Moreno Valley John Dahl

Kenny

Ellison

Morningside

Inglewood

Carl Franklin

Chrishawn

Lawrence

Morningside

Inglewood

Carl Franklin

Brian

Wethers

Murrieta Valley

Murrieta

Steve Tarabilda

Brian

Bobik

Newbury Park

Newbury Park

Steve Johnson

Chris

Williams

Notre Dame

Sherman Oaks

Rob DiMuro

Tony

Dow

Ocean View

Huntington Beach

Jim Harris

Casey

Lawson

Ocean View

Huntington Beach

Jim Harris

Rahshaw

McAfee

Ocean View

Huntington Beach

Jim Harris

Chaun

Ballard

Pacific

San Bernardino

Scott Smith

Ryan

Abrahams

Pacific Hills

Los Angeles

John Bobich

Brandon

Owens

Pacific Hills

Los Angeles

John Bobich

Jake

Dederer

Peninsula

Rolling Hills Estates

Mike Boyd

Charlie

Kundrat

Peninsula

Rolling Hills Estates

Mike Boyd

Bo

Palmer

Peninsula

Rolling Hills Estates

Mike Boyd

Chris

Fanning

Perris

Perris

Andre Smith

Nick

Schollenberger

Perris

Perris

Andre Smith

Lamar

Waters

Perris

Perris

Andre Smith

Koko

Archibong

Polytechnic

Pasadena

Brad Hall

Aaron

Abrams

Rancho Buena Vista

Vista

John O'Neil

Jason

Bow

Rancho Buena Vista

Vista

John O'Neil

C. J.

Sellars

Rancho Buena Vista

Vista

John O'Neil

Tony

Freeman

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

Jeff Lavander

Rafael

Berumen

Simi Valley

Simi Valley

Dean Bradshaw

Tim

Neilson

South

Bakersfield

Andrew Hill

Henry

Washington, Jr.

South

Bakersfield

Andrew Hill

Jerry

Inunza

Troy

Fullerton

T. J. Hardiman

Jerry

Dupree

Valley View

Moreno Valley

Jim Long

Mark

Peters

Valley View

Moreno Valley

Jim Long

Dalron

Johnson

Verbum Dei

Los Angeles

David Greenwood

Marlon

Parmer

Verbum Dei

Los Angeles

David Greenwood

The Swish Award
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Contact: jegesq@SoCalHoops.com