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McDonald's Press Release 02/23/2005
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McDonald's® Announces the Final Team Members For the 2005 McDonald's All American Game®. Set to Tip Off on March 30
The Best High School Boys and Girls Basketball Players in the Country Compete For Charity In South Bend, Ind. |
OAK BROOK, Ill. (February 23, 2005) - On March 30, the McDonald's All American Game will bring the top high school basketball talent in the nation to South Bend, Ind. These 48 future NCAA, NBA and WNBA superstars will rely on years of practice and natural talent, not the luck of the Irish, as they tip off the 28th annual Boys Game and the fourth annual Girls Game at the University of Notre Dame's Joyce Center.
The McDonald's All American Girls Game tips off at 5:30 p.m. (EST) and will be broadcast on ESPN2 on Thursday, March 31, at 5:00 p.m. (EST), while the McDonald's All American Boys Game begins at 8 p.m. (EST) and will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN.
"Any athlete would be honored to simply get nominated, but to get selected for the McDonald's All American Game…as a young athlete, there's just no better feeling,” said Coach John Wooden, chairman of the Game. "McDonald's All Americans are leaders on and off the court. It's not just athletic talent that makes them role models, but the contribution that they make to the lives around them.”
The 2005 McDonald's All American Boys Team features top high school talent such as Louis Williams (South Gwinnett HS - Snellville, Ga.), Monta Ellis (Lanier HS - Jackson, Miss.), Josh McRoberts (Carmel HS - Carmel, Ind.), Tyler Hansbrough (Poplar Bluff HS - Poplar Bluff, Mo.), Gerald Green (Gulf Shores Academy - Houston, Texas) and Martell Webster (Seattle Prep - Edmond, Wash.). High school football All-American Greg Paulus (Christian Brothers Academy - Manlius, N.Y.) will also play in the March 30 contest. Indiana-born Luke Zeller (Washington HS - Washington, Ind.) will make his first playing appearance at Notre Dame's Joyce Center for the McDonald's All American Game, but will return to join the Fighting Irish when he enrolls as a freshman in the fall.
The 2005 McDonald's All American Girls Team also boasts a talent-rich roster with the Girls Game's first pair of identical twins, Courtney and Ashley Paris (Piedmont HS - Piedmont, Calif.). Joining the Paris twins is Rashanda McCants (Asheville HS - Asheville, N.C.), sister of North Carolina standout Rashad McCants, who also played in the McDonald's All American Game in 2002. Soon-to-be Notre Dame player Lindsay Schrader (Bartlett HS - Bartlett, Ill.) will get a feel for her future home as she steps onto the Joyce Center court for the first time on March 30.
The final 48 players (24 boys, 24 girls) were selected from a pool of more than 2,500 nominees of top high school boys and girls basketball players from across the country. Coach Morgan Wootten, who had more than 1,200 wins as head basketball coach at DeMatha High School (Hyattsville, Md.), serves as chairman of the McDonald's All American Selection Committee. Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, who has been involved in the McDonald's All American Game since its inception, serves as overall chairman of the Game and as an advisor to the selection committee.
Since its inception, more than 650 players have competed in the McDonald's All American Game, forming an elite list that reads like a Who's Who in basketball history. McDonald's All Americans include basketball greats Michael Jordan (retired), Magic Johnson (retired), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); NCAA men's players Rashad McCants (North Carolina), Chris Thomas (Notre Dame) and Dee Brown (Illinois), as well as women's NCAA stars Shanna Zolman (Tennessee), Ann Strother (UConn) and Seimone Augustus (LSU).
Every athlete who participates in the McDonald's All American Game visits the host city's local Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) chapter, where net proceeds from the Game will go to help support the chapter's many initiatives. All net proceeds from the 2005 McDonald's All American Game will benefit
RMHC of South Bend and Fort Wayne, Ind. Previous beneficiaries of McDonald's All American Games include Sickle Cell Anemia Research, the United Negro College Fund and many other local children's charities. Nearly $4 million has been raised since the Game was first played in 1978.
"It is an honor for the local McDonald's owners of South Bend and Fort Wayne to be hosting the McDonald's All American Basketball Games,” said Dave Sparks, chairman of the 2005 McDonald's All American Game. "It is so exciting to have such great talent in our own backyard. We are also thrilled that Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Bend and Fort Wayne, Ind. will benefit from these games as well.”
In addition to the McDonald's All American Games, players will participate in the PowerAde Jam Fest (a slam dunk, team ball and 3-point competition) at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind. on Monday, March 28, from 7-9 p.m. (EST). The segment will air before the start of the Boys Game on March 30, at 7 p.m. (EST) on ESPN.
National sponsors for the 2005 Game include: Coca-Cola®, PowerAde®, and Reebok®. For more information on the McDonald's All American Game, please visit www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com, www.mcdepk.com/2005allamericangame or www.mcdonalds.com.
Coach John Wooden, a recent recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, has served as chairman of the McDonald's All American Game since its inception. His legendary UCLA basketball dynasty won 10 NCAA championships (7 of them in consecutive years) including four perfect seasons and an 88 game winning streak.
Coach Wooden is also a best-selling author. His recent works include the children's book INCH and MILES: The Journey To Success (Perfection Learning); WOODEN: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections (Contemporary Publishing); and MY PERSONAL BEST: Life Lessons from an All-American Journey (McGraw-Hill). His upcoming publication, WOODEN ON LEADERSHIP, will be published by McGraw-Hill in April. Coach Wooden remains a focus of media attention nationwide. He invites you to visit his official website www.CoachWooden.net. |
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