Lance Stephenson of Brooklyn Lincoln, Dexter Strickland of St. Patrick (N.J.) and Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony (N.J.) were named Wednesday to the McDonald’s All-American Game April 1 in Miami. The game will be shown live on ESPN.
Dante Taylor, a 6-9 forward originally from White Plains, N.Y. and now at Fort Washington (Md.) National Christian Academy who is signed to Pittsburgh, will also play in the game.
The 6-foot-5 Villanova-bound Cheek is the second straight player from St. Anthony to make the game, following current Rutgers freshman Mike Rosario. Cheek will be joined by his future Villanova teammate Maalik Wayns, a point guard out of Philly Roman Catholic.
While Cheek will also play in the Jordan Brand Classic April 18 game at Madison Square Garden, both Stephenson and Strickland were surprisingly left off the roster.
“I think McDonald’s is more important than anything,” said the 6-5, 200-pound Stephenson, who on Sunday became the all-time leading scorer in New York State history and who will make an official visit this weekend to Kansas. “If I didn’t make the McDonald’s I’d be more mad, but the McDonald’s I’m happy to be in it.”
The 6-3 North Carolina-bound Strickland, one of four future Tar Heels in the McDonald’s Game, said he was “surprised” that he wasn’t chosen for the Jordan Brand game, but “I just moved on from it.”
“But I’ll have an opportunity to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game,” he said.
Here is the complete roster:
EAST
C DeMarcus Cousins – Undecided
F Derrick Favors – Georgia Tech
F Milton Jennings – Clemson
F Ryan Kelly – Duke
C Alex Oriakhi – UConn
F Lance Stephenson – Undecided
F Dante Taylor – Pitt
G Kenny Boynton Jr. – Florida
G Dominic Cheek – Villanova
G Peyton Siva – Louisville
G Dexter Strickland – North Carolina
G Maalik Wayns – Villanova
WEST
C Keith “Tiny” Gallon- Oklahoma
F John Henson – North Carolina
F Wally Judge – Kansas State
F Mason Plumlee – Duke
C Renardo Sidney Jr. – Undecided
F David Wear – North Carolina
F Travis Wear – North Carolina
G Avery Bradley Jr. – Texas
G Abdul Gaddy Jr. – Washingon
G Xavier Henry – Memphis
G Tommy Mason-Griffin – Oklahoma
G Michael Snear – Florida State
