Final Rosters Unveiled for the 2012 McDonald's All American® Games

OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the McDonald's All American Games unveiled the official rosters for the 35th Annual McDonald's All American Boys Game and 11th Annual Girls Game during today's selection show on ESPNU. The Games will be played on March 28 at Chicago's United Center. Full team rosters are available at www.mcdaag.com.

The 2012 McDonald's All American Boys Team features top prospects Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman College Preparatory – Las Vegas, NV), Kyle Anderson (St. Anthony High School – North Bergen, NJ) and Grant Jerrett (La Verne Lutheran High School – Chino Hills, CA). They will take the court with four talented athletes from the Lone Star State – one shy of the all-time record of five set by New York and California in 1980 and 1997, respectively – including Cameron Ridley (George Bush High School – Houston, Texas), Isaiah Austin (Grace Preparatory Academy – Arlington, Texas), Marcus Smart (Marcus High School – Flower Mound, Texas) and Rasheed Sulaimon (Strake Jesuit College Prep – Houston, Texas). Anthony Bennett continues a rich tradition of Canadian-bred McDonald's All Americans from Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV), including current and former Texas Longhorns Myck Kabongo, Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. The Boys Game tip-offs at 8:30 p.m. CT March 28, broadcasting live on ESPN.

The 2012 McDonald's All American Girls Team boasts exceptional East and West rosters, including the No. 1 female prospect in the 2012 class and Connecticut signee, Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North Syracuse High School – North Syracuse, NY). Taking the court in front of their hometown fans will be Chicago-area talents, Janee Thompson (Whitney Young High School – Chicago, Ill.), Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook High School – Bolingbrook, Ill.) and Jewell Loyd (Niles West High School – Lincolnwood, Ill.). Much like the Boys roster, Texas will be well-represented with four additional female athletes making the final teams, including Alexis Jones (MacArthur High School – Irving, Texas), Courtney Williams (North Shore High School – Houston, Texas), Jordan Jones (DeSoto High School – DeSoto, Texas) and Moriah Jefferson (Home School – Dallas, Texas). The Girls Game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT March 28, and will broadcast live on ESPNU.

Tickets to the 2012 McDonald's All American Games are available via Ticketmaster and charge-by-phone at 1-866-909-GAME. Net proceeds from ticket sales benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC-CNI). To date, millions of dollars have been raised for RMHC Chapters from proceeds generated from the McDonald's All American Games.

"For 35 years, the McDonald's All American Games have showcased the best and the brightest high school stars nationwide and in 2012 the beat goes on," said Douglas Freeland, director of the McDonald's All American Games. "On March 28, fans have the chance to witness these elite players and get the first look at the world's future basketball stars."

This year's teams were selected from the field of 600 nominees by the McDonald's All American Games Selection Committee, led by committee chairman, Morgan Wootten, legendary Hall-of-Fame basketball coach.

Since 1978, more than 1,000 players have competed in the McDonald's All American Games, forming an elite list that includes some of the top names in basketball history. To celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Boys Game, the McDonald's All American Games recently unveiled its list of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All Americans. The 35 Greatest list is comprised of some of the top names in basketball history, and features past and present Olympics, NBA and NCAA stars, including Michael Jordan (retired), Magic Johnson (retired), Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose.

The POWERADE® Jam Fest – featuring many of the McDonald's All Americans in a skills competition, three-point shootout and dunk contest – will be held at the Gerald Ratner Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Chicago on March 26, 2012. The qualifying competitions will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT and the finals will air live at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

For more information about the McDonald's All American Games, POWERADE Jam Fest or the 35 Greatest McDonald's All Americans, please visit www.mcdaag.com. POWERADE, Coca Cola®, adidas®, THE ROCK®, American Family Insurance, BMO Harris Bank(SM) and Fathead® are proud sponsors of the 2012 McDonald's All American Games.

About McDonald's®

McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome food made from quality ingredients to more than 26 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local business men and women. Customers can now log online for free at any of the more than 12,000 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter (@McDonalds) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonalds) for updates on our business, promotions and products.

About RMHC

Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporations, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 54 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better.  For more information, visit http://rmhc.org or follow us on Twitter (@RMHC) and Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHCGlobal).

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Brittany Rouse, GolinHarris
312-729-4380
[email protected]

SOURCE McDonald's USA