2025 McDonald's All-American Game Recap: Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, and Much More
The 2025 McDonald's All-American game is a great showcase for some of the very best high school players in the country. Here's who stood out between Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, and more.
The 2025 McDonald’s All-American game was loaded with talent ranging from Darryn Peterson to AJ Dybantsa to Cam Boozer and so many other future NBA players. Even though this is an All-Star game, these kids take it very seriously and want to win. While it it isn’t a final determination on who’ll be the next great, the track record of standout performances is pretty impressive and it’s a great starting point to familiarize yourself with some of the top players in the the 2026 NBA Draft class. Below, Corey Tulaba will share his takeaways from inside the arena, while Tyler Metcalf will share his thoughts from watching on TV. It’ll provide a fun juxtaposition between in-person and virtual scouting. This is an incredibly fun class; enjoy!
Darryn Peterson - 6’6”, Kansas
Metcalf: The first bullet in my notes with Peterson was: SMOOTH. The way that Peterson glides around the court is fascinating. He gets wherever he wants and plays at his own speed. Then you factor in his explosiveness, and it’s easy to see why he’s one of the most exciting high school players in the country. Peterson was the best player on the floor, in my eyes. His movement patterns, athleticism, defense, scoring versatility, and playmaking flashes were incredibly fun. He’s comfortable knocking down step-back threes, dunking in traffic, and making high-level passing reads. The ceiling for his game could be outlandish. I know this is an All-Star game setting, but these kids are still playing hard and want to win. Peterson was dominant and made it look easy. Kansas fans should be incredibly excited.
Corey: Peterson might be the smoothest guard I’ve ever scouted in person—he glides around the court like he’s on ice skates. That two-handed putback in the first half was the first real "wow" moment of the night, but what stood out more was his mature pace. He’s super twitchy off the dribble, with endless shake to create separation, and his jumper is both quick and reliable—even with a hand in his face. The playmaking flashes (like that slick pocket pass against a hard hedge) suggest there’s another level here. By the fourth quarter, he’d shifted into takeover mode: three straight dunks, an effortless pull-up middy, and then a lockdown defensive possession where he fought over a screen and smothered Haralson into an airball. The modern Kobe comps aren’t totally insane—he’s got that blend of footwork, shot-making, and quiet killer instinct.
TL;DR: Darryn Peterson is that dude.
Cameron Boozer - 6’9”, Duke
Metcalf: Boozer’s game feels like a tough fit for this setting. He isn’t the flashiest player, and his shot wasn’t really falling, but he still put up awesome numbers, was physically dominant, and controlled the paint. It feels like that’s a common theme with him. Boozer’s shot wasn’t really falling in the scrimmage either, but that’s not necessarily what his game is right now. His shot looks like it’ll be a weapon, but it’s shocking how much he stands out physically. In terms of physical development, he is light-years ahead of anyone else in this game. What’s really exciting, though, is that he doesn’t exclusively rely on his physicality. Boozer is also nimble, an incredibly skilled passer, and has a tremendous feel for the game. Even up against the best high schoolers in the country, Boozer’s development, physicality, and readiness for the next level stood out in a major way.
Corey: Boozer plays at his own deliberate pace, like he’s got an internal metronome nobody else hears. He’s so big and strong that once he dips his shoulder, it’s over—either a bucket or a foul. The jumper’s a moonball with a slow release (inconsistent now, but the touch is there), and he crashes the glass like a guy who gets paid per rebound. He’s not as flashy as Peterson or Dybantsa, but he’s just as effective in his own boring, Dukey way. He is the embodiment of death by a thousand cuts, look up at the boxscore and he’s filled up every category. I’ve seen him live a few times now, and every time I walk away thinking he’s underrated. He is firmly in that #1 convo.
AJ Dybantsa - 6’9”, BYU
Metcalf: In no way am I concerned or cooling on Dybantsa’s potential, but I came away from the game and scrimmage pretty underwhelmed. In the scrimmage, Dybantsa was basically just going through the motions and settling for a lot of jumpers that weren’t falling. It’s the scrimmage, whatever. Thankfully, he was far more impressive in the game. Instead of settling, Dybantsa was really aggressive getting downhill and to his spots in the midrange where he constantly showcased stunning body control and footwork. Few players at his size move like he does. He even defended well with both fundamentals and effort. As the game went on, Dybantsa started to put on the blinders and only focused on scoring. Even though I left wanting more, it’s an All-Star game and he’s set the bar so high that a still good performance feels like underachieving. I know, not fair from my end.
Corey: Dybantsa is the prototype wing prospect—size, athleticism, skill, you name it. His perimeter scoring is already devastating, and his finishing package is creative enough to make you forget he’s not just bullying smaller guys (though he did plenty of that too). The McDonald’s game didn’t teach me anything new that I didn’t learn watching him at Hoop Summit, but it reinforced how effortless he makes it look. The only nitpick? He can coast for stretches, but when he flips the switch, good luck stopping him.
Tounde Yessoufou - 6’5”, Baylor
Metcalf: Yessoufou was easily one of my favorite players between both the scrimmage and the game. Every second that he was on the floor, he made sure that you knew it. He’s an explosive athlete, disruptive defender, and versatile scorer. Typically, with young players with his build, you see the big-time dunks in transition, applaud, and move on. Yessoufou, though, will pull off a highlight dunk on one possession and then knock down a flashy step-back three that raises your eyebrows involuntarily on the next. His combination of defensive playmaking, scoring versatility, and athleticism was impossible to ignore. I didn’t always love the decision-making and playmaking, but that’s a problem for another day, as the good in his game was overwhelming.
Corey: Yessoufou plays like his hair is on fire, and I mean that in the best way possible. He’s always in attack mode, whether he’s hunting steals on defense or attacking the rack in transition. The physicality is impressive for his age, and he uses his length well to disrupt passing lanes. At his best when things are clicking, he looks like Anthony Edwards redux. He’s big and physical like Ant, but he doesn’t have Ant’s tippy top tier explosiveness, though he’s also no slouch athletically. The next step is refining the jump shot consistency because if he gets that part of his game down, he has monster upside.
Nate Ament - 6’9”, Undecided
Metcalf: Ament has a unique blend of skill and size. It’s obvious that he’s significantly behind from a strength standpoint. Ament is a string bean, but it doesn’t totally affect how he plays. He gets knocked off his drives and pushed around a bit on defense, but he never seemed to shy away or really get disrupted by physicality. He does a great job of keeping his dribble alive, his head up, and getting to his spots. He’s very fluid and has a gorgeous-looking jumper. It’s a classic cliché for a reason, but once Ament adds some meaningful muscle, he could easily be one of the best players in this class.
Corey: At 6’10” it’s pretty easy to be tantalized by Ament’s tools. Ament has big forward size with guard skills and a gorgeous jumper. He does look pretty slight right now, which was also noticeable last summer at a UA24 practice, and I think adjusting to the physicality of the next level is going to be important to monitor. He got bumped off drives pretty consistently as guys were purposely getting physical with him. But once he adds muscle, his game is going to skyrocket. For now, he’s a "bet on the upside" special.
Mikel Brown Jr. - 6’3”, Louisville
Metcalf: Brown was another guy who kept popping for me by making the right play on nearly every possession. He effortlessly ran the pick-and-roll, delivered numerous picture-perfect pocket passes, collapsed the defense, and made high-level kickouts. His decision-making, playmaking, and processing speed were incredibly impressive. Louisville’s backcourt should be a blast next year, and Brown will be a significant reason why.
Corey: Brown is quick and shifty, with a smooth jumper. He’s caught in the classic tweener guard debate—true PG or undersized scorer?—but his feel for the game should win out. Pat Kelsey will let him cook, but how efficient he can be when dealing with college physicality will tell the story because he is very slight right now. One of my former players (shoutout Myles Opare) attended DME post-grad this season and told me Mikel is a great kid and tireless worker so I do expect him to get stronger with time. All the skills are there for when the body catches up.
Zai Harwell - 6’6”, Houston
Metcalf: Harwell didn’t do much of anything in the first half but came out on fire in the second half where he scored all of his points. Harwell showcased some encouraging defensive and physical tools, which Kelvin Sampson will obviously adore, but his play-finishing and shot-making versatility was a blast. He hit movement threes, made well-timed cuts, and got scorching hot in a hurry.
Corey: Flamethrower. Quick trigger, smooth release, and exactly the kind of shooter Kelvin Sampson will plug and play into the Emanuel Sharpe role. Harwell was pretty quiet early, but when he got hot, it felt like the shot was good as soon as it left his fingertips.
Chris Cenac Jr. - 6’10”, Houston
Metcalf: Cenac was one of the players I came away from this event significantly more excited about. Cenac was pretty streaky with his impact, which may not go over great, but the talent and physical tools are undeniable. At his size, Cenac has some pretty special play-finishing versatility between his outside shooting and interior finishing. He’s a good athlete, rebounder, and rim protector. He did settle for jumpers a bit too much, but none of it looked uncomfortable or like something he’s never done before. If Cenac constantly brings the fire that he showed in stretches, he could provide a really unique skillset that Houston almost always lacks in their frontcourt.
Alijah Arenas - 6’6”, USC
Metcalf: Arenas was by far the one who treated this the most like an All-Star game, as he made maybe two passes. It was also pretty evident that Arenas reclassified up a year with some of his decision-making and frame. While he got off to a shaky start, his combination of scoring versatility and physical tools is very fun. He got more comfortable as the game went on and had some really fun shot creation sequences both getting to the rim and pulling up from outside. We’ll see what the passing and defense look like next year, but he provided some fun entertainment in the fourth quarter.
Corey: Arenas treated this game like he’s listened to every piece of advice Nick Young could possibly have ever given him—zero passes, all buckets. Creative off the bounce with a deep bag of pull-ups, but the burst is just okay and he struggled to separate downhill. USC’s system will force structure on him; until then, enjoy the "get buckets now, ask questions never" ethos. It’s not for me, but hey, there’s someone out there for everybody.
Cayden Boozer - 6’4”, Duke
Metcalf: Despite having a game that’s not prone to an All-Star game setting, Boozer’s decision-making and passing were still impressive. He has really good vision and accuracy. He also has the strength and first step to consistently get paint touches and create from the middle of the floor. Unfortunately, the shot is still a big question. Boozer didn’t have a great scoring performance, but he just never really makes mistakes on either end of the floor.
Corey: Cayden is very Dukey. Crafty, high-feel, and allergic to mistakes. Knocked down a smooth middy off a screen, made a few "how’d he see that?" passes, and played with a lot of physicality defensively. The shot’s still a question, I really hate the form from range, but he’s the type of steady lead guard with the frame and feel built for modern NBA basketball.
Quick Hits
Caleb Wilson - 6’9”, North Carolina
Metcalf: Wilson plays like a bat out of hell. He has an insane motor, is reckless with his body, and has a ton of defensive versatility. He didn’t answer many questions on the offensive end, but it’s tough not to love his motor.
Corey: Love the tools. Love the motor. Love that he guarded like his scholarship depended on it. He’s pretty raw offensively but he has shown enough flashes (a face-up drive here, a trailing three there) to dream on going forward.
Nikolas Khamenia - 6’8”, Duke
Metcalf: Khamenia never really popped, but had some intriguing stretches. He’s a smart rebounder and a quality passer, and the shot looks good. He looked like he could be an intriguing role player for Duke next year.
Brayden Burries - 6’4”, Undecided
Metcalf: Burries really popped in the scrimmage with his shooting and defensive playmaking. His impact in the game felt a bit more muted, but he still provided quality rim pressure and off-ball scoring.
Corey: I immediately became a Burries fan when he came out guarding 94 feet. In an All-Star game setting, you have to respect the hustle. The frame is solid, but he’s not overly tall or explosive for the guard position. The shot was streaky but it looks good, and length bothered him a little inside. Still, there’s a scrappy two-way vibe here that’ll win over a college staff.
Trey McKenney - 6’4”, Michigan
Metcalf: McKenney is not shy about getting shots up. Unfortunately, very few of them went in. If McKenney’s scoring efficiency can match his aggressiveness, he’ll put up points in a hurry.
Malachi Moreno - 6’10”, Kentucky
Metcalf: Moreno didn’t play much as he was busy winning a state championship over the weekend. However, he looked better in the scrimmage than the game. He’s a bit more of a traditional big, but was very good around the rim in terms of rebounding, finishing, and protection.
Darius Acuff Jr. - 6’2”, Arkansas
Metcalf: I struggled with Acuff. Some of the shifty on-ball creation was really fun, but the lack of consistency left me frustrated. Acuff is really skilled, but the processing and decision-making didn’t seem to match. He feels very much like a Calipari guard, and I can’t wait to see him in a different setting.
Corey: Acuff was very ball-stoppy—like, "clear-out, everyone, I’m going to work" stoppy. Got walled off by length a few times, which raises questions about how his scoring translates against college athletes. The shifty handle and burst are fun, but he’ll need to tighten the shot selection. Acuff may follow a similar trajectory to Wagner.
Shon Abaev - 6’7”, Cincinnati
Metcalf: Abaev looks like a lethal off-ball shooter. The on-ball stuff needs a lot of work, but at his size with that shot, he’s a really interesting player.
Corey: Pure shot-maker who splashed a couple early threes as well as a pull-up middy off a ball screen. He also got bullied by some stronger wings who got in his shirt. He plays hunched over like he’s searching for loose change, which hurts his ball-handling creativity. I loved Shon when I saw him at UA24 last summer. His height and shooting combination is super intriguing. It will be interesting to see if he can mix up his scoring levels so he isn’t so outside reliant during his freshman campaign.
This class is as deep as it is talented. Peterson, Dybantsa, and Boozer have superstar potential, while guys like Ament and Yessoufou offer enticing long-term upside. The McDonald’s game is just a snapshot, but it’s a reminder that the 2026 NBA Draft is going to be loaded.