Bryson Howard's McDonald's All-American snub drew some criticism

The 2026 McDonald’s All-American Game boys’ basketball rosters are out, and Bryson Howard is not on either squad. At least two basketball figures expressed their criticism about the omission of the five-star shooting guard.

Lone Star Elite founder Darius Coleman posted on X, “The McDonald’s AA game, once the most prestigious high school basketball game, is losing respectability. The Bryson Howard snub is just one of many factors contributing to this decline.” Coleman suggested supporting the Iverson Classic instead of the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Meanwhile, Field of 68 co-founder Jeff Goodman noted that 74th-ranked Darius Bivins beat Howard, who is ranked ninth among Class of 2026 prospects. Goodman also suggested that those who closely monitor high school basketball, like Rivals Senior National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw, are the ones deserving of voting on who gets in.

McDonald’s Game voting process is so easy to fix.

There are about 10-15 people who are out there watching these kids all summer and at the big events during the high school season.

They are the ones that should be voting. No one associated with a shoe company or an AAU program.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 3, 2026

While the reason behind the snub could forever remain a mystery, there’s no hiding how Bryson Howard has led Heritage High School to become one of the nation’s top 50 teams. As of writing, the Coyotes are 23-2 and are on an 18-game winning streak. Their last loss came in late November last year.

The son of former NBA player Josh Howard scored 25 points during Heritage’s January 31 victory against Liberty. He is averaging 23 points, 8.7 rebounds, three assists, 3.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. Howard registered a season-high 30 points in six different games. These achievements have earned him a spot on the Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year Midseason Team.

Bryson Howard and the Coyotes can build momentum for the playoffs by sweeping their last five games. Their next game will be against Frisco, followed by matches versus Lebanon Trail, Centennial, Emerson, and Independence. Regardless of how the season ends, the Duke Blue Devils are getting a quality player in him.