BJ Boston, Terrence Clarke make McDonald's All-American Game

At least two future Kentucky Wildcats will play in the 2020 McDonald’s All-American Game. BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke made the 24-man roster, which was just unveiled. Greg Brown, a 6’8″ forward from Austin, Texas who is considering Kentucky, Texas, Memphis, Auburn, and Michigan, also made the cut. Devin Askew and Isaiah Jackson, who signed with Kentucky in November and were nominated for the game, did not.

Here is the complete roster from the McDonald’s All-American Game website (which could use some updating):

Boston, a five-star shooting guard/small forward from Georgia, is playing his senior season at Sierra Canyon High School in California alongside Lebron James’ son Bronny and Dwyane Wade’s son Zaire. On the EYBL circuit last summer, he averaged 22.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and has been putting up similar numbers for Sierra Canyon this season.

“BJ is one of the best basketball players in the country,” Calipari said when Boston signed in November. “He can score from anywhere on the floor with his length and his athleticism and he finishes really well in traffic. He’s versatile enough to play two or three positions. On top of BJ’s basketball ability, what I love about him is he wants to play with other great players. He’s already doing that on the high school level and wanted the challenge of competing with and against the best every day in practice here.”

Clarke, a five-star small forward from Boston, attends Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, a prestigious boarding school whose alums include Donovan Mitchell, Thomas Robinson, Mitch McGary, and Will Barton. On the EYBL circuit, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, and last night, put up 40 points and 12 rebounds in Brewster’s game vs. Bridgton Maine.

“Terrence is one of the most talented basketball players in the country regardless of class,” Calipari said. “He has a toughness to him that the Big Blue Nation is going to really love. When he came on his visit, he saw firsthand the type of effort and work we expect of our players and immediately decided this was the type of environment he wanted to be in. Terrence has all the tools you look for in a kid: length, athleticism, toughness and a high basketball IQ. I’m looking forward to coaching him.”

Counting Boston and Clarke, Kentucky has had 69 McDonald’s All-Americans since the game began in 1977, 37 during the John Calipari Era. Alums on this year’s team include Tyrese Maxey (2019), Kahlil Whitney (2019), EJ Montgomery (2018), Immanuel Quickley (2018), and Nick Richards (2017).

Congrats, boys. The 2020 McDonald’s All-American Games will take place at the Toyota Center in Houston on April 1. They will be televised by ESPN and ESPN2.