MCD Game: Cameron Thomas an All Time Snub

In less than a month, the 2020 McDonald’s All American game will be played at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

24 players from around the country get to live out their dreams of playing in the prestigious McDonald’s All American game that has featured stars such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant and other countless athletes that have made a mark in the NBA.

However, among the 24 student-athletes, 15 that played on the EYBL circuit, will not be 2020 ESPN five-star shooting guard Cameron Thomas of Oak Hill Academy (VA) in Chesapeake, Virginia. It was a decision that shocked plenty around the high school basketball world.

“I’m never one to complain, but need to say this,” Oak Hill head coach Steve Smith tweeted out back in January after the rosters were revealed. “How can the leading scorer in the history of Oak Hill Academy, a school that has produced 33 McDonald’s All-Americans not make the 2020 team? He was also the leading scorer of the EYBL circuit and a consensus top twenty player.”

The LSU signee, ranked the No. 22 player in the country, finished his final year on the toughest circuit, by many accounts, out scoring every current McDonald’s All American on the 2020 roster.

He finished with more 30-plus scoring games than Scottie Barnes, Terrence Clarke, Isaiah Todd, Mark Williams, Nimari Burnett, Caleb Love, BJ Boston, Greg Brown, Josh Christopher, Jalen Green and Ziaire Williams combined.

He scored 122 more total points (577) than the closest McDonald’s All American Sharife Cooper of McEachern (GA), who is headed to Auburn and also a five-star rated guard by ESPN ranked No. 19th in the country, while outscoring Jalen Green by 304 points, who is currently rated the No. 1 prospect in the country.

By the numbers, Thomas had one of the better years for any player in circuit history. He was one of the six student-athletes to score 40 or more points in a game this year on the EYBL circuit.

He finished with more points than current North Carolina TarHeel Cole Anthony, who led EYBL in scoring in 2018 and that includes consensus lottery picks James Wiseman, Jaden McDaniels and Vernon Carey.

If we expand the numbers to include the past two classes (2019-2020) of McDonald’s All Americans, none have had more 20-plus and/or 30-plus scoring games in a season.

Also, if we combine both classes, Thomas finished with more 30-point games in a season than Trayce Jackson-Davis, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman, Wendell Moore, Tre Mann, Vernon Carey Jr, Samuell Williamson, Tyrese Maxey, Jaden McDaniels, Scottie Barnes, Terrence Clarke, Isaiah Todd, Mark Williams, Nimari Burnett, Caleb Love, BJ Boston, Greg Brown, Josh Christopher, Jalen Green and Ziaire Williams combined.

In a single season, all of the aforementioned athletes above combined to have eight 30-plus scoring outings on the EYBL circuit in their respective final years. Thomas alone had nine 30-plus scoring outings.

In all, the stats matter and the stats certainly say that Thomas is deserving of an invitation to Houston to participate with the best student-athletes high school basketball has to offer.