More than the McDonald's All-American games themselves, the Powerade Jam Fest allows players to show even more of their personalities, and, even skills, to the fans.
The players tend to be much more loose. They dance, embrace, unite and, of course, dunk.
This video, courtesy of the McDonald's media team, shows a little bit of everything and highlights the camaraderie, the fun and certainly the winners from Monday's event at the University of Chicago.
For the boys,
Grayson Allen, a 6-foot-4 guard from
Providence (Jacksonville, Fla.), was the surprise winner of the slam dunk contest, beating out
Theo Pinson, a 6-6 guard from
Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) headed to North Carolina and
Kelly Oubre, a 6-6 guard from
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) signed to Kansas, in the finals.
See slideshow of dunk contestThe boys 3-point winner was won by Indiana-bound
James Blackmon of
Marion (Ind.) and the skills winner was
Tyus Jones, a 6-1 guard from
Apple Valley (Minn.). He's another Duke signee.
Among the girls,
Alexa Middleton, a 5-8 guard from
Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.),
totally stole the show and won both the skills and 3-point contests.
Middleton, who is headed for
Tennessee, seemed to have Blackmon beat in a head-to-head 3-point contest. She racked up 20 points among the first four racks but missed four straight shots on the final rack to lose 21-20. Still Middleton performed with such flair and excellence, she was a big fan favorite.
Theo Pinson, Wesleyan Christian Academy
Photo by John Rowland
