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Posts Tagged ‘Rondae Jefferson’

Dunk-fest: Arizona-bound Aaron Gordon is McDonald’s game MVP

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013
Aaron Gordon

This is one of Aaron Gordon’s nine dunks in the McDonald’s game. Photo by Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

The McDonald’s All-American Game is more showcase than game, filled more with alley-oops than defense.

That said, it’s all good when the recruit of your favorite team is the one doing all the dunking.

Aaron Gordon, a 6-foot-8 forward who committed to Arizona on Tuesday, made Wildcats fans (even more) eager with anticipation after he led the West squad to a 110-99 victory and earned MVP honors at United Center in Chicago.

He scored 24 points, with nine of his 10 baskets coming on dunks.

“He dominates the game inside the arc,” Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s director of basketball recruiting, said on the telecast.

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Arizona Wildcats’ all-time list of McDonald’s All-Americans

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
Aaron Gordon

Aaron Gordon prepares to make his announcement Tuesday. Photo via Twitter, @McDAAG

RELATED: Five-star recruit Aaron Gordon commits to the Arizona Wildcats

For the second consecutive season, Arizona Wildcats coach Sean Miller will be bringing in two McDonald’s All-Americans in the same recruiting class.

Miller signed Mickey D’s All-Americans Brandon Ashley and Grant Jerrett in last year’s recruiting class, and he added Aaron Gordon to the commitment list Tuesday morning after signing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in the fall.

Until last season, Arizona had never brought in multiple McDonald’s All-Americans in the same class.

Hassan Adams and Ndudi Ebi each signed in the 2002 class, but Ebi went straight to the pros. Mike Bibby and Loren Woods were both McDonald’s All-Americans in 1996, but Woods didn’t arrive in Tucson until after his transfer from Wake Forest.

This is the 36th year of the McDonald’s All-American Game, and 21 players from the game have signed with or played at Arizona.

Here is the full list:

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Five-star recruit Aaron Gordon commits to the Arizona Wildcats

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

Arizona Wildcats coach Sean Miller might have his problems with referees, but not with recruits.

In what could stand as the biggest offseason news for the program, five-star recruit Aaron Gordon announced his commitment to Arizona on Tuesday morning at Media Day for the McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago.

Gordon, a power forward from San Jose (Calif.) Archbishop Mitty, committed to UA over Washington, Oregon and Kentucky.

Gordon (6-8, 215) is rated the nation’s fifth-best prospect by 247Sports, and the sixth-best recruit in the rankings by Rivals.com and Scout.com.

Gordon joins a recruiting class that includes 6-5 guard Elliott Pitts and fellow McDonald’s All-American Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a 6-7 wing known for his defense. Both signed letters of intent in the fall. Gordon can put his signature on a letter of intent when the spring signing period begins April 17.

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More big stages await Arizona Wildcats’ signee Rondae Jefferson

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
Rondae Jefferson

Rondae Jefferson has been selected to three prestigious all-star games. ESPN screenshot

The ESPN2 announcers couldn’t stop raving about Arizona Wildcats recruit Rondae Jefferson, who led his Chester (Pa.) High School team to victory in a highly anticipated game on Sunday.

“What everybody loves about RJ, he’s comfortable in his own skin,” game analyst Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s national director of recruiting, said during the telecast.

“He knows who he is: A great defender, finisher, rebounder. First thing he says before the game … ‘I have to work on my shooting. I have to get better at it from the outside. But I can dominate the game 15 feet and in.’

“He understands his weakness and he’s willing to work on it.”

Jefferson, a 6-7 forward, had 20 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, three assists and one block as Chester beat Neumann-Goretti 58-41 in Aston, Pa. It was the first-ever meeting between the area powerhouses. Chester is the two-time defending Class AAAA state champ; Neumann-Goretti has won three consecutive Class AAA titles.

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Report: Arizona signee selected to McDonald’s All-America Game

Thursday, January 31st, 2013
Rondae Jefferson

Rondae Jefferson dunks during the Nike Global Challenge in Alexandria, Va., this summer. Photo by Evan Habeeb-USA Today Sports.

The Arizona Wildcats will have a McDonald’s All-American for a second consecutive season.

UA signee Rondae Jefferson has been chosen to play in the prestigious McDonald’s game, according to a report on Philly.com, citing Chester High School athletic director Jeffery Legette.

The 24-player roster will be announced Feb. 14. The game is set for April 3 at the United Center in Chicago.

Jefferson also was recently selected to play in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland on April 20.

Jefferson, a 6-7 forward, would be the 18th McDonald’s All-American to play at the UA.

Herman Harris was the last high school All-American basketball player (pre-McDonald’s game) from Chester, Pa., in 1973. He, too, ended up at Arizona, averaging 12.5 points per game for his career and ranking 35th in career scoring.

Here is a list of McDonald’s All-Americans who have played at Arizona, including players who arrived via transfers:

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Arizona signee selected to play in prestigious Nike Hoop Summit

Sunday, January 20th, 2013
Rondae Jefferson

Rondae Jefferson dunks during the Nike Global Challenge in Alexandria, Va., last summer. Photo by Evan Habeeb-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona Wildcats basketball signee Rondae Jefferson was selected Sunday to the USA team that will take on an international squad in the Nike Hoop Summit.

The game will be played in Portland on April 20.

Jefferson, a 6-7 forward from Chester, Pa., is one of 10 elite high school seniors on the UA team. Also on the team is power forward Aaron Gordon, one of the Arizona’s top recruiting targets for the spring signing period.

The United States will take on a 19-and-under World Select Team. UCLA’s Shabazz Muhammad scored 35 points in last year’s game, but the U.S. team lost 84-75. Arizona freshman Kaleb Tarczewski played for the U.S. team last year.

Here is the U.S. team, with college choice in parentheses:

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You might want to watch this dunk from Arizona recruit Rondae Jefferson

Saturday, December 29th, 2012

Arizona signee Rondae Jefferson, a five-star recruit, is the future at small forward for the Wildcats. Above is a video of what that future looks like.

Jefferson, from Chester (Pa.) High School, delivered this dunk in the Pete and Jameer Nelson Classic Friday night in his hometown. He grabbed the defensive rebound, started the fast break, went behind the back with his dribble to get past one defender, avoided others as he reached the lane, scooped the ball off the backboard to himself, caught it with his left hand … and slammed it home.

Jefferson later would go on to win the game in the final seconds with a spin move in the post and a reverse layup for a 63-61 victory over Imhotep Charter. Quotes from Jefferson and more details about the game are here at DelcoTimes.com.

With Arizona losing Solomon Hill and Kevin Parrom after this season, Jefferson will have a chance to immediately shine at small forward.

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Arizona’s Sean Miller lands five-star recruit Rondae Jefferson

Thursday, September 13th, 2012
Rondae Jefferson

Rondae Jefferson dunks during the Nike Global Challenge in Alexandria, Va., this summer. Photo by Evan Habeeb-US PRESSWIRE

With UConn coach Jim Calhoun announcing his retirement on Thursday, the name of Arizona Wildcats coach Sean Miller likely will come up in speculation as a potential replacement after this season.

You can hear the chatter: Miller will want to return to his East Coast roots.

In the meantime, Miller is digging in so well in Tucson that’s it’s hard to see him wanting to leave before the program truly blossoms on his watch.

On the heels of a recruiting class considered among the top three in the nation, Miller and his staff is doing good work again, on Thursday landing five-star prospect Rondae Jefferson, a 6-6 wing from Chester, Pa.

Tweeted CBSSports.com college basketball writer Gary Parrish: “Sean Miller is building a monster.”

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