Jalan McCloud takes MVP honors for North in 111-86 THSCA All-Star Basketball Game victory

FORT WORTH, Texas — However the basketball career of Jalan McCloud goes from this point, the 6-foot guard from suburban Fort Worth can forever boast that he now shares an honor with NBA great Shaquille O'Neal.

Both were named team MVPs in their respective Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star games.

McCloud, a product of a consistently successful program at North Crowley (Fort Worth), filled up the box score with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, four steals and one block to lead the North All-Stars to a 111-86 rout of the South in the 69th renewal Monday night at TCU's Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

McCloud tried to take it all in stride afterward, but a big grin belied his otherwise cool outward reaction.



"We got the win and that's the main thing,'' said McCloud shortly after posing for a photo, MVP plaque in hand, for a camera proudly held by North Crowley coach Tommy Brakel.

O'Neal, representing Cole (San Antonio) was named MVP after leading the South to a 119-109 victory in 1989 when the game was played in Dallas.

All-Star basketball games tend to be vehicles to display offensive skills, but McCloud's ball-hawking helped create 25 South turnovers. The North turned it over only nine times.

"Our guards are extremely quick and that was a big part of our success,'' said Rowlett forward Jeffrey Carroll, who scored 16 points and contributed two of the North team's 16 steals.

The North, winners now in five of the last six in the series, started slowly, but got hot from behind the 3-point line in the second period with five players sinking one each to expand a lead that was only two points early in the quarter to 23 by halftime. From that point, the outcome was never in doubt.

Having finished a close second in the halftime 3-point shooting contest, Carroll, a 6-6 forward about to begin his college career at Oklahoma State, scored 16 points and played a strong floor game.

Leyton Hammonds of Richland (North Richland Hills), another Oklahoma State recruit, added to the balanced North attack with 17 points. Hammonds, a 6-8 forward, captured the halftime slam dunk contest.



Dominique Shaw of Lufkin efficiently went about his business, leading the North in rebounds with 10 to go with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. The 6-2 guard plans on playing at Tyler Junior College.

Braylon Rayson of West Mesquite edged Carroll in the halftime 3-point shooting contest. Rayson had a 10-9 edge in a 30-second extra period, winning on his last shot. Both made 17 in a minute to force a playoff.

Kavian Gilder-Tilbury, a 6-7 forward from Cypress Falls (Houston) bound for Texas State, was named South MVP after 13-point, 11-rebound effort.

Da'Shawn Robinson, a 6-2 guard from Alief Elsik (Houston) headed for Navarro College, led the South in scoring with 17 points.