Teams from Texas and California have dominated the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings all year so it’s probably not coincidence that eight members from those states – five from Texas – have been selected to the McDonald’s All-American teams it was announced on Thursday.
MacArthur's Odyssey Sims is one of nation's top point guards.
Photo by Jim Redman
The game will be played March 31 at the Value City Arena in Columbus Ohio. Game time is 5:30 p.m. ET and be broadcast on ESPNU.
Odyssey Sims, a 5-foot-8 point guard from MacArthur High School and Chiney Oguwmike, a 6-3 power forward from Cy-Fair, lead the Texas contingent. Both are Player of the Year finalists.
Other Texas players are 6-5 power forward Karla Gilbert (A&M Consolidated), 6-foot wing Tiffany Moore (Frisco) and 5-9 point guard Meighan Simmons (Steele).
They’ll be joined on the West squad by a trio from California, including a duo from top-ranked St. Mary’s Chelsea Gray, a 5-11 point guard, and 5-11 shooting guard Afure Jemerigbe.
The East squad are led by three New York standouts, Stefanie Dalson, a 6-5 post from Minisink and Bri Hartley, a 5-9 point guard from North Babylon.
Both those girls are headed for top-ranked Connecticut, as is East teammate Samarie Walker, a 6-1 wing from Chaminade-Julienne.
Here are the girls selections
East Squad
Alicia Devaughn, 6-4, C, Ely (Pompano Beach, Fla.) — Headed to Maryland
Stefanie Dolson, 6-5, C, Minisink Valley (Slate Hill, N.Y.) — Connecticut
Bria Hartley, 5-9, G, North Babylon (North Babylon, N.Y.) — Connecticut
Kaniesha Horn, 6-1, F, Ramsay (Birmingham, Ala.) — Alabama
Natasha Howard, 6-3, F, Waite (Toledo, Ohio) — Florida State
Maggie Lucas, 5-9, G, Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.) — Penn State
Kayla McBride, 5-11, G, Villa Maria Academy (Erie, Pa.) — Notre Dame
Laurin Mincy, 6-0, G, University (Newark, N.J.) — Maryland
Jennifer O’Neil, 5-6, G, St. Michael Academy (New York, N.Y.) — Kentucky
Haley. Peters, 6-3, F, Peddie (Hightstown, N.J.) — Duke
Ronika Ransford, 5-8, G, Woodson (Washington, District of Columbia) — Georgia
Samarie Walker, 6-1, F, Chaminade-Julienne (Dayton, Ohio) — Connecticut
West Squad
Aaryn Ellenberg, 5-6, G, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) — Oklahoma
Karla Gilbert, 6-5, F, A&M Consolidated (College Station, Texas) — Texas A&M
Chelsea Gray, 5-11, G, St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) — Duke
Richa Jackson, 6-0, F, Midwest City (Midwest City, Okla.) — Duke
Afure Jemerigbe, 5-11, G, St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) — Cal
Tiffany Moore 6-0, F, Frisco (Frisco, Texas) — Texas
Chiney Ogwunmike, 6-3, F, Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas) — Stanford
Theresa Plaisance, 6-5, C, Vandebilt Catholic (Houma, La.) — LSU
Lindsay Sherbert, 6-1, F, Great Oak (Temecula, Calif.) — Cal
Meighan Simmons, 5-9, G, Steele (Cibolo, Texas) — Tennessee
Odyssey Sims, 5-8, G, MacArthur (Irving, Texas) — Baylor
Madison Williams, 6-7, C, Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.) — Michigan State
