McDonald's All-American Top Performers: Practice 2

Houston, Texas – Day two of the 46th Annual McDonald’s All-Aermican practices is in the books. Players are familiar with their settings and settle into their grooves with their teammates.

Just like in the practice one and scrimmage, Texas signee Ron Holland was an alpha. While there was skill work involved as well as five-one-five play, we were able to see players play in a king-of-the-court setting. This is where they do a round-robin, one-on-one style, and if you score, you stay on. If you get the stop, you stay on.

Full McDonald’s All-American Roster

Players like Matas Buzelis showed well in the one-on-one sessions, using a unique blend of size, skill, and fluidity. All-in-all, these practices were the proving grounds we thought they would be. The competitive fire ran hot, and the alpha players consistently stood out.

On3 was on hand for practice session two, and here is how things played out.

READ McDonald’s All-American Top Performers: Sunday Scrimmage
Read McDonald’s All-American Top Performners: Practice 1

On3 MVP: Five-star SF Ron Holland – Texas

This weekend was the Ron Holland show, as he was a standout for each practice session and the scrimmage. Holland made his presence felt on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, seeming to always be around the ball and every shying away from making a play.

On the offensive end during this session, the Texas signee attacked the basket. Holland finished multiple plays in the half-court above the rim, and he did so by creating off the bounce. Defensively, he switched down a lineup, moving his feet with perimeter guys and acting as a presence around the basket with weak-side rotations.

One of the most impressive pieces of Holland throughout the weekend is how vocal he is at all times. You can seemingly hear his voice at all times, no matter where you are in the gym.

Holland is the No. 7 player in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking.

2. Five-star F Matas Buzelis – G-League

You step on the floor, and the first thing you notice with Matas Buzelis is how big he really is. Buzelis stands every bit of 6-foot-10 with good length and natural pop at the rim. Where the intrigue comes with Buzelis is his fluidity and ball skills. He is confident with the ball in his hands, creating opportunities in the half-court. He has the necessary wiggle and advanced footwork to get to his spots.

Buzelis was impressive in the one-on-one portion of the practice. He decisively got downhill and was able to finish over top at the basket. Would like to see him smooth out the jump shot, but there are noticeable improvements in that area.

Buzelis is the No. 5 in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking.

3. Five-star PG Isaiah Collier – Southern California

It is the playmaking with Isaiah Collier and his competitiveness. The 6-foot-3 point guard has a way of creating passing angles off the live dribble that is simply unmatched in this class. His confidence in his passing can also have him threading some incredibly tight needles, but at times he can also get a little errant with some of his passes. He is equally adept at creating opportunities in the half-court as he is in the pick-and-roll.

The jump shot is going to have to come around for the Southern California signee, but his on-ball defense is top-notch, and he brings a competitive leadership to the table that shows across each set, no matter his teammates. Like a good closer in baseball, there are some wild aspects to his passing ability, but you take that as the good overwhelmingly outweighs the bad.

Collier is the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking No. 1 player.

4. Four-star SG Reed Sheppard – Kentucky

If you didn’t look closely, you might not have seen it, but Reed Sheppard was involved in a lot of winning plays. The 6-foot-3 guard has a complete game and is a great connector piece, helping make things run smoothly around him.

Sheppard, a Kentucky signee, is a confident jump shooter, as he knocked down multiple shots with his feet set off the catch. He also showcased some passing chops, acting as a secondary initiator and making plays for teammates in the half-court. The sneaky part of Sheppard’s game, at least here, was his defense. He is a good team defender who understands angles and rotations. He put himself in the play to gather a number of deflections as well as on-the-ball-blocked shots.

Sheppard is the No. 36 player in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking.

5. Five-star SG Stephon Castle – UConn

Stephon Castle is a unique player with his ability to play on the ball and the physical nature of his frame. At 6-foot-6, he plays with an excellent pace and consistently delivers passes on target and on time, both out of sets and the live dribble.

Castle also showcased a competitive streak on the defensive end of the floor. The UConn signee moved his feet in the open court and slide with the lead guards. He did most of his damage getting to the rim here, really getting into the paint often and putting pressure on the defense.

Castle is the No. 9 player in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking.

Other notes

*Colorado signee Cody Williams is playing fluidly and showing some confidence with the ball in his hands. When the 6-foot-7 wing shoots the ball with confidence, you can see the upside.

*The intrigue with Michigan State signee Xavier Booker is the way he moves. He is very fluid for a guy who is 6-foot-11, and he has ball skills and explosive pop in the open floor. His flashes continue to be high-level.

*I appreciate the way Bronny James attacks the live play portions of these practices. Effort has not been an issue, and he has continued to make shots from three. He is always a willing and able defender.

*Duke signee Mackenzie Mgbako is a good shooter when his feet are set. Listed at 6-foot-9, his ability to stretch the floor intrigues. He has also moved his feet well on the defensive end.

*Kwame Evans has done a great job of using his length to make plays. Listed at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-plus wing span, he moves very fluidly and has natural instincts on the defensive end. The Oregon signee also made a couple of spot threes, and some great passing reads in the half-court.

*I have really liked what I’ve seen from five-star Baylor signee Ja’Kobe Walter during McDonald’s All-American week. The noted shooter has been a standout defensive player across the drills and live-action portions during each session.

*Kentucky signee DJ Wagner simply competes. From the start of McDonald’s week to the end, he has left it on the floor. I appreciate that about his mentality.

*Duke signee Jared McCain is a threat to score a lot of points in a short amount of time. When he hits his rhythm, things can get going quickly. He competes.

*You have to appreciate Aden Holloway’s ability as a one-on-one scorer. No matter the size or athleticism, or length of his opponent, his craft and balance get him to his spots. The Auburn signee is a really good shooter as well with deep range.