Future 'Cats steal the show at 2023 McDonald's All-American Game
Tuesday night in Houston might as well have been a glimpse into the future. Four of Kentucky men’s basketball’s five incoming freshmen turned the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game into a mini-informercial for John Calipari’s program.
In a highly-competitive battle between the nation’s top high school seniors, it was the East that came away with a 109-106 win over the West despite trailing by nine at halftime. All four of Kentucky’s participants — CG DJ Wagner, SF Justin Edwards, C Aaron Bradshaw, and CG Reed Sheppard — had several moments of brilliance. But it was Wagner who stepped up big down the stretch, scoring all 19 of his points in the second half, including the go-ahead dunk with 30 seconds left (which was assisted by Edwards on the fastbreak) that put the East up for good. He then iced the game away thanks to two clutch free throws with just 8.7 ticks left on the clock.
Wagner, who pulled up to the game in a Rolls-Royce thanks to his fresh NIL partnership, is the first-ever third-generation McDonald’s All-American Game participant, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Milt Wagner (Louisville) and father Dajuan Wagner (Memphis). The youngest Wagner was named MVP of the event after posting a team-high 19 points (7-14 FG; 3-7 3PT), three assists, two rebounds, two steals, and two (impressive) blocks. He was even personally congratulated by LeBron James in the postgame scrum for his MVP effort.
“It was a great experience,” Wagner told ESPN sideline reporter Brooke Weisbrod. “I’m just honored to be able to come out here and step on the court with these guys on this stage. It’s a great feeling. We all talked about it, we said we’re gonna come out here and compete. Because that’s what we all do, we’re competitors, and that’s what we did.”
Wagner is the first future Kentucky player to win the McDonald’s All-American Game MVP since Michael Kidd-Gilchrist back in 2011.
But it wasn’t just Wagner putting on a show. Joining him on the East Team were Edwards and Bradshaw, who both make significant impacts on the game.
Edwards was hawking passing lanes, locking down his matchup, and making plays in transition. The five-star recruit had one instance that saw him steal a pass before flying down the other end for a fancy fastbreak layup. It was his defense, though, that he leaned on to separate himself and make an impact — a rarity in All-Star Game settings such as this one.
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Bradshaw, meanwhile, was flexing his versatility all over the floor, going through spurts of domination in the post where he also stepped back to show off his outside jumper. The fellow five-star was collecting rebounds all over the place, using his strength to power home some tough shots at the rim. He shot 13 total free throws on the night, hitting 10 of them. During halftime, Bradshaw was honored with the 2023 Jack Daly Sportsmanship Award.
Edwards finished with 11 points (5-9 FG), five rebounds, two assists, and two steals while Bradshaw added 18 points (4-9 FG; 10-13 FT), a game-high eight rebounds, and one steal.
But not to be outdone, Sheppard also stole plenty of the limelight as the lone future Wildcat on the West Team. When he wasn’t being interviewed by the ESPN crew on the sidelines during the game or being featured in a segment about his parents, former Wildcats Jeff and Stacey Sheppard (where he said mom is a tougher player than dad), Reed was doing what he does best: waiting for his opportunity and then striking when it pops up.
Sheppard, who wore No. 15 in honor of his dad, finished with a modest four points (2-3 FG), four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, but it was how he accumulated those stats that should have the Big Blue Nation excited for what’s to come. He recorded both of his steals on back-to-back possessions, the first leading to a personal breakaway dunk and the second an assisted three-pointer to his teammate. Sheppard showcased his aggressiveness too, slipping into the lane before dishing out a tough pass inside for an easy score.
Even taking into consideration how last season ended for Kentucky, it’s hard not to get excited about this group for next season after their performances on the biggest stage.
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