Potential No. 1 picks AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson headline All-American games

BROOKLYN — The West team took home the girls’ and boys’ McDonald’s All American games, as a plethora of high school prospects with promising futures at the next level took stage at the Barclays Center. 

The boys’ game was headlined by Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa, all contenders to go No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft. Peterson and Boozer shared the MVP award with the West defeating the East 105-92. In the girls’ game, incoming UCLA freshman Sienna Betts took home the MVP and the 104-82 win.

The Sporting Tribune was in Brooklyn to evaluate the 2025 McDonald’s All American class, with a focus on prospects with links to California.

Co-game MVP Darryn Peterson, 18, plays for Prolific Prep in Napa, CA. He’s an explosive, yet smooth guard with a clean and confident jump shot to go with highlight-producing hops. The Kansas commit also has a history of production; for instance, he scored 58 points in February to lead his school past Utah Prep, led by another No. 1 pick contender in AJ Dybantsa. In this game, Peterson had 18 points.

Before going to Utah Prep, Dybantsa also played for Prolific Prep. The 18-year-old wing, probably a little taller than 6-foot-9, uses his fluid strides and long arms to penetrate defenses and score at the basket with top-tier athleticism. Dybantsa has rounded out his game in recent years, fleshing out his playmaking, but he’s still dependable for a bevy of huge dunks.

At his best, Dybantsa can blend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s deceleration and pull-up with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ground coverage. The BYU commit will have a big platform next year in head coach Kevin Young’s program, which promises to be a powerhouse in college basketball on the court, in the transfer portal and in name, image and likeness (NIL) money for years to come. Dybantsa had a subdued McDonald’s All American game, but still finished with 17 points, five rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes.

Tounde Yessoufou, also on the West squad, impressed and stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, four rebounds, three assists, six steals and one block in 19 minutes. The Baylor commit, currently at Santa Maria St. Joseph, drew comparisons to Anthony Edwards because of his thick frame and twitch that he uses to create two-way events. The Sporting Tribune first evaluated Yessoufou in 2022, when he was largely an athletic dunker. Now, he’s a powerful slasher who comes up with creative passes and flashes, but needs to keep improving his three-point shot.

Alijah Arenas was probably the best-known prospect in attendance after Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, the incoming Duke forward who will also compete to go No 1 in the 2026 draft. The USC commit is the son of longtime NBA guard Gilbert Arenas, who sat courtside sporting the former’s jersey. The 18-year-old is a natural scorer and he did just that in spurts, dropping 11 points in 13 minutes. 

However, Arenas also seemed to struggle at times with the increased physicality that came against competing against the very top of his class. It will be interesting to see how he fares in college basketball as a freshman, because the future Trojan needs to keep working on his body. Arenas isn’t a surefire one-and-done prospect, but he has the upside to be. Of note, it remains to be seen exactly how his team next season at USC looks like, given that Wesley Yates III could have draft interest and the program will still be active in the transfer portal.

Brayden Burries, a five-star guard playing for Eleanor Roosevelt, is a drive-first playmaker and decent passer. He’s very physical, which bodes well for his future, but seemed a bit rushed on Tuesday night. Burries finished with six points on 3-for-8 shooting and one assist compared to two turnovers. He'll be choosing between Alabama, Arizona, Oregon, Tennessee and USC for his next destination. 

Harvard-Westlake wing Nikolas Khamenia (seven points, seven rebounds, three assists) and Prolific Prep big Niko Bundalo (12 points, six rebounds) were solid. Khamenia should become a fan favorite at Duke with his motor, feel and overall production. Bundalo, who had a muddled recruitment process that ended in a commitment to Washington, was active finishing plays around the basket. 

From the girls’ game, incoming UCLA freshman and game MVP Sienna Betts had 16 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes. She is similarly dominant in the paint to her sister and current Bruins star Lauren, having recently become Colorado's all-time leading rebounder in boys and girls basketball with 1,448 boards.

LSU commit Grace Knox, who plays for Etiwanda in Rancho Cucamonga, showcased her elite defensive potential even in this exhibition-type setting. Aliyahna ‘Puff’ Morris, her Etiwanda teammate, is a small point guard and dynamic scorer. She’ll play at Cal next.

Five-star prospect Jazzy Davidson, a top three prospect in her class who committed to USC, was impressive on both ends of the court. She blocked a couple of shots and also stonewalled South Carolina five-star commit Agot Makeer on a few occasions. Davidson posted 12 points, most of which came in transition and playing tough at the basket.

Addie Deal plays for Mater Dei and will continue her career at Iowa. The 6-foot guard had a subdued performance with six points in 16 minutes.