Advertisement

This would’ve been their senior year. Where are the 2019 McDonald’s All-Americans now?

This week, a quartet of future Kentucky basketball players are in Houston to be celebrated with other high school basketball standouts who are soon to become college basketball stars.

Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards, Reed Sheppard and DJ Wagner have all been named 2023 McDonald’s All-Americans, with Tuesday night’s McDonald’s All-American game at the Toyota Center in Houston set to be a showcase event that’s broadcast to a national audience.

Each of the 24 boys’ high school players in the event will inevitably take a different route through their college and professional careers, something proven by past McDonald’s All-American players.

Of the McDonald’s All-American players from 2019 — those who would have been college seniors this season — some followed through on their potential promise to become top NBA Draft picks and already find success in pro basketball.

Others are now playing basketball overseas, and some are still plying their trade at the college level, including one instantly recognizable Kentucky star.

Here’s a closer look at what happened to every Burger Boy from the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game.

Players listed in alphabetical order. Statistics are as of Saturday afternoon.

Precious Achiuwa, Memphis

Ranked as the No. 15 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Achiuwa played one season at Memphis during the 2019-20 season.

Achiuwa was the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Freshman of the Year and AAC Player of the Year during his lone season at Memphis, as the Tigers posted a 21-10 record before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Achiuwa was the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors in August 2021.

College stats: 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in 31 games at Memphis.

Pro stats: 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 181 NBA regular-season games with Miami and Toronto.

Cole Anthony, North Carolina

Ranked as the No. 4 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Anthony played one largely disappointing season at North Carolina.

Anthony’s college career was stalled due to a midseason surgery for a partially torn meniscus in his right knee, and the Tar Heels ultimately finished that season five games under .500. This was UNC’s first losing season with former head coach Roy Williams leading the program.

Anthony was the 15th overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

College stats: 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 22 games at North Carolina.

Pro stats: 14.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 166 NBA regular-season games with Orlando.

Bryan Antoine, Villanova and Radford

Ranked as the No. 17 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Antoine’s college career never took off after he underwent a significant right shoulder surgery in May 2019, prior to his collegiate career.

Antoine hardly made an impact in three seasons at Villanova, and he never started a game for the Wildcats. His junior season there also saw his playing time limited due to a knee injury.

Ahead of the 2022-23 college season, Antoine transferred to Radford of the Big South Conference. He started 31 games last season and averaged more than 11 points while shooting 42.1% from three-point range.

College stats: 5.5 points in 77 games at Villanova and Radford.

Pro stats: N/A.

Armando Bacot, North Carolina

Ranked as the No. 27 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Bacot recently announced he will be returning to school for a fifth college season at North Carolina.

Bacot has flourished during his time with the Tar Heels, which included a trip to the 2022 NCAA Tournament championship game. Bacot is North Carolina’s all-time rebounding and double-doubles leader, and the four-year starter has two first-team All-ACC selections to his name already.

Bacot averaged 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds last season as North Carolina missed out on the NCAA Tournament.

College stats: 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds in 132 games at North Carolina.

Pro stats: N/A.

Vernon Carey, Duke

Ranked as the No. 6 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Carey was a one-and-done star at Duke who was named the ACC Freshman of the Year. He was named National Freshman of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Carey averaged more than 17 points and eight rebounds a game for a Blue Devils team that went 25-6 before the season was shut down.

Carey was an early second-round selection in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, but he has since been traded to the Washington Wizards and bounced between the NBA and the NBA G League.

College stats: 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in 31 games at Duke.

Pro stats: 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 37 NBA regular-season games with Charlotte and Washington.

Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Edwards went the one-and-done route at Georgia on his way to being the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Edwards was the SEC Freshman of the Year and led all freshmen in the country in scoring during his lone season at Georgia, although it didn’t translate to much team success: The Bulldogs went 16-16 in the COVID-shortened season.

Edwards earned his first NBA All-Star nod with Minnesota this season, and he’s helped lead the Timberwolves back to relevancy and the playoffs after a four-year absence.

College stats: 19.1 points in 32 games at Georgia.

Pro stats: 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 215 NBA regular-season games with Minnesota.

Josh Green, Arizona

Ranked as the No. 13 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Green played one season at Arizona before being selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.

The Australian averaged a balanced stat line during his lone college season and has proved to be a versatile presence for the Mavericks, with his playing time having significantly increased this season.

Green has also made an impact on the global stage: He earned a bronze medal with Australia in men’s basketball at the Tokyo Olympics.

College stats: 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30 games at Arizona.

Pro stats: 5.8 points in 160 NBA regular-season games with Dallas.

Matthew Hurt, Duke

Ranked as the No. 12 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Hurt spent two seasons at Duke before leaving for the professional ranks.

He was named the ACC’s most improved player and was a first-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore with the Blue Devils.

Hurt is a rare star recruit to attend Duke and never play in the NCAA Tournament, though. The 2020 edition of the Big Dance was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Duke wasn’t selected for the 2021 event after a 13-11 season.

Hurt wasn’t selected during the 2021 NBA Draft, but he has spent time in the NBA G League.

College stats: 13.5 points (including 42.1% three-point shooting) and 4.8 rebounds in 55 games at Duke.

Pro stats: No NBA stats.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana

Ranked as the No. 30 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Jackson-Davis just wrapped up a glittering four-year career at Indiana that culminated in being named a consensus first-team All-American this season.

Jackson-Davis helped lead the Hoosiers back to the NCAA Tournament after several years in the wilderness, and he will be noted for his loyalty to the IU program through a coaching change from Archie Miller to Mike Woodson.

Jackson-Davis is IU’s all-time leading shot-blocker (270) and rebounder (1,143). He is third in scoring in program history with 2,258 points.

College stats: 17.9 points and 9.1 rebounds in 126 career games at Indiana.

Pro stats: N/A.

Josiah-Jordan James, Tennessee

Ranked as the No. 22 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, James is another player who elected to spend four years in school.

James has been a steady presence for Tennessee throughout his time in Knoxville, although an offseason knee procedure before his senior season meant that he missed eight of Tennessee’s first 13 games in the 2022-23 season.

College stats: 9.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 108 career games at Tennessee.

Pro stats: N/A.

Scottie Lewis, Florida

Ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Lewis spent two seasons with the Gators and was named an SEC All-Freshman Team selection after the first of those seasons.

Lewis was a second-round NBA Draft selection in 2021 by the Charlotte Hornets, but he only made a handful of appearances for the team while splitting time with Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate.

A significant setback in Lewis’ pro career occurred last July when he broke his left left during a practice session during NBA Summer League.

College stats: 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 51 career games at Florida.

Pro stats: 0.5 points in two NBA regular-season games played with Charlotte.

Tre Mann, Florida

Ranked as the No. 21 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Mann, like Lewis, spent two seasons at Florida before turning pro.

Mann was an All-SEC selection as a sophomore, when he averaged 16.0 points and more than five rebounds and three assists for the Gators. This second-season showing lifted Mann up draft boards and he was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Mann has been a steady bench presence on an OKC team that is in the thick of the playoff race in the NBA’s Western Conference.

College stats: 10.2 points in 53 career games at Florida.

Pro stats: 9.1 points in 121 NBA regular-season games with Oklahoma City.

Nico Mannion, Arizona

Ranked as the No. 9 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Mannion mirrored the path taken by fellow McDonald’s 2019 All-American Josh Green: A one-and-done season at Arizona followed by selection in the NBA Draft.

Mannion was a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team after his lone season at Arizona, and he was selected 48th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.

After one season spent in the NBA with Golden State, Mannion — who was born in Italy and holds dual citizenship with Italy and the United States — signed a two-year contract with Italian basketball team Virtus Bologna.

College stats: 14.0 points and 5.3 assists in 32 career games at Arizona.

Pro stats: 4.1 points in 30 NBA regular-season games with Golden State. Mannion now plays for Virtus Bologna in Italy.

Tyrese Maxey (3) averaged 14.0 points across 31 career games at Kentucky.
Tyrese Maxey (3) averaged 14.0 points across 31 career games at Kentucky.

Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky

Ranked as the No. 10 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Maxey had an impressive one-and-done season with Kentucky before becoming one of the latest NBA success stories authored by UK head coach John Calipari.

Maxey’s college debut will always live in Kentucky basketball lore: He came off the bench to score 26 points in a Champions Classic win over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden. Maxey will also be fondly remembered for his 27-point outing in an overtime win over Louisville in his lone season at UK.

An SEC All-Freshman Team selection, Maxey was chosen with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, and he has blossomed into one of the NBA’s most exciting backcourt players.

“If your ultimate goal is to go to the NBA, I know Coach Cal will prepare you for that,” Maxey told the Herald-Leader last summer.He’ll prepare you to be competing at wherever you want to go in life. So you’ll always have that competitive nature and that competitive spirit.”

College stats: 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 31 career games at UK.

Pro stats: 15.2 points and 3.3 assists in 190 NBA regular-season games with Philadelphia.

Jaden McDaniels, Washington

Ranked as the No. 8 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, McDaniels also went the one-and-done route after the 2019-20 college season.

In an unusual move for such a highly rated recruit, McDaniels shifted to an off-the-bench role for the Huskies during Pac-12 Conference play, but he remained effective enough to still be a late first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Draft.

McDaniels was involved in a couple of NBA Draft day trades, first heading to Oklahoma City and then to Minnesota, the only team with which McDaniels has played pro basketball.

College stats: 13.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in 31 career games at Washington.

Pro stats: 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 204 career NBA regular-season games with Minnesota.

Isaiah Mobley, Southern California

Ranked as the No. 20 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Mobley spent three seasons at Southern California before being selected in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

A first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a college junior, Mobley’s younger brother, Evan, has taken more of the acclaim as both a college star at Southern Cal and with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

The older Mobley was part of two NCAA Tournament teams at Southern Cal, including the Trojans team that made the Elite Eight in 2021.

College stats: 10.1 points and 7.0 rebounds in 95 career games at Southern Cal.

Pro stats: 1.2 points in nine NBA regular-season games with Cleveland.

Wendell Moore, Duke

Ranked as the No. 29 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Moore spent three seasons with the Duke Blue Devils before turning professional.

Each of his three seasons at Duke featured a memorable moment, for better and worse: As a freshman, Moore suffered a broken bone in his right hand during the season. As a sophomore, Moore had a game-winning putback shot at the buzzer in overtime to score a rivalry win at North Carolina. During his junior season, Moore etched his name into the Duke history books by recording a triple-double against Army.

Moore was selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks before being traded to the Houston Rockets, and then again to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a trade that involved former Kentucky guard TyTy Washington.

College stats: 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 88 career games at Duke.

Pro stats: 1.5 points in 27 NBA regular-season games with Minnesota.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova

Ranked as the No. 16 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Robinson-Earl spent a pair of seasons with the Villanova Wildcats before becoming an early second-round NBA Draft selection.

Robinson-Earl’s debut college season fit the profile of a player who would normally leave as a one-and-done: He was the Big East Freshman of the Year after averaging more than 10 points and nine rebounds per game.

But Robinson-Earl elected to come back to school and boosted his scoring and playmaking ability. He was named the Big East Co-Player of the Year as a result.

His draft stock improved, but not tremendously: Robinson-Earl was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

College stats: 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in 56 career games at Villanova.

Pro stats: 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 87 NBA regular-season games with Oklahoma City.

Isaiah Stewart, Washington

Ranked as the No. 3 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Stewart was a one-and-done player, along with fellow 2019 McDonald’s All-American Jaden McDaniels, at Washington.

Stewart’s college career got off to an ideal start: He made a game-winning layup with 30 seconds left in his college debut to beat Baylor.

But team success failed to follow: Washington went 15-17 that season and was nowhere near the NCAA Tournament bubble before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the event.

Stewart was a first-round selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, but he has already been part of two trades in his young professional career.

College stats: 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in 32 career games at Washington.

Pro stats: 9.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in 189 NBA regular-season games with Detroit.

Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia and Kentucky

Ranked as the No. 31 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Tshiebwe’s college basketball career is the stuff of legend.

After transferring to Kentucky from West Virginia during his sophomore season, Tshiebwe blossomed into a national player of the year winner and a consensus All-American, posting scoring and rebounding figures at UK that are rarely seen in college basketball.

Tshiebwe’s individual success failed to translate to team success, though, and his decision to return for a senior season at Kentucky lowered his professional prospects due to defensive shortcomings that were exposed.

Tshiebwe has likely finished his UK career (which spanned just two seasons) ranked sixth in rebounding in program history and tied for second in career double-doubles. Tshiebwe is one of just 48 players to score more than 1,100 points for Kentucky.

College stats: 14.5 points and 12.3 rebounds in 107 career games at West Virginia and Kentucky.

Pro stats: N/A.

Trendon Watford, LSU

Ranked as the No. 18 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Watford spent two seasons at LSU before turning professional, although he wasn’t selected in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Watford was an SEC All-Freshman team selection for the 2019-20 season, before choosing to return to school as a sophomore and averaging better than 16 points and seven rebounds per contest.

Despite going undrafted, Watford has carved out a role for himself with the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers: He’s already played more than 100 NBA games in less than two seasons.

College stats: 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 59 career games at LSU.

Pro stats: 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 104 NBA regular-season games with Portland.

Kahlil Whitney, Kentucky

Ranked as the No. 11 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Whitney was another Chicago and New Jersey connection that landed with the Wildcats, although things didn’t pan out as planned.

Whitney announced in January of his lone college season at Kentucky that he was leaving UK to better prepare for the rest of his basketball career. Whitney saw the floor in only 18 games as a Wildcat, with eight starts.

Unsurprisingly given his lack of college basketball experience, Whitney went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he has since spent time in the NBA G League and in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

College stats: 3.3 points in 18 career games at UK.

Pro stats: No NBA stats.

Samuell Williamson, Louisville and SMU

Ranked as the No. 19 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Williamson spent three seasons at U of L before transferring last offseason to SMU.

Williamson’s career at Louisville featured steady, if not remarkable, production over three seasons during the Chris Mack era.

He was a regular starter and key contributor for SMU last season, although the Mustangs were a dreadful 10-22 overall.

Williamson still has one season of college eligibility remaining.

College stats: 7.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 111 career games at Louisville and SMU.

Pro stats: N/A.

James Wiseman, Memphis

Ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite, Wiseman’s brief college career at Memphis never got off the ground.

Shoulder and ankle injuries kept Wiseman out of preseason games with the Tigers before the NCAA ruled him ineligible to play due to payments made for Wiseman and his family by Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway.

After a brief legal back and forth between Wiseman’s legal team and the NCAA, Wiseman announced in December of his freshman season that he would be leaving the school and preparing for the NBA Draft.

The eventual fallout from this was Wiseman playing only three college basketball games, but he was still selected No. 2 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.

Wiseman’s professional career has also featured fits and spurts, including a torn right meniscus in his right knee and a recent trade from Golden State to Detroit.

College stats: 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in three career games at Memphis.

Pro stats: 10.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 76 NBA regular-season games with Golden State and Detroit.

2023 McDonald’s All-American Game guide: What to watch for in the all-star recruiting game

Tracking Kentucky basketball roster moves: Calipari set to meet with players this week

How will Kentucky basketball’s freshman class fare when portal players are the craze?

Five big questions for Kentucky basketball (and John Calipari) as the offseason begins

For Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, decision on what to do next is complicated