McDonalds Game

Last night was the McDonald's High School All-American game in San Diego. The game is always worth tuning in to, but tough to sit through. As with any All-Star game it is only an exhibition, so defense is rare. Both teams showed tremendous selflessness that had been lost when many pro scouts would be in attendance. With players not having to worry about impressing scouts and improving draft status players actually looked to pass the ball. Although I only watched bits and pieces, a few things really stood out.
First, Ohio State is going to be a tough team to deal with next year. The regular season Big 10 champs are being improved with 5 terrific incoming freshman, which include three from last night. The most highly touted, and National Player of the Year, is 7'2'' Center Greg Oden. He was slowed by a wrist injury, but he can really change a game on defense. In the opening minutes of last games he had a few blocked shots, and altered many throughout the game. Another Ohio State bound player who looked good was Daequan Cook who ended up in double digits (guessing around 14, not sure though). Another team who will really benefit is Georgia Tech. After having a down year look for them to rebound with the additions of Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenden. Crittenden really impressed me in the first half with his range and ability to see the court. As usual, the Duke and UNC recruits looked good. The announcers were touting Duke-bound Guard Jon Scheyer as the next JJ Redick and he did demonstrate a nice scoring touch. His teammate for next year, Gerald Henderson, won the Dunk contest and played very well for the East last night leading them with a team-high 16 points. Finally, the co-MVPs for the West were extremely impressive. Texas-bound Kevin Durant had a game high 25 points and demonstrated excellent athleticism. His co-MVP Chase Budinger is headed to Arizona where Lute Olson already is speaking high praises. Earlier in the week he was the runner-up in the Dunk Contest (although his final round dunk looked more impressive than champion Henderson). Budinger reminds me of last year's McDonalds MVP Josh McRoberts (who just finished his freshman year at Duke). He could afford to put on a little muscle, but he's extremely athletic, has good range, and sees the court very well. His 11 points came from all over the court and he dished out 4 assists.
The other big news in sports is Bud Selig appointing former Senate majority leader George Mitchell to probe past steroid use in baseball. At this point I'm so sick of this issue, I don't know what to think. While I do not dispute that steroids certainly give a competitive edge, there's no way of truly determining their effect on performance. It definitely helps put on muscle, but they don't tell a player when to look for a curve or select a pitch to hit. Don't get me wrong, steroids have given baseball a black eye. I'm just not convinced on what actual affects it has on baseball performance. Since baseball does not have the authority to grant immunity, none of these players will admit their use for fear of legal ramifications. This probe is Selig's way of attempting to make up for screwing up the first time, but it's too late. As Tim Kurkjian reported on ESPN, this era has already been tainted, the bigger focus should be on preventing further use. The only nice thing is it's timing. While Barry Bonds had a great career prior to alleged steroid use, I've never liked how he's handled his fans and the media. He's a spoiled player with a bad attitude who does not deserve to be in the same company as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Even if he had not been included in the allegations (and I for one find it impossible that he didn't use for many reasons), I still would not be a Barry Bonds fan.