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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

ND BASKETBALL: McDonald's All-Americans named

Two Notre Dame basketball signees will play on the Joyce Center court months before donning an Irish uniform.Lindsay Schrader and Luke Zeller were named to the 2005 McDonald's All-American high school basketball teams, according to a Wednesday afternoon press release. Both games are set for March 30. "Any athlete would be honored to simply get nominated, but to get selected for the McDonald's All American Game ... as a young athlete, there's just no better feeling," chairman of the game and legendary coach John Wooden said in the release. "McDonald's All American players are leaders on and off the court. It's not just athletic talent that makes them role models, but the contribution that they make to the lives around them."More than 2,500 high school players were nominated for the game with 48 being selected - 24 boys and 24 girls with 12 on both the East and West squads.Legendary coach Morgan Wooten, who won more than 1,200 games at DeMathaHigh School in Hyattsville, Md. is the chairman of the selection committee, while Wooden served as an advisor.Current Irish men's basketball coach Mike Brey played for Wooten and later became an assistant coach at his alma meter.Ryan Ayers and Kyle McAlarney, two other high school seniors joining Brey's team in the fall, were named to the 100 finalists for the McDonald's boys' team. Chandrica Smith, the other early signee for Irish women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw's class of 2009, was also a finalist.On the girls' teams, Texas has three incoming freshmen playing in the game, while Georgia, Maryland, Duke, California and Oklahoma each have two.On the boys' side Duke, North Carolina, Kansas each have three signees on the team while Oklahoma State, Washington each have two.Schrader will join current Irish players Courtney LaVere and Crystal Erwin as McDonald's All-Americans.Zeller is the first Notre Dame recruit to be named to the McDonald's team since Torin Francis played in the game in 2002. Chris Thomas, the only Mr. Indiana in basketball to attend Notre Dame, participated in the game in 2001.