This would’ve been their senior year. Where are the 2018 McDonald’s All-Americans now?
This week, future Kentucky basketball players Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace are in Chicago with their fellow 2022 McDonald’s All-Americans, the next wave of star recruits.
It’s a safe bet that many of the 24 high school players at the event will be preparing to declare for the NBA Draft a year from now. But just because a prospect is named to the McDonald’s Game, there’s no guarantee of immediate college success or a lucrative pro career.
Only nine of the McDonald’s All-Americans from 2018 — those players who would have been college seniors this season — were one-and-done, first-round picks in the NBA Draft. Several weren’t drafted at all, some are still in school, and a couple — including a former UK player — are now playing overseas.
Here’s a closer look at what happened to every player from the 2018 McDonald’s All-American Game.
R.J. Barrett, Duke
The Ontario native was long considered the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2018 class and weighed Kentucky as a finalist before ultimately committing to Duke. Barrett was part of a superclass — featuring Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones — and he averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, but the Blue Devils were upset by Michigan State in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Barrett was the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft and has spent the past three seasons as a starter for the New York Knicks.
Pro ball: 19.9 points, 5.8 rebounds in 33.5 minutes for the Knicks this season.
Darius Bazley, no college
Bazley was a high-upside recruit from Cincinnati — No. 17 in the 2018 composite rankings — and committed to Syracuse before backing out of that pledge in the spring of his senior year. At first, he planned to go to the G League, but the standard salary for players choosing that route at the time was $125,000 — it’s much higher today — so Bazley reversed course on that decision, too. He instead signed a deal with New Balance and trained up to the 2019 draft, where he was the No. 23 overall pick. He’s spent the past three years with the Oklahoma City Thunder and has been a starter for most of the past two seasons.
Pro ball: 10.9 points, 6.4 rebounds in 28.1 minutes for the Thunder this season.
Bol Bol, Oregon
The son of NBA legend Manute Bol was the No. 4 overall recruit in the final 2018 composite rankings and took an official visit to Kentucky before choosing Oregon, where he averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.7 blocked shots and shot 52.0 percent from three-point range but was limited to just nine games due to a foot injury. Questions about Bol’s future prospects resulted in a slide to No. 44 overall in the 2019 draft, and he spent three largely uninspiring seasons with the Denver Nuggets. Bol has not played in a game since early January. Denver attempted to trade him to the Detroit Pistons later that month, but the deal was voided after he failed a physical. He’s since been traded to the Boston Celtics and then the Orlando Magic, though he played for neither team and is out for the remainder of this season with an injury.
Pro ball: 2.4 points, 1.4 rebounds in 5.8 minutes for the Nuggets this season.
Jordan Brown, Nevada
Brown was the No. 19 overall player in the 2018 class — and had some brief UK interest, but no Wildcats scholarship offer — before committing to Nevada and Coach Eric Musselman over other major-conference schools. He played just 10.1 minutes per game as a freshman with the Wolfpack, then transferred to Arizona, where he had to sit out the 2019-20 season. In his first season with the Wildcats, he averaged 9.4 points per game and was named the Pac-12’s sixth man of the year, but Sean Miller was fired as Arizona’s coach after that season, and Brown transferred to Louisiana, where his father had played college basketball. This past season, Brown averaged 15.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11 big man is not considered an NBA Draft prospect.
Pro ball: Not among Top 100 prospects for 2022 NBA Draft.
Moses Brown, UCLA
Brown — a uniquely skilled, 7-2 center — was also scouted by Kentucky at one point in his recruiting process. The New York native ended up at UCLA, where he averaged 9.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Brown entered the 2019 NBA Draft but was not picked. He has since spent time with four different franchises, most recently signing a pair of 10-day contracts with the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month. Brown was one of the top players in the G League last season. He was the No. 27 recruit in the 2018 class.
Pro ball: 3.0 points, 2.2 rebounds in 6.3 minutes for the Mavericks and Cavaliers this season.
Devon Dotson, Kansas
Dotson was born in Chicago and played his high school ball in Charlotte, ending up as the No. 21 recruit in the class and signing with Kansas, where he played two seasons and went undrafted in 2020. The 6-2 point guard was a star player for the Jayhawks but has played sparingly for the Chicago Bulls over the past two NBA seasons, spending some of that time in the G League.
Pro ball: 2.6 points, 1.4 assists in 7.7 minutes for the Bulls this season.
Darius Garland, Vanderbilt
The top-ranked point guard at the McDonald’s All-American Game — and the No. 14 overall player in the 247Sports composite rankings — Garland attended high school in the Nashville area and committed to nearby Vanderbilt. He played just five games in college due to a knee injury but was still selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft. He’s since emerged as one of the NBA’s top young point guards, becoming an immediate starter with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Pro ball: 21.4 points, 8.6 assists in 35.6 minutes for the Cavaliers this season.
Quentin Grimes, Kansas
A combo guard from Texas ranked No. 10 overall in the class, Grimes started all 36 games his freshman season at Kansas before transferring to Houston, where he played two seasons and emerged as a star for the Cougars in his junior year. He was selected with the No. 25 overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft and has been a contributor off the bench for the New York Knicks in his rookie season.
Pro ball: 6.0 points, 2.0 rebounds in 17.1 minutes for the Knicks this season.
Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
A star at Oak Hill Academy to end his high school career, Johnson made no secret about his affinity for Kentucky as a recruit and committed to the Wildcats a couple of months after receiving a scholarship offer. He was third on UK’s team in points and rebounds as a freshman, before being selected with the No. 29 overall pick in the 2019 draft. Johnson didn’t play much as an NBA rookie but has started all but three games for the San Antonio Spurs over the past two seasons. He also won an Olympic gold medal as a late addition to the USA Basketball team last year. Johnson was the No. 13 recruit in the 2018 class.
Pro ball: 16.4 points, 6.1 rebounds in 31.6 minutes for the Spurs this season.
Tre Jones, Duke
The younger brother of former Duke point guard Tyus Jones also signed with the Blue Devils out of high school. He started all 65 games over his two seasons at Duke, averaging 16.2 points and 6.4 assists per game as a sophomore and winning league player of the year and defensive player of the year honors that season. Jones was the No. 41 overall pick in the 2020 draft and was a minor contributor as a rookie with the San Antonio Spurs last season. The No. 15 recruit in the 2018 class has carved out a larger role in the NBA this season.
Pro ball: 5.2 points, 3.1 assists in 15.3 minutes for the Spurs this season.
Louis King, Oregon
King — an athletic wing player from New Jersey — was the No. 20 recruit in the class and ended up at Oregon, where he was a Pac-12 all-freshman team selection in his first year of college. He bolted for the draft but wasn’t picked and has spent the past three pro seasons bouncing back between the G League and two NBA franchises (the Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings). King has played a total of 26 NBA games over those three seasons and signed a G League contract last month with the Westchester Knicks.
Pro ball: 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes for the Kings this season.
Romeo Langford, Indiana
One of the most talked about recruits in the 2018 cycle, the No. 7-ranked Langford was a standout player in New Albany, Ind. — right across the river from Louisville — and at one point was coveted by the Hoosiers, Cardinals and the Kentucky Wildcats. UK Coach John Calipari cooled on him after the two spent time together with the USA Basketball junior team, and Langford eventually signed with home-state Indiana — over Kansas and Vanderbilt — to much fanfare. Langford averaged 16.5 points per game as a freshman, but he shot just 27.2 percent from three-point range. He was selected with the 14th pick in the 2019 draft and played 94 games over two-plus underwhelming seasons with the Boston Celtics before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs last month. He’s played in just one NBA game since that trade.
Pro ball: 4.8 points, 2.3 rebounds in 16.5 minutes for the Celtics and Spurs this season.
Nassir Little, North Carolina
Little steadily rose up the rankings over his senior year of high school, ending up as the No. 3 overall player in the class, according to the composite rankings. He signed with North Carolina but didn’t start a single game for the Tar Heels, averaging 9.8 points in 18.2 minutes per game as a freshman before declaring for the 2019 draft. The 6-5 forward was chosen with the No. 25 overall pick and played fewer than 15 minutes per game in each of his first two NBA seasons before finding a larger role this season, starting 23 games for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Pro ball: 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds in 25.9 minutes for the Blazers this season.
David McCormack, Kansas
McCormack was the No. 36 overall player in the 2018 class and has spent four seasons in college basketball, starting 31 games over his first two years for the Kansas Jayhawks and emerging as a regular starter these past two seasons. The 6-10 center had his most prolific statistical season as a junior (13.4 points in 23.0 minutes per game) and he’s helped lead Kansas into the Final Four this season, averaging 10.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Pro ball: Not among Top 100 prospects for 2022 NBA Draft.
EJ Montgomery, Kentucky
In a UK recruiting class with a total of four five-star players (plus Tyler Herro), Montgomery was the highest ranked of the bunch at No. 9 nationally. He ended up being the least prolific player for the Wildcats, averaging just 4.8 points per game over two seasons. Montgomery spent most of his freshman year as a reserve before starting 25 of 28 games as a sophomore, though he averaged only 6.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game that season. He left UK for the 2020 draft, was not selected and has never played in an NBA game. Montgomery is currently playing for Soproni KC, a professional team in Hungary.
Pro ball: Zero games in the NBA.
Reggie Perry, Mississippi State
Perry was the No. 31 recruit in the 2018 class and originally committed to Arkansas before switching that pledge to Mississippi State, where he averaged 9.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a freshman before emerging as a star the next season. As a sophomore, Perry averaged 17.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, earning co-SEC player of the year honors. The 6-10 forward was selected with the No. 57 pick in the 2020 draft and averaged 8.1 minutes over 26 games with the Brooklyn Nets as a rookie. Perry has split this season between Portland, Indiana and the G League, but he’s played only three total NBA games.
Pro ball: 4.3 points, 2.7 rebounds in 17.0 minutes for the Blazers and the Pacers this season.
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky
Quickley — the No. 22 recruit in the class — was UK’s first commitment for 2018, but he had an up-and-down freshman season, averaging just 5.2 points in 18.5 minutes per game. He returned to Kentucky and led the Wildcats in scoring and three-point shooting as a sophomore, earning the SEC’s player of the year honors from league coaches. Quickley was selected with the No. 25 pick in the 2020 draft and averaged 11.4 points per game in his first season with the New York Knicks, good enough for NBA second-team all-rookie honors. He’s put up similar stats for the Knicks this season.
Pro ball: 10.4 points, 3.1 assists in 22.1 minutes for the Knicks this season.
Jahvon Quinerly, Villanova
Quinerly signed with Villanova but played very little as a freshman (3.2 points in 9.1 minutes per game) and transferred to Alabama, sitting out the following year. He’s been a key player for the Crimson Tide over the past two seasons, starting 27 of 30 games and averaging 13.8 points and 4.2 assists in 2021-22. Quinerly suffered a severe knee injury in his final game with the Crimson Tide, and he was expected to start his pro career later this year. He was the No. 29 recruit in the 2018 class.
Pro ball: Not among Top 100 prospects for 2022 NBA Draft.
Cam Reddish, Duke
The No. 2 overall player in the 2018 composite rankings, Reddish was a longtime UK target before picking Duke, where he was third on the team in scoring behind fellow McDonald’s All-American recruits RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson. Reddish went with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 draft and has averaged double-digit points in each of his three NBA seasons. He started his pro career with the Atlanta Hawks but was traded to the New York Knicks in January.
Pro ball: 10.1 points, 2.1 rebounds in 20.7 minutes for the Hawks and Knicks this season.
Naz Reid, Louisiana State
Reid was the No. 18 overall recruit in the class and an immediate starter as a freshman at LSU, where he averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his lone college season. He went undrafted in 2019 but is now in his third season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he’s played in 169 NBA games in that span.
Pro ball: 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds in 15.9 minutes for the Wolves this season.
Simi Shittu, Vanderbilt
Shittu was the No. 11 recruit in the final 2018 composite rankings and averaged 10.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his only season at Vanderbilt before going undrafted in 2019. He played two seasons in the G League but has never appeared in a regular-season NBA game. Shittu signed with a team in the Israeli league last November.
Pro ball: Zero games in the NBA.
Jalen Smith, Maryland
The No. 16 recruit in the class, Jalen Smith averaged 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman and boosted those stats (15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game) his sophomore season. His stock on the rise, Smith was taken with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 draft and played first for the Phoenix Suns, who traded him last month to the Indiana Pacers
Pro ball: 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds in 17.3 minutes for the Suns and Pacers this season.
Coby White, North Carolina
White was the No. 25 overall recruit in the 2018 class and averaged 16.1 points per game in his only season with the Tar Heels before going to the NBA with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 draft. He’s averaged at least 13 points per game in each of his three NBA seasons so far, starting a total of 71 games for the Chicago Bulls.
Pro ball: 13.2 points, 3.0 assists in 27.7 minutes for the Bulls this season.
Zion Williamson, Duke
Questions about how Williamson’s game would translate beyond the high school level kept his recruiting ranking at No. 5 nationally, but his unique talent made him one of the biggest college basketball stars in recent memory. He averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds as a freshman at Duke, becoming a fixture on ESPN highlight shows. Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and he’s been a must-see player as a pro … when he’s fully healthy. He averaged 27.0 points per game and was an NBA All-Star last season, but injuries have hindered his pro career so far, and he hasn’t appeared in a game this season due to a fractured right foot. Williamson, still just 21 years old, might not play at all this season.
Pro ball: 25.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in 85 games for the Pelicans (but no games this season).
Note: All pro stats were updated going into this past weekend’s games.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
