ESPN

The 24-player roster for the boys' McDonald's All-American game were announced on Thursday, with two New Englanders in the mix.

Kris Dunn of New London (Conn.) and T.J. Warren of Brewster Academy were selected to the East Team rosters.

For the complete roster, click here.

With 21 of its 24 players in the top 30 of the ESPNU 100, this year's game is sure to be must-see TV when East and West clash on March 28 (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) at the United Center in Chicago.

ESPN High Schools released its boys' lacrosse rankings for the Top 50 juniors in the country today and six New Englanders cracked the list.

The entire rankings are located here, but here's a look at the locals on the list.

8. Tate Jozokos, Governor's Academy (Byfield, Mass.), Attack, North Carolina

18. Matthew Ryan, Phillips Exeter (Exeter, N.H.), Longstick midfielder

29. Shane Simpson, Salisbury School (Salisbury, Conn.), Midfielder, North Carolina

31. Jeffrey Kratky, Taft School (Watertown, Conn.), Faceoff

32. Adam Hardej, Groton School (Groton, Mass.), Midfielder, Princeton

40. Austin Shanks, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.), Attack

Brewster Academy's Mitch McGary is participating at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 this weekend in Venice Beach, Calif.

And the 6-foot-10 power forward left and indellible mark (while delaying competition), breaking the back board while going through the layup line Saturday night.

Check out the video here, along with McGary's interview with ESPN senior recruiting analyst Dave Telep.

ESPN RISE today unveiled the first 12 of 24 roster spots for next month's Boost Mobile Elite 24 event, one of the nation's premier summer showcases, at the famed outdoor courts of Venice Beach, Calif.

As usual, New England prep school talent has found its way into the event. This year, that's Chesterton, Ind. native and Brewster Academy senior forward Mitch McGary, the nation's No. 4 overall player in the Class of 2012 according to ESPN's latest rankings.

McGary is the second Bobcat in three years to play in the event, joining incoming Memphis sophomore guard Will Barton from back in 2009. St. Mark's forward Alex Murphy, an incoming freshman at Duke, played in last year's event.

The slam dunk competition will air on Friday, August 26 at 6 p.m. on ESPNU. The game will be broadcast the following night at 7 on ESPNU.

The roster (so far) can be found here.

ESPN basketball recruiting analysts Dave Telep and Reggie Rankin check in today with a recap of the LeBron James Skills Academy at the University of Akron's Rhodes Arena, which concluded yesterday, and make light of some of the New England prep schools' top ballers.

Soon-to-be Brewster Academy senior forward TJ Warren looks to one of many names in early contention for a McDonald's All-American spot next year:

On the final day at camp, amongst many of the nation's best players, Warren presented his strongest case yet to be a McDonald's All-American. It was almost as if he, Omar Calhoun (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ The King) and Jordan Price (Decatur, Ga./SW Dekalb) were engaged in their own game of H-O-R-S-E in one contest; Calhoun made the game-winning layup for good measure. Warren isn't married to a spot on the floor, has extended range and a body that allows him to create separation inside the arc.

The matchup of the camp might have been Brewster's Mitch McGary going up against soon-to-be Findlay Prep senior Brandon Ashley. McGary won the early rounds, before Ashley made a strong second-half push:

This was one of those camp matchups that makes a long day in the gym worth the trouble. In the first half, McGary stroked jumpers and owned the paint. There are times on the floor where the Chesterton, Ind., native's intensity may overwhelm opponents. If his jumper is rolling and he's using it to feed his game in the lane, it's over. To Ashley's credit, after experiencing little success in the first half, he kept plugging away until he solved the riddle inside and used his length and tenacity to rally. Since the beginning of the spring and through the summer, Ashley's made the decision to crank up the intensity and commit himself at both ends. The result is that the Oakland, Calif., native solidified himself a spot among the top 10 players in the class.

Meanwhile, two of the Boston Amateur Basketball Club's most highly-sought players, Everett-bred center Nerlens Noel and Roxbury native swingman Wayne Selden, made a splash on campus this week:

Class of 2013 post Nerlens Noel (Everett, Mass./Tilton) is a rim-protector thanks to his great length and mobility. He attacks the offensive glass and displayed nice touch and body control on the rim, where he finishes with length more than strength. Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke, Florida, North Carolina and Connecticut, among others have offered.

Class of 2014 prospect Wayne Selden (Boston/The Tilton School) has a grown man's game. He is a strong, physical, athletic SG who attacks the rim and scores through contact regularly.

Brewster Academy junior forward Mitch McGary continues to see his stock soar this offseason. The latest praise being thrown at the 6-foot-9 Indiana native comes courtesy of ESPN's John Stovall, who was on the campus of Indiana University last weekend for the Adidas May Classic.

Stovall writes of McGary, who suited up for the Gary, Ind.-based Sport Youth Foundation:

"He is a big, strong bully in the paint who reclassified about a year ago and has become a true force inside. McGary has increased his skill level a great deal, is effective handling the ball some on the perimeter and has improved his outside shot. You would prefer him scoring in the lane, but he can step out and make jumpers to 19 feet. He has a tremendous motor, which could be his best asset and McGary has made himself one of the top talents in the 2012 class."

Just before the start of a long weekend break on the Brewster Academy campus, junior big man Mitch McGary gave ESPN's Adam Finkelstein an informal list of favorites, which he is reporting on his blog today.

McGary told Finkelstein his current list looks as follows, in no particular order: UConn, Florida, West Virginia, Pitt, Villanova, Miami (Fla.), Wisconsin, Indiana and Arizona.

"I probably won't make a decision until next year," McGary told Finkelstein. "Maybe next fall. It depends."

Like several other teammates, the 6-foot-10 Chesterton, Ind. native has seen his stock rise playing alongside a loaded Bobcats roster that includes the likes of Naadir Tharpe, Markus Kennedy, Jakarr Sampson and Durand Johnson. McGary has thrived as a four on the Wolfeboro, N.H. campus, often playing huge minutes off the bench when Kennedy gets into foul trouble.

McGary transferred to Brewster from Chesterton (Ind.) High, and is repeating his junior year. Prior to Brewster, McGary says he had offers from Purdue, Indiana, Cincinnati, Marquette, Dayton and Valparaiso.

Brewster lost its first game of the season last night -- an 84-71 decision to St. Thomas More and Andre Drummond, the nation's No. 1 junior -- to fall to 24-1.

The ninth annual National Prep Showcase took place this weekend in New Haven, Connecticut. The event featured 23 of the top prep school teams in the country and well over 100 division I prospects, including some of the nation’s highest-ranked players. By the time the weekend had come to an end, close to 200 college coaches had come through the doors to evaluate talent along with 30-plus members of the national and local media.

The three full days and 21 games of action provided insight on what to expect from the upcoming season as well as some intel on the world of college basketball recruiting.

Here are five lessons we came away having learned:

1. Khem Birch is a Panther…in 2011
The gym was abuzz on Saturday with news that Khem Birch had signed a National Letter of Intent with Pittsburgh, meaning that he was forgoing his intended post-graduate year at Notre Dame Prep and reclassifying from 2012 to 2011. The implications of the decision were widespread as Birch went from the second ranked player in 2012 to the ninth overall prospect in ESPNU’s Super 60, Pittsburgh’s recruiting class went from unranked to the 12th best in the country, and Panthers head coach Jamie Dixon solidified the highest ranked recruit he has ever landed. Birch was dominant with his performance on Friday and there is little doubt that he will be an instant impact type freshman next season in the Big East.

2. Brewster Academy has a chance to repeat
Brewster Academy was the consensus top prep school team in the country last year after scoring both the NEPSAC Class A title, as well as the National Prep Championship. And based on what we saw this weekend they have a very good chance of repeating. Head coach Jason Smith’s squad is loaded at every position and returns Naadir Tharpe, the Kansas-bound floor general who was at the helm of last year’s squad. That is really only the beginning as Brewster has two legitimate high-major big men inside with Markus Kennedy and Mitch McGeary, a pair of high athletic swingmen in Jakarr Sampson and Durand Johnson -- who are pledged to St. John’s and Pittsburgh, respectively -- a knockdown shooter in Max Hooper, and a scoring combo-guard in Elijah Carter. The squad was dominant both times they took the court this weekend, scoring blowout wins over Fishburne Military Academy as well as Princeton Day Academy.

3. New England is loaded in 2012
The local boys defended their home turf this weekend as all of the top players in New England’s class of 2012 played to rave reviews. St. Thomas More’s Andre Drummond, the top-ranked player in the country, was dominant on Saturday turning in a 22-point, 16-rebound, and six-block performance with his incredible physical talents inside. The St. Mark’s duo of Alex Murphy and Kaleb Tarczewski was no less impressive as Tarczewski established position inside and finished with power for 26 points and 12 rebounds. But it was Murphy who owned the glass as he pulled down a career high 17 boards while also handling most of the ball-handling responsibilities, creating for his teammates, and scoring 18 points of his own. Rhode Island native Ricardo Ledo was no less impressive on Friday night going for 30 points by showing his ability to create his own shot at virtually anytime. With all four players proving themselves against the highest levels of competition, it only reinforces that this junior class is among the best ever in New England.

4. High-Majors are desperate for big men and point guards
All six of the BCS conferences were represented by various coaches this week and almost all of them were looking for the same things -- big men and point guards. With 96 of the top 100 prospects in the ESPNU 100 having signed during the early signing period, high-major programs all around the country are starting to look for Plan B. The simple matter of fact is that there are more spots than there are suitable high-major prospects at those two crucial positions. The consequence will undoubtedly be a trickle down effect as high-major schools will settle for mid-major prospects, mid-majors will be forced to settle for low-major types, and so on.

5. Every game will be a battle in NEPSAC AAA
All eight members of the newly formed class AAA of the NEPSAC were in action this weekend. While Brewster was dominant, it was hard to establish much of a hierarchy after that. St. Thomas More, Northfield Mount Hermon, Bridgton Academy, Maine Central Institute, and South Kent all went 1-1 while New Hampton and Winchendon both suffered hard-fought losses to go 0-2. But even Winchendon and New Hampton proved plenty as the Green were arguably the grittiest team in the field and New Hampton will undoubtedly be dangerous once they get more experience with the team’s offensive strategies. Outside of Brewster’s supremacy, the only thing we can come away from this weekend having learned about the new league is that it will be as competitive as ever with virtually any team capable of knocking off anyone else on any night.

Brewster Academy head coach Jason Smith has confirmed to ESPNU that shooting guard Max Hooper has verbally committed to Harvard University for the fall of 2011.

Hooper, an Irvine, Calif. native, is doing a post-graduate year at the Wolfeboro, N.H. prep school after graduating from Mater Dei High School last spring. He is the sixth player to commit to head coach Tommy Amaker for the Class of 2011.

Naadir Tharpe had first met Bill Self two years ago, when the Kansas head coach was on the Brewster Academy campus to check in on commit Thomas Robinson. That was when Self put the bug in Tharpe's ear that stuck with him as he continued to rise on the national radar.

"You're going to be a real good player someday, just keep working hard," Tharpe said Self told him.

Fast forward to two days ago, when Self came to visit the Wolfeboro, N.H. campus and offer Tharpe a scholarship. Many a school has come calling ever since his de-commitment from Providence last June, but it's admittedly a little different when Kansas comes knocking. So much so, the 6-foot Worcester native didn't even wait until his scheduled official visit to Lawrence, Kan. later this month to make his decision.

"I couldn’t really speak," Tharpe said. "Basically, it was just the excitement of being blessed with this chance. But it's just the beginning now. I understand it's just the beginning, there's more to come and I'm just going to get ready for what lies ahead for me. The sky's the limit."

And with it comes closure on just what the athletic point guard is capable of. At a time where athleticism and scoring ability are at a premium on the recruiting trail, Tharpe's teammates embrace him for his pass-first mentality, and his intuitive ability to create off the dribble and out of pick-and-roll's. His own coaches, both at Brewster and with the New England Playaz, extol him for his relatively high basketball IQ. Still, things weren't always like this.

Tharpe made the varsity as a skinny eighth-grader at St. Peter-Marian High, and in three years with the Guardians surpassed the 1,000-point milestone. But with little supporting cast, he shouldered the load for a laboring offense, full of clear-outs designed to put the ball in his hands.

Averaging over 30 points a game on a team that didn't qualify for postseason wasn't doing it, and he took his services to the renowned Wolfeboro prep school in 2008, repeating his sophomore year. There, he honed his distribution skills playing alongside big bodies like Thomas Robinson (his soon-to-be KU teammate) and Maurice Walker (Minnesota), and high-flying finishers like Memphis freshman Will Barton.

"Naadir is the definition of a true point guard, of what the job entails," Brewster head coach Jason Smith said. "You need to be a facilitator of the offense, make good decisions and not turn the ball over. I don't think you're going to find anyone in the country who has played with more high-level players over the last three years than Naadir, between Brewster and the New England Playaz. They all love playing with Naadir."

As for his home city, players of this caliber don't come around too often. The Dwayne McClains and Michael Bradleys of the world come once in a generation in this part of the state, and Tharpe is prepared to elevate his game in Lawrence.

"I feel like they're super happy back home," Tharpe said. "I want to be one of the first players from Worcester that goes somewhere big and does big things in a real long time. Like I said, the only thing to be right now is blessed. I've got a lot of people back home supporting me, that are going to be happy."

After finishing the day's classes at 10 a.m. (Brewster had a half day Wednesday), Tharpe promptly put his cell phone in his locker. Then he hit the weight room for 90 minutes, followed by a short lunch and then 300 shots in the gym. He then joined the team for an organized workout at 2 p.m., stopped by five different sporting events on campus to support his classmates, then joined the team again at 5 p.m. for an hour-long conditioning session.

He then washed up and accompanied his roommate, Villanova commit Markus Kennedy, to a meeting with headmaster Michael Cooper ("He said he was excited to see my hard work pay off," Tharpe said).

Finally, at 7 p.m., he fielded some phone calls. And then, it was off to study hall. Big day indeed, but far from over. Time to get back to work.

Brewster Academy head coach Jason Smith has confirmed that point guard Naadir Tharpe has verbally committed to the University of Kansas for the fall of 2011.

Tharpe, a Worcester native who transferred to the Wolfeboro, N.H. campus and re-classified after his sophomore season at St. Peter-Marian High, initially committed to Providence last season. He opened up his recruitment again last June, after then-assistant coach Pat Skerry left the Friars for Pitt. Tharpe was also considering St. John's, Minnesota and Oklahoma, the latter of which he had an official visit scheduled for this Friday.

On the heels of a terrific summer with the New England Playaz AAU squad, Tharpe, 19, is the No. 66 ranked overall player in the country according to ESPNU's rankings, and the No. 14 player at his position. He has an official visit planned for KU on October 22, and sources suggested that he would commit to the Jayhawks upon his return to Brewster.

Could New England be turning into a high school basketball hotbed?

ESPN released its new basketball rankings today, and some of the region's premier talent ranks highly on the list.

In the Class of 2011's ESPNU100, St. Andrew's (R.I.) shooting guard Michael Carter-Williams is ranked 18th overall. The Hamilton, Mass. native is committed to Syracuse. Meanwhile, Brewster Academy point guard and Worcester native Naadir Tharpe comes in at 66th; St. John's Prep two-sport star Pat Connaughton was one of the players who just missed the cut.

Four New Englanders are in the top 25 of the Class of 2012's ESPNU Super 60, including St. Thomas More's Andre Drummond at the top overall spot and Notre Dame Prep's Khem Birch at No. 2. St. Mark's stars Alex Murphy and Kaleb Tarzcewski are ranked seventh and 24th, respectively.

Kuran Iverson of Northwest Catholic (Conn.) ranks No. 2 in the Class of 2013's ESPNU Terrific 25, with Tilton (N.H.)'s Nerlens Noel right behind him at No. 3. Brewster's Deonte Burton, a Milwaukee native, is also ranked No. 14 on the list.

Brewster Academy shooting guard Durand Johnson has verbally committed to the University of Pittsburgh for the fall of 2011.

Johnson, a Baltimore native who will be doing a post-graduate year at the Wolfeboro, N.H. prep school, announced his commitment tonight on his Twitter page.

The 6-foot-7, 190-pound Johnson is the 39th-ranked shooting guard in the Class of 2011, according to our colleagues at Scouts, Inc. His most recent scouting report had this to say about him:

"Johnson showed well in Big Shots DC Assault in earning All Tournament honors. He is as smooth a shooter as they come in the 2011 class. He has NBA range on his 3-ball and is great at using a shot fake to set up a 1-2 dribble pull up. He has always had the range and quick trigger to pull on the catch in the break or off a step back. Johnson can shoot the fadeaway in the post and has a big time pull back dribble he goes to quite a bit. He has added the dribble drive to his game and can now set up other players with his penetration and precise passing. Durand has superb elevation and a tight release on his jumper that allows him to take and make tough shots. His release is effortless. He has become even more versatile improving his handle in the open court. A top 10 SG that is receiving high major conference looks after reclassifying."

Worcester native Naadir Tharpe appears to be peaking at the right time. Tharpe, ranked as the Class of 2011’s eighth-best point guard by ESPN, is seeing his recruitment pick up since de-committing from Providence early last June and playing impressively this summer with the New England Playaz AAU squad.

He’s no summer sensation, either. Tharpe was practically a one-man show at Worcester’s St. Peter-Marian High before transferring to Brewster (N.H.) Academy two years ago and re-classifying. On the heels of a season in which the Bobcats took home a NEPSAC Class A title and National Prep Championship, Tharpe is seeing offers from the Pac-10, Big East and ACC, among others.

Tharpe celebrates his 19th birthday today in Las Vegas with the Playaz, as they compete in this weekend’s Adidas Super 64 tournament. ESPNBoston.com caught up with Tharpe for a few minutes earlier this week to talk about his game and his future.

Q:What’s motivating you this summer?
A: "Last summer, I didn’t perform as well because I was playing with a hurt ankle. I really didn’t have chance show all coaches just how well I was playing, I wasn’t 100 percent. Instead of resting I was playing through it, and it showed last summer."

Q: How difficult was that?
A: "It was hard. A lot of coaches want to see you play, and you want to play in front of the coaches. So instead of me just resting, getting my ankle back to 100 percent, I was doing the opposite, playing through it, and that’s what I felt brought down last summer."

Q: So what goals did you set for yourself this summer?
A: "Basically just get as many scholarship offers as I can, but also get out and have some fun, play my game, shoot when I’m open, hit my open teammates like I usually do, and win every tournament we attend."

Q: What goals have you set for yourself this year at Brewster?
A: "Just be leader like I was this past season, win back to back titles this year at the NEPSAC [Class A] and the National Prep Championship."

Q: How much confidence did winning Class A and the national title bring you this spring and summer?
A: "A lot. The NEPSAC is really a tough league. Every day, coach [Jason] Smith always tells us, every game we’re going to be in is going to be tough. There are no cakewalks. Brewster is a legacy school, with a lot of great players. Everybody wants to come at Brewster Academy, everybody brings their A-game."

Q: What’s your favorite move to pull on the court? And is there a finish out of that you prefer?
A: "My favorite thing on the court is to use the pick-and-roll coming from the right side. I’ll come with the left hand, usually I’ll do like a mid-range shot or a floater if I can’t get all the way to the rim. First things first, I’m pass first. When we pick-and-roll, I’m looking to score. But I’d rather make a nice pass to a teammate."

Q: Your first name is not commonly seen. What’s the origin?
A: It’s a Muslim name. My mom used to live in New Jersey, and my mother and father both are Muslim. I’m a Muslim myself, my family does it. We’re not into it deep, but everything we follow comes from the Quran."

Q: With that said, how much does the Quran inspire you on the court?
A: "Every game I know Allah is watching over me. This isn’t just about basketball for me, I’ve got to take everything seriously, nothing for granted -- school-wise, everything -- it’s all basically a blessing for me."

Q: Now that your recruiting has opened up again, how’s the process going this time around?
A: "This time, it’s much easier. I’m older now, my birthday is July 23 (he turned 19 today), and just from experience basically. More of me now just wants to go out and have fun, its seems like much more fun than it was before."

Q: Other news sources have described your recruiting right now as being “wide open”. But considering your relationship with former Providence assistant Pat Skerry (who took a job at the University of Pittsburgh), where does Pitt fall?
A: "I don’t know. I haven’t really heard from their coaches yet, nothing like that so far."

Q: Where do you go in Worcester to play ball?
A: "The place I usually go hang out around, when I was younger the Belmont Street basketball court, Plumley Village, Crystal Park, stuff like that, we’d hang around playing basketball. I usually only hang around five friends, so it’s basically the same people always."

Q: Where are the best games?
A: "Crumpton Park, the Greendale YMCA, and Main Street’s where a lot of the older guys play … basically, there’s a lot of high school kids around there that are pretty good, then you have a lot of older dudes try to come at you and stuff like that."