Harrow responds to McDonald’s All-American snub
Words. Jason Jordan
Ryan Harrow is beginning to sense a pattern.
Last week, after the selections for the 2010 McDonald’s All-American Game were announced live on ESPNU, Harrow — a senior point guard at Walton H.S. in Marietta, Ga. — once again found himself on the outside looking in as he was denied a career-defining opportunity. General consensus among several media and HSH readers was that Harrow was the biggest McD’s snub out of anybody.
“I found out that I didn’t make it about a week before it was announced,” said Harrow, ranked No. 26 in the HSH national Top 50. “Players were getting their letters and I didn’t get one. It really hurt me because I put in the work to make it and I played well in front of the guys that vote on the team… It just really hurt.”
To be fair, the 2010 class is loaded with quality point guards: Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick, N.J.), Brandon Knight (Pine Crest, Fla.), Ray McCallum Jr. (Detroit Country Day, Mich.), Josh Selby (Lake Clifton-Eastern, Md.), Kendall Marshall (Bishop O’Connell, Va.), Joe Jackson (White Station, Tenn.), Keith Appling (Detroit Purshing, Mich.) and Cory Joseph (Findlay, Nev.) all made the game’s roster. Harrow was most likely a mere victim in the numbers game.
But, rightfully so, Harrow still doesn’t understand.
“I know there were a lot of good point guards,” said Harrow, an N.C. State signee who is averaging 32 points, six assists and six rebounds per game. “But I’m ranked higher than some of the guys that were picked, so they couldn’t have gone off of rankings. It just makes you wonder what they were basing it off of … I guess sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”
Another popular theory is that players associated with more high-profile colleges received favorable treatment: Irving is signed to Duke, Marshall to North Carolina, Appling to Michigan State, and Jackson to Memphis. Knight is still deciding between the likes of UConn, Kansas and Kentucky; McCallum has Duke, Arizona and UCLA in the running; Selby’s list is down to Arizona, Kentucky, UConn and Kansas; and Joseph’s list includes Texas, Villanova and UConn. If Harrow were on his way to the Tar Heels or Spartans instead of the Wolfpack, some believe he’d be on the McDonald’s roster.
It’s the second time this season that Harrow felt like he was overlooked. Back in August, he wasn’t picked for the prestigious Elite 24 game at the Rucker Park in Harlem. Earlier that summer, Harrow was chosen for the 2K Sports All-American Team that traveled to France.
“It’s just another one of those things you’ve got to get past,” said Harrow. “Sometimes you work hard and it doesn’t work out like you want it to. This just means that I’ll be working that much harder from here on out.”
Got a burning question for Jason? Email him: JasonJ@DimeMag.com
Keep your head up Ryan and keep that chip on your shoulder.
Work hard and next year when you’re rippin up the ACC everyone will see how great of a player you are.
GO STATE!!!
This is a as stupid! as Iverson or McGrady being in the NBA all star! game….NO WAY!!! RYAN! should not be in this game when KENDAL! THE BUM! OVER RATED!! MARSHALL!! is in it?? These are such media “tv ratings” Politics….as they want unc signee’s to get more viewers…and I am a die hard! UNC FAN! and I can’t stand! NC STATE! but I recognize Talent..
Cheven, I highly agree about the media biased as I aforementioned in the McDonalds All-American article. However there are other players rated below Harrow and Marshall that have been selected as McDonalds AA. Let’s just hope that the committee for the Jordan Brand Game will get this thing right, and select those kids that are truly WORTHY and not the kids that are headed to UNC, Duke, UK, and any other “big name” school next year, so they too can showcase them on ESPN like the McDonalds game does.
I was really shocked when Harrow did not make the Jordan Classic Game. Also, check out the premiere to Ryan Harrows Diary: http://www.courtcred.com/2010/02/ryan-harrow-welcome-to-my-world-episode-1/
[...] April 17, the country’s best high school players — well, depending on who you ask — will convene at Madison Square Garden in NYC for the Jordan Brand All-American Classic. [...]
Great article! You guys took the words right out of my mouth. Ryan is a stud and Kendall Marshall is living off of his college choice. It’s embarrassing to McDonald’s.
imma dukie but wtf. why is marshall and mcallum in this game. who is kieth appling? never heard of him. duke is no longer recruiting mcallum
@cheven
i, as a wolfpack fan appreciate your comment. I hate UNC, but talent is talent and that cant be denied. He got snubbed hard but hey, he will use this as a building point and tear up the acc next year
Go Pack
Ryan just take the ACC by storm and show them the real Ryan Harrow you go boy!
Kendall is not living off of his choice… people use your brains… other schools wanted Kendall. Other top programs… they know basketball better then you do. They know Kendall shinned in all of the camps. When you put him with superior talent he looks like J. Kidd or C. Billups. He also put up good numbers in the toughest high school basketball conference in the country. These coaches no basketball they look beyond fans wanting to see a bunch of no look passes.