OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The McDonald's All American Basketball Games selection committee unveiled the 24 members of the 31st Boys Game and 24 members of the seventh annual Girls Game to be played March 26 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis.



Proceeds from the 2008 McDonald's All American High School Basketball Games will go to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC®) of Eastern Wisconsin and its Ronald McDonald House(R) program. Millions of dollars have been raised since the first Game was played in 1978.



"The McDonald's All American Games is the premiere prep showcase for the top talent in college and pro basketball," said Alonzo Mourning, captain of the new McDonald's All American Advisory Council. "Not only will these young stars be added to the list of the best basketball players of all time, but they will aid in raising money for a very important cause."



The 2008 McDonald's All American Boys Team features a wide-spread talent pool, including: Greg Monroe (Helen Cox High School -- Harvey, La.) the number one overall rated high school basketball player in the nation according to Scout.com and Rivals.com. Also taking the floor will be Demar DeRozan (Compton High School -- Compton, Calif.), Samardo Samuels (St. Benedict's Preparatory School -- Newark, N.J), Tyreke Evans (American Christian Academy and Prep School -- Aston, Pa.) and Scotty Hopson (University Heights Academy -- Hopkinsville, Ky.) The Boys Game will tip-off at 9:30 p.m. (EST) March 26, and will broadcast live on ESPN.



The 2008 McDonald's All American Girls Team also boasts a talent-rich roster including Elena Delle Donne (Ursuline Academy -- Wilmington, Del.), who has led Ursuline to three straight Delaware State Championship titles and was ranked as the No. 1 overall high school recruit by Scout.com. Also suiting-up for the girls will be Amber Gray (Lakota West High School -- West Chester, Ohio), She'la White (Norfolk Collegiate School -- Norfolk, Va.), LaSondra Barrett (William B. Murrah High School -- Jackson, Miss.), Ashley Gayle (Bishop Gorman High School -- Las Vegas, Nev.), Samantha Prahalis (Commack High School -- Commack, N.Y.) and Nikki Speed (Marlborough School -- Los Angeles, Calif.). The Girls Game begins at 7:00 p.m. (EST) March 26, and will broadcast live on ESPNU.



Every athlete who participates in the McDonald's All American Games will visit the host city's local RMHC Chapter to experience first-hand how the Games impact the local community. For a complete list of players and more information on the McDonald's All American Games and RMHC, please visit: http://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com or

http://www.mcdepk.com/2008allamericangame/.



This year, 48 players were selected from 2,500 nominees by a committee of basketball experts. They were chosen not only for their on-court skills, but for their performances off the court as well. Coach Morgan Wootten, who had more than 1,200 wins as head basketball coach at DeMatha High, is chairman of the selection committee. Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, who has been involved in the McDonald's All American Games since its inception, serves as chairman of the Games and as an advisor to the selection committee.



Since 1977, more than 850 players have competed in the McDonald's All American Games, forming an elite list of basketball superstars. McDonald's All American(R) athletes include NBA greats Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat), Magic Johnson (retired), Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), as well as WNBA star Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx) and women's NCAA stars Tina Charles (Connecticut), Maya Moore (Connecticut) and Candace Parker (Tennessee).



Tickets to the Games and POWERade(R) Jam Fest are available through Ticketmaster and by phone, 866-909-GAME. The POWERade Jam Fest will be held at U.S. Cellular Arena on March 24, 2008 beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST.



About RMHC



McDonald House Charities, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most - right in their own communities. RMHC makes an immediate, positive impact on children's lives through its global network of local Chapters in nearly 51 countries and regions through its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House(R), Ronald McDonald Family Room(R) and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile(R). RMHC and its global network of local Chapters have awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and program services to children's programs around the world. For more information, visit http://www.rmhc.org.



About McDonald's



McDonald's USA, LLC is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information about McDonald's visit http://www.mcdonalds.com.







©2008 McDonald's





2008 McDonald's All American High School Basketball Team



ALPHABETICAL ROSTER



EAST TEAM



No. Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. High School, State (Hometown) College



42 Al-Farouq Aminu F 6-9 205 Norcross High School, GA (Norcross, GA) Wake Forest



44 William Buford G 6-5 185 Libbey High School, OH (Toledo, OH) Ohio State



32 Ed Davis F 6-9 215 Benedictine High School, VA (Richmond, VA) North Carolina