McDonald’s Names Finalists For HS Player of the Year Award

Today McDonald’s released the names of the finalists for the Morgan Wooten Player of the Year Award. The award recognizes the top high school senior student-athlete.

The six male finalists are led by SLAM Magazine diary keep Harrison Barnes (Ames, Iowa). The North Carolina signee is joined by Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick’s, New Jersey), Perry Jones (Duncanville, Texas), Brandon Knight (Pine Crest, Florida), Jared Sullinger (Northland, Ohio) and Tristan Thompson (Findlay, Nevada).

UNC, Duke (Irving), Baylor (Jones), Ohio State (Sullinger) and Texas (Thompson) will be home for these top-tier players next season. (Brandon Knight is still undecided.)

On the female side of the award, Chelsea Gray (Saint Mary’s, California), Bria Hartley (North Babylon, New York), Kaneisha Horn (Ramsay, Alabama), Natasha Howard (Toledo Waite, Ohio), Chiney Ogwumike (Cy-Fair, Texas) and Odyssey Sims (Irving MacArthur, Texas) are the six finalists.

These top female high school players will be attending (in order) Duke, Connecticut, Alabama, Florida State, Stanford and Baylor this coming Fall.

The winners of the Men’s/Women’s POY Award will be announced March 10, 2010.

The 2010 McDonald’s All American Basketball Games will be played on March 31 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.