By Michael McAllister
The West squad beat the East squad in Wednesday's McDonald's All-American game. Winning MVP honors was Shabazz Muhammad, who is considered the #2 prospect in the class. He finished the game with 21 points.
Syracuse commit DaJuan Coleman had a solid effort. He finished with seven points (all in the first half) and 12 rebounds. This game is generally not about feeding the post and playing inside. It's about wings and guards making athletic plays in the lane and hitting jumpers.
That said, Coleman held his own. He was the best rebounder on the floor. He showed his excellent footwork on a number of occasions. One in particular was late in the first half. He received a pass, took a dribble, and did a nifty jump-step move that took him from outside the lane, around his defender, and to the hoop for an open layup. Coleman was a load inside, and looks like he could be an ideal in the Orange zone. He takes up a lot of space, moves his feet well, and has good instincts. He missed a couple of ill-advised jumpers in the second half, but that part of his game will come along with time.
Coleman looked like he was in better shape than he was a couple months ago. The Syracuse staff has him on a conditioning program, and it appears to be working. He seemed to be able to run the court well, and never appeared to be winded.
Other solid efforts included Rasheed Sulaimon, a shooting-guard prospect who's committed to Duke. He finished with 18 points for the West. Two Kentucky recruits, Alex Polythress and Archie Goodwin, also had solid performances. Polythress finished with 19 points to lead the East, and Goodwin had 14. Both looked like they will be fantastic players in the college.
The West had a lead throughout, and extended that lead to as many as 24 in the second half. However, the East battled back and had cut the lead to five with under four minutes left. They were not able to get over the hump, and the West held on for a 106-102 victory.
Photo Credit: Bleacher Report
