Arizona signee Carter Bryant was named a McDonalds All-American Tuesday, becoming the first player to sign with the Wildcats out of high school and make the roster for the prestigious all-star game since Tommy Lloyd became the Wildcats' coach in 2021.
Arizona's two other fall signees, guard Jamari Phillips and center Emmanuel Stephen, did not make the McDonald's roster but Philips isΒ rated the No. 34Β overall player in the class of 2024.
Bryant was placed on the West team along with Washington signee Zoom Diallo, a former UA recruiting target, and a future Big 12 opponent in Kansas signee Flory Bidunga, a center from Indiana.
The top-rated player in the 2024 class, Duke-bound forward Cooper Flagg, was to the East roster.
The Wildcats currently have two former McDonalds All-Americans, guards Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley, though both transferred to Arizona from other schools. Bradley played in the 2022 McDonalds All-American game and Love was named to the 2020 game, which was not played because of COVID.
The last McDonalds All-Americans who signed with the Wildcats out of high school were guards Nico Mannion and Josh Green, who played in the 2019 game before both spent one year at Arizona in 2019-20.
Former Wildcat forward Richard Jefferson praised Bryant and jokingly took a shot at Flagg for heading to Duke during the roster reveal on ESPN's NBA Today show.
"Arizona just beat Duke so it's not too late to recommit, the transfer portal -- I don't even know how that stuff works," Jefferson said.
Richard Jefferson, big Arizona fan and Duke hater π pic.twitter.com/3jpMrgENq5
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) January 23, 2024
