One future KU Jayhawk, two Mizzou Tigers to play in McDonald’s All-America game
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- HS stars heading to local colleges — Kinney, Crowe, Bryant — earned McDonald’s AA nods.
- Kinney joins KU as scoring point guard; Crowe and Bryant bolster Mizzou’s incoming class
- Game set for March 31 in Glendale, featuring top East and West Class of 2026 prospects.
Two future Missouri Tigers and one Kansas Jayhawk were named to play in the 2026 McDonald’s All-America game, set for March 31 in Glendale, Arizona, it was announced Monday.
The incoming KU player selected to play for the East team was point guard Taylen Kinney, a 6-foot-2 high school senior currently playing with the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta. The future Missouri Tigers selected were: Jason Crowe Jr., a 6-3 combo guard from Inglewood High School in California who will play for the West, and Toni Bryant, 6-9 from Southeastern Prep Academy in Orlando who will play for the East.
Crowe, who is from Lynwood, California, is ranked No. 4 in the Class of 2026 by ESPN, No. 5 by 247Sports and No. 16 by Rivals. Bryant, who hails from Tampa, Florida, is ranked No. 14 by ESPN, No. 26 by Rivals and No. 27 by 247Sports.
Kinney, who is from Newport, Kentucky, is ranked No. 13 by 247Sports, No. 18 by ESPN and No. 24 by Rivals. He chose KU over Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas, Indiana and Oregon.
“Taylen’s one of the best point guards in the country,” KU coach Bill Self said of Kinney upon receipt of Kinney’s national letter of intent on Nov. 12.
“He’s a scoring point. He can shoot. He’s got great vision. He can create for himself and create for others. Taylen’s transition to college ball should be seamless. He’s prepared to run a college basketball team,” Self added.
Asked for a player comparison to Kinney, Self said: “Mario (Chalmers) maybe. He’s a scoring point and I think that’s what Mario was. ... He’s kind of built like Mario, a little bit more so than Sherron (Collins) or any of the guys or Devonte’ (Graham). But he’s a scoring point. Could he be a Devonte’ type or Mario type? I think he could be.”
Kinney this season averages 18.8 points, 6.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game for his team in the Overtime Elite league. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 season.
Crowe is the Tigers’ highest-ranked recruit since NBA lottery pick Michael Porter Jr. was second in the Class of 2017.
“He’s a special player and already prepares every day like a pro. His work ethic is unmatched, his discipline is unmatched and his performance on the court is unmatched,” MU coach Dennis Gates said of Crowe. “J2 has tremendous support at home as his entire family embodies our core values. You don’t become the nation’s top scorer (44.1 points per game) and be on pace to shatter the California scoring record by talent alone, though, and it’s his approach to the game and preparation that separates him from others.
“On the court, J2 is as smooth as a player as there is. He is extremely crafty with a high basketball IQ that allows him to score in any situation. There aren’t many players at any level that are as skilled of a scorer as he is, and we can’t wait to welcome him to our Mizzou family next season,” Gates added upon receiving his letter-of-intent.
Of Bryant, Gates said: “Toni is a gifted talent who can be a dominant forward at Mizzou. We have had success with players that share his skillsets like Kobe Brown and Mark Mitchell and we think he can be the next forward to flourish within our system. Offensively, Toni plays above the rim, can run the floor and shoots the ball well for his size. On the defensive end, he is a top shot blocker and can rebound the ball with the best of them. He is already a force to deal with, but we think his best basketball is still in front of him.”
No other players who have committed to KU or MU at this time were picked to play in the game. KU is recruiting Tyran Stokes, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound senior small forward, who last semester withdrew from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, and enrolled at Rainier Beach High in Washington. He has been chosen to play for the West team.
Stokes, the consensus No. 1 player in the Class of 2026, made an unofficial visit to KU last weekend and attended the KU-BYU game.
The East roster: Kinney and Bryant plus Latrell Allmond, Darius Bivins, Bruce Branch, Jasiah Jervis, Adonis Ratliff, Darius Ratliff, Jaxon Richardson, Deron Rippey, Jordan Smith, Anthony Thompson.
The West roster: Crowe and Stokes plus Maximo Adams, JaShawn Andrews, Christian Collins, Quinn Costello, Arafan Diane, Caleb Gaskins, Austin Goosby, Caleb Holt, Brandon McCoy and Cameron Williams.
