Each year the best high school basketball players in the country–both on the men’s and women’s side–are brought together during the spring for the prestigious McDonald’s All-American game.
Historically, both games have players who are headed to UNC the following season–giving fans an early glimpse of what’s to come in the future.
For the second straight year, however, not a single player in the men’s game is heading to Chapel Hill–leaving 6-foot-3 center Janelle Bailey as UNC’s only McDonald’s All-American.
Playing for Providence Day High School in Charlotte, Bailey has averaged 24.7 points and 12.4 rebounds per game this season.
She’ll be competing for the East Team in the All-American Game, as she’ll likely face off with the West’s Jade Williams–a 6-foot-4 forward out of Texas who happens to be attending Duke next year.
UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell will certainly be anxious to get Bailey on campus, as the Tar Heels have struggled this year on the way to a 12-6 record with just a 1-4 mark in ACC play.
The first step for the program to recover from all the transfers it’s seen during the academic scandal is to convince talented players of Bailey’s caliber that Chapel Hill is where they want to be.
With the talent at her disposal, Hatchell has proven through the years that she can build a winner. As her storied career reaches the final chapters, it’s possible that Bailey could be an important building block that allows her to go out on top.
For the full McDonald’s All-American rosters, click here.
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