McDonald's All American Games Selects Joyce Edwards and Dylan Harper as the 2024 Morgan Wootten National Players of the Year

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Apr 01, 2024, 14:30 ET

Two of the game's rising stars honored for their talent and work in the community

CHICAGO, April 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The McDonald's All American Games Selection Committee is proud to announce that high school all-stars, Joyce Edwards of Camden High School in South Carolina and Dylan Harper of Don Bosco Prep High School in New Jersey, have been named as the recipients of the 2024 Morgan Wootten National Players of the Year Award. Edwards and Harper were honored with the award earlier today in Houston. Both players will take the court tomorrow night, Tuesday, April 2 for the 47th annual McDonald's All American Games.

McDonald’s All American Games Selects Joyce Edwards and Dylan Harper as the 2024 Morgan Wootten National Players of the Year

Since 1997, the Morgan Wootten National Players of the Year are selected annually in honor of Morgan Wootten, the late chairman of the Games' Selection Committee and Basketball Hall of Fame Coach. Each year, this award goes to a high school girl and boy who demonstrate outstanding character, leadership and embody the values of being a student-athlete through schoolwork and community affairs. Edwards and Harper join a long list of stars to be given the honor – including Candace Parker ('04), Dereck Lively II ('22), Kiki Rice ('22), Chet Holmgren ('21) and so many others.

"Joyce and Dylan truly demonstrate what it means to be a McDonald's All American with the work they've done in the classroom and across the community," said Joe Wootten, Chairman of the McDonald's All American Games Selection Committee. "It's much more than being added to an exclusive list of the game's best stars. My father saw how important it was to recognize these players for their accomplishments on and off the court, and I'm excited to carry on this tradition and honor Joyce and Dylan as this year's winners."

Joyce Edwards

Joyce Edwards is a three-sport athlete and one of the most decorated student-athletes in her high school's history and the state of South Carolina. As a forward from Camden, SC, Edwards is known for her strong defensive game, is one of the top recruits in the 2024 class and has received several local, state, regional and national honors. The University of South Carolina commit leaves a lasting impact through her volunteer work at summer basketball camps and tutoring kids after school.

Dylan Harper

A guard out of Paramus, NJ, Dylan Harper is as focused on his all-around game as he is giving back to the community. The Rutgers University commit is Don Bosco Prep High School's all-time leading scorer and one of the top players in his class, receiving several national honors for his skills on the court. Harper's work ethic and passion are always on display, spending his time away from the game tutoring students in literacy and math and regularly giving back to urban soup kitchens.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The following McDonald's All Americans were selected as finalists for the Morgan Wootten National Players of Year Award:

For the girls' team: Jaloni Cambridge (Montverde Academy – FL), Morgan Cheli (Archbishop Mitty High School – CA), Kennedy Smith (Etiwanda High School – CA), Sarah Strong (Grace Christian School – NC) and Syla Swords (Long Island Lutheran High School – NY).

For the boys' team: Ace Bailey (McEachern High School – GA), V.J. Edgecombe (Long Island Lutheran High School – NY), Cooper Flagg (Montverde Academy – FL), Tre Johnson (Link Academy – MO) and Derik Queen (Montverde Academy – FL).

RUNNING IT BACK TO HOUSTON

Check out Edwards, Harper and the rest of this year's McDonald's All Americans when the competition tips off later today, April 1, with the POWERADE® Jam Fest and tomorrow, April 2, with the McDonald's All American Games.

Tickets to the POWERADE® Jam Fest on Monday, April 1, are still available at gofan.co. Tickets are free with a suggested donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).
Tickets to the McDonald's All American Games at Toyota Center on Tuesday, April 2 are available at toyotacenter.com.
Fans can tune in to the POWERADE® Jam Fest on Monday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The 2024 McDonald's All American Games will start with the Girls Game on Tuesday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and the Boys Game will immediately follow on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.

Follow @McDAAG on X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest news and announcements.

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SOURCE McDonald's USA