AJ Dybantsa vs Cameron Boozer and 4 other matchups to watch out for at the McDonald's All-American

By Inioluwa

Modified Apr 01, 2025 20:54 GMT

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The McDonald's All-American Game is finally here, with No. 1 ranked prospect AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Nate Ament, and all the other top high school basketball prospects all set to put on a show. The excitement has already started with the dunk and 3-point contest, but now, it's time for the main event.

The game between the boys' Team East and Team West is scheduled to kick off at 9 p.m. EST and 6:30 p.m. EST for the girls' game.

As we head into the game, we look at popular recruiting director and basketball analyst Paul Biancardi's top five matchups to watch out for in the boys' game.

AJ Dybantsa vs. Cameron Boozer

On the West team, No. 1 ranked BYU signee AJ Dybantsa will be going up against No. 3 ranked Duke signee Cameron Boozer on the East. According to Paul Biancardi, Boozer, who weighs 45 pounds more than Dybantsa, will capitalize on this physical advantage to keep Dybantsa from the bucket.

Both players are, however, undoubtedly of great quality and can affect the trajectory of the game to a large extent.

Nate Ament vs. Alijah Arenas

Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas' son, Alijah Arenas, will playing with Dybantsa on the West Team. As per Biancardi, seeing him go up against No. 4 ranked prospect Nate Ament will be interesting. Arenas will be counting on his aggressiveness and physical advantage to slow down Ament, who will also need to stay locked in defensively to keep Arenas in check.

Darius Acuff vs. Mikel Brown Jr.

Another exciting matchup is No. 8 ranked Mikel Brown facing off against No. 5 ranked Darius Acuff. Both players have about the same weight and height, which means neither has a clear physical advantage. They are also both known for their impressive offensive performances.

According to Biancardi, this battle will come down to which players can create more scoring opportunities and facilitate better offensive outputs for their respective teams.

Darryn Peterson vs. Isaiah Harwell

No. 2 ranked Kansas signee Darryn Peterson will also be playing alongside Dybantsa on West Team. A matchup between him and No. 13 ranked Houston signee Isiah Harwell will be intriguing to watch out for. Perterson, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound player, will be a mouthful for any opposing player.

However, as per Biancardi, Harwell is among the few players who can contain Peterson's takeover ability and aggressiveness.

Chris Cenac Jr. vs. Eric Reibe

According to Biancardi, this matchup will be between two dominant and physically imposing players. No. 6 ranked Chris Cenac, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound player, will take on 7-foot, 215-pound Eric Reibe. It will be entertaining to see which big man successfully keeps the other at bay.