
Co-MVP Peterson leads West to All-American win
NEW YORK — Darryn Peterson scored 18 points as the game’s co-MVP, leading the West over the East 105-92 on Tuesday night in the McDonald’s All-American boys game at Barclays Center.
Alijah Arenas, whose father, three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, was watching in the stands, finished the third quarter with a free throw for a 74-70 lead. The West pushed the lead out in the fourth quarter to as much as 15.
The game featured three commitments to Duke, led by brothers Cayden and Cameron Boozer, the sons of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos, who also was a Blue Devil. Cameron Boozer, ESPN’s No. 3-ranked prospect for the 2025 class, shared MVP honors with Peterson, who is No. 2. Boozer led the East with 16 points. Isiah Harwell, a Houston commit ranked 13th by ESPN, also had 16 for the East.
Nikolas Khamenia also is headed to Duke and played on the West squad. UConn, winner of the last two national titles, had three McDonald’s All-Americans in this game for the first time. The trio all played for the West in guards Braylon Mullins and Darius Adams and center Eric Reibe.
Joining Arenas on the West squad were the top two recruits in the country in forward A.J. Dybantsa, ESPN’s No. 1-rated recruit who’s committed to BYU, and Peterson, who’s going to Kansas. Dybantsa finished off the West’s first win in this game since 2018 with a big dunk inside the final minute and finished with 13 points. Washington commit Niko Bundalo added 12.
Darius Acuff Jr., an Arkansas commit ranked fifth by ESPN, added 12 points for the East.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.