See which 3 SJ County basketball players were nominated for McDonald's All-American Game
On Jan. 9 the McDonald's All-American Game announced its 2024 nominees, thus prepping the stage for the biggest high school basketball games of the year.
The committee will narrow down nominations to 24 players who will compete in the boys and girls All-American event on April 2 in Houston's Toyota Center. San Joaquin County will have a chance to represent California as three basketball stars have earned a nomination for this year’s game.
St. Mary’s girls basketball’s Jordan Lee and Cassidy Bartolotto earned nominations on the girls' side while Lincoln basketball’s Quentin Thompson is the lone boy’s nomination from the 209.
Here’s a bit about each star hooper so far this season.
Cassidy Bartolotto
Position: Forward
Summary: Bartolotto joined the Rams for the 2023-24 season after transferring from Granada (Livermore). As a junior, she played a key role in helping Granada advance to the North Coast Section Division 1 final and the CIF State Division III semifinals. Now Bartolotto is looking to do the same at St. Mary’s. After her sit-out period, the senior forward has played three games with the Rams so far this season.
St. Mary’s girls basketball head coach Alle Moreno: “Cassidy is a 6-foot forward who could shoot it from three, she could play inside, she's been a really nice addition for us. She's played three games for us and she's already averaging nearly a double-double.”
More: Vote now for the Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week (Jan. 1-7)
Jordan Lee
Position: Guard
Summary: Lee is one of the most elite hoopers from the 209 and she has been for all four years as a Ram. The 5-foot-11 guard is averaging 25.6 points and over 10 rebounds so far this season leading St. Mary’s in both stats. Whether she’s knocking down mid-range shots, driving to the basket, or popping a three-pointer, her offensive contribution has been huge during regular and postseason play. Before heading to the University of Texas, she will look to bring a blue banner back to the 209.
St. Mary’s girls basketball head coach Alle Moreno: “You guys know about Jordan Lee and how hard she works to get where she's at right now. She and Cassidy work their butts off every single day and they’re both gym rats. Not only are they representing themselves, well, they're representing our school and our entire school is really proud of them.”
Quentin Thompson
Position: Forward
Summary: Standing at 6-foot-6, Thompson has come into his own as a key contributor for the loaded Trojans. After averaging 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds last season, he has improved to close to 15 points and around six rebounds a game leading Lincoln in rebounding so far this year. His main improvement however has been on the other side of the ball. Thompson has become a better rim defender recording 10 blocks so far this season. He will look to be a catalyst to get Lincoln back to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 playoffs.
Lincoln boys’ basketball head coach Anthony Matthews: “He’s a great kid who works hard, loves the game, and loves his teammates. He’s earned everything he’s been getting including this nomination and an offer from Menlo College. We’ve definitely seen improvement in a lot of areas he struggled in last year.”
More: SJAA Top Dogs: Weston Ranch basketball dominates Edison in league opener
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Lee, Bartolotto, Thompson nominated for McDonald's All American Game
