In Their Own Words: 2014 McDonald’s All-Americans Describe Their Talents

You’ve heard the saying: “The kids are alright.”

Well, these kids are more than alright.

As the NBA’s ever-evolving landscape of perimeter-oriented and multifaceted skill sets take the basketball world by storm on a nightly basis, the youth who aspire to compete against their heroes (in 2015 or beyond, thanks to the one-and-done rule) have keenly paid attention to the changes in the game and what they mean for their own personal development as players.

SheridanHoops caught up with nine of the 24 McDonald’s All-Americans at Tuesday’s media day to discuss their games: 

Emmanuel Mudiay, 6-4, 190, SMU 

Offensively: “I feel I can be an all-around player at times. I love finding my teammates. I love scoring. Rebounding is a thing that I’ve gotten better at; I take pride in that. I’d love to be a triple-double guy, but I don’t really care about numbers like that. I only care about wins.”

On future coach Larry Brown having coached Allen Iverson and other All-Stars: “Iverson is one of the greatest, but that’s the thing: He wasn’t the only one. He coached David Robinson, Reggie Miller and a lot of other Hall of Famers. Iverson is the only one who talked to me about it personally, though. It was definitely exciting to meet him and for him to tell me some stories, and he feels like coach Brown was the best coach. He told me that he hated coach Brown at first because coach Brown is tough and he’ll tell you stuff you don’t want to hear, but as he grew up he appreciated it. That’s what I want. I don’t want a coach who is going to be soft and who isn’t going to tell me if I’m doing anything wrong. I want a coach who is going to motivate me.

On losing: “I hate losing. Growing up I lost to my brothers all the time. I don’t like saying it, but to this day they can still beat me. Sometimes we don’t even finish the game. Now that I’m older, I feel like I can fight with them a little bit, but they’ll still put me in my spot, though. Just growing up with them and my mom, honestly, no matter what it is, she always finds a way to win.

Defensively: “I take it personally. I don’t care who you are, I hate when you score on me. I watch Gary Payton and he talked about his defensive habits, so after I heard what he was saying I was like ‘Man!’ He was an all-around player, so I feel like I can probably do the same.”

On Deion Sanders’ advice: “Deion is the type of person, he always tells me, ‘Keep that dog in you. Don’t let that dog leave.'”

Favorite Player: “Magic Johnson. He was a winner who made everyone around him better.”

Rashad Vaughn, 6-5, 200, UNLV

Offensively: “I’m pretty much like a combo guard. I can play the 1 or the 2 or the 3 if need be. I can really just score from all three levels. I can make plays for my team, find people who are open and just shoot.”

On emerging ability to playing point guard: “Just being at Findlay Prep, sometimes I would have to play the 1. Our point guard was on the bench sometimes so I would have to play the 1 and I developed a love for it. I love making plays for my team, you know? I can play the 2 but being able to switch between them is more effective.”

On being guarded by Emmanuel Mudiay this week: “It’s been fun because we both are competitors. Anytime we both step on the floor we both go at each other. It’s been very fun and competitive.”

Defensively: “I’m really working at that. I’m trying to get my wind up so I can just guard at a high level every play. I try to guard the best player any time I can and just get after it on defense.”

Favorite Player: “I didn’t really see Jordan but from what I did see, he’s my favorite player. Now it’s probably Kobe Bryant. I love how skilled he is and his killer mentality anytime he steps on the floor, combined with his crazy work ethic.”

Karl Towns, 7-0, 245, Kentucky

Offensively: “My offensive game is based off of pure versatility; being able to post up and be physical but also be smooth and finesse on the outside. I just try to do everything I can. I can shoot threes, post up, hit a jump hook… Any move you need me to do on the floor I can do. If you need me to dribble up the floor as a point guard, I do what I need to do.”

Defensively: “Everyone in New Jersey knows me as a shot blocker. I play with a lot of heart. I lead. I talk to my teammates a lot and I just try to be the anchor down there for everybody… Anything the coach needs me to do, I’m down for.”

Favorite Player: “Len Bias, actually. I just loved the versatility he had and the way he was able to dominate the court at both ends of the floor. Also, the story he backs up and the lessons he teaches you.”

Trey Lyles, 6-9, 230, Kentucky

Offensively: “Offensive game would be a combination of Tim Duncan, being fundamental and having post moves, and Carmelo Anthony, just being able to shoot from the mid-range.”

More on Duncan: “My dad taught me a lot just by watching him play. His unselfishness as a player and his versatility is amazing. He’s almost 40 years old and still going strong.”

Defensively: “I don’t know what player I can compare myself to, but I’m versatile and I can guard multiple positions. I take pride in that. I feel like when I play lockdown defense it helps my team out a lot.”

Favorite Player: “Kobe Bryant. Just his work ethic and his determination to win.”

Kelly Oubre, 6-7, 200, Kansas

Offensively: “My game used to be modeled around shooting but now I see a lot of guys getting bigger, faster and stronger, so I got in the gym and I’m always working on my all-around game. Ballhandling, defense, rebounding, everything. I just want to be a complete player and have an all-around game.”

Defensively: “My game is based around toughness. I love competing and going hard every time I hit the court. The game starts with defense. You have to be a great defender. I like to play up on the ball. In college you have to play defense to stay on the court, so why not start now?”

Theo Pinson, 6-5, 170, North Carolina

Offensively: “Basically, I make plays. Do whatever I have to do. If I have to make shots to carry the team, I can do that. If I have good players around me I can set them up, be the point guard if I have to. I try to frame my game after the (new) point guards. I just don’t want to be one-dimensional.”

Defensively: “I remember this from coach Crean. He always told me how important deflections were and I paid attention to that and it’s worked out for me. I was second in the EYBL Nike Summer League in steals, so I just try to keep that up.”

Favorite Player: “Magic Johnson. That’s who I try to frame my game after. He made plays for other people and he scored when he had to.”

Myles Turner, 6-11, 225, Undecided (Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, SMU, Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma State, Arizona)

Offensively: “I’m a face-up player. I like to catch bigger players by surprise. I try to use their strength against them, so that’s kind of what I do.”

On wrist action on jump shot: “It’s just something I’ve worked on since I was younger. My mom would always make me go outside and shoot jump shots if I wasn’t doing anything.”

Defensively: “I think my timing is really great. It’s something I’ve really worked on – no, developed – over the past couple of years.”

Favorite Player: “Kevin Durant. That’s someone I’ve wanted to emulate for a while now.”

Stanley Johnson, 6-7, 225, Arizona

Offensively: “If you’re looking for a guy who can score from all three levels, I think I can do that pretty well. I’m great at getting to the basket and finishing through contact. I’m OK at hitting mid-range pull-ups. I’m OK shooting from long range, but I can make shots and put points on the board.”

Defensively: “You just don’t let people score. It’s a pride thing with me. I take it personally when guys put their head down and try to isolate me. Once you start taking it personally, competing like that, defense becomes easy.”

Favorite Player: “Magic Johnson. I like the way he made his teammates better. There’s a certain respect when you’re coming down the court and you don’t even make  moves and guys are flying out onto shooters. Magic has to be the best player I’ve watched.”

Melo Trimble, 6-2, 175, Maryland

Offensively: “If I’m bigger than another guard or they’re the same size as me I like to play aggressively. I like to shoot a lot of threes, pull-up shots and floaters, too. When things aren’t going my way I like to get the offense involved and run the offense through my teammates to make them better and get them better shots.”

On whether he’s a 1 or 2: “I think I’m a point guard. A lot of people say I’m a combo guard because I shoot a lot or I score a lot but I look at players in the NBA now that get buckets as point guards and they’re not combo guards; they’re point guards who run their team and score when they have to and pass when they have to, so that’s how I look at myself.”

Defensively: “My defense has gotten better over the past four years. My coach always says I used to be a defensive player and I turned into an offensive player. I’m a lot stronger than a lot of guards, so I like to bully them and pressure them and when they lose the ball I’ll take it from them. When they try to go past me I’ll use my strength to stop them.”

Favorite Player: “I like LeBron James. He’s the best player in the world and as soon as he got into the NBA he did it all. He’ll dunk on you, score a lot, block shots, play defense. … But since this new era has come along (point guard wise) I like Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker because they’re point guards who can score like me and play defense.”

Jeremy Bauman is a shooting coach and aspiring front office professional who writes columns for SheridanHoops.com.  At night time he can be found at STATS LLC / SportVU, the NBA’s emerging game-tracking software, as an Overnight Data Analyst. Follow him on Twitter @JB_For_3_.