In one of the most shocking announcements of the season, Ossining senior Saniya Chong has been snubbed from this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game in April.
When the official 24-player roster was announced on ESPNU at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Chong’s name was among those not called, neither was Rye Country Day senior Carolyn Binder, who was also nominated.
Of course, the McDonald’s All-American Game is arguably the most prestigious high school showcase in the nation, so not receiving an invite should hardly be considered a “shock,” but if you factor in what Chong has accomplished this season, it is:
The most notable factor about her snub is that she was selected to this year’s Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American Game a few weeks ago.
One can debate which game is more prestigious — the WBCA game, or the McDonald’s game. Is it the McDonald’s game because it is nationally televised and known about? Or is it the WBCA game, because the roster is limited to a select few of just 20 girls, four less than the McDonald’s game?
Including this season’s roster, 51 of the 60 girls selected to the WBCA All-American Game were also selected to the McDonald’s All-American Game that same year.
This year, Chong was one of just two girls to make the WBCA game, but be snubbed from the McDonald’s game, joining Jessica Jackson of Jacksonville HS in Arkansas.
Of course, the bright side is that Chong still will represent Section 1 in the WBCA game on April 6 at the New Orleans Arena, the site of this year’s NCAA Women’s Final Four, so she will still likely get plenty of attention, even though she is already committed to UConn in the fall.
On another interesting note, this is the first-time ever that no female UConn recruits were selected to the game. The inaugural girls game was held in 2002, more than three decades after the first boys game in 1977.
Here are the highlights of Chong’s accomplishments this season:
— Broke the Section 1 all-time scoring record of 2,662 points that was previously held by FDR-Hyde Park grad Karen O’Connor for the last quarter of a century.
— Broke the New York State record of 277 career 3-pointers that was previously held by Bloomfield grad Heather Shepard since 2001.
— Currently leads all players in the state with 35.9 points per game. No other player is averaging more than 26.0 PPG, according to MaxPreps. (Chong also ranks fifth in the nation)
— Currently leads all players in the state with 9.5 assists per game, more than two assists per game above any other player, according to MaxPreps. (Chong is currently tied for second among all players in the United States)
— Has led Ossining to an undefeated record against all New York teams this season, and a top seed in the Section 1 Class AA tournament. The Pride have been the top-ranked team in New York’s Class AA by the NYSSWA all season.
— Selected as the National High School Player of the Week by Sports Illustrated in mid-January after scoring 24 of her 43 points in the fourth quarter against previously unbeaten Hamilton. Head coach Dan Ricci was named National Coach of the Week during the same week.
26 Comments
SOME PEOPLE JUST DON’T GET IT,WOW,SHE WAS ROBBED
Very sad but politics frequently gets in the way of reason. We all know that, in the long run, none of this matters. UCONN is getting another special player.
Chong got robbed! Point blank..binder shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same class as Saniya
CHIEF,
HELP,THIS IS A CRIME
Nobody from the northeast were selected so she shouldn’t feel bad. I doubt she’ll be flustered by this snub at all. She’s a pretty even keeled player/person and doesn’t really focus on that sort of thing. The McDonald’s All American game is a bit of a joke these days imo. It doesn’t really hold the same value and meaning it once had. The WBCA is hosted by Nike and is more prestigious imo. Nike also does more for the sport than McDonald’s certainly does.
She is richly deserving of being in that game based on her ability and based on the way she conducts herself on the court. She is the epitome of a class act.
Not a snub at all, she has all these accomplishments and not making ONE of them is a snub? why be a pessimist.
She actually didn’t deserve to make the team. She is ranked in the 70’s of the top players this year and only 24 made the team.
Enough with filling our kids with trophies and accolades, it’s more important for kids to have intrinsic motivation and self-esteem from with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW – guaranteed she doesn’t start ONE game next year and will more than likely be 8th or 9th player on team.
Can we talk about how binder was even up for this? Does she go to rye country day? What are the qualifications?
Wow Colonial…I agree, Saniya was robbed but to say the McDonald’s game experience is a joke is disheartening. The proceeds from the game go to children in need. Ask any player who has been through the McDonald’s All American game experience and they will tell you spending time with kids from the Ronald McDonald house is no joke. It is sad the disappointment of not being selected would cause such a reaction…remember, there is more to life than athletics.
smh…
What a joke. With her stats and accomplishments she isn’t one of the top 48 in the country? 5th in scoring and 2nd in assists? Playing 3 qtrs. most of the time. With the sched they played? Whoever picked this team has no credibility. Most of the other girls play alongside several D1 players. The WBCA team is picked by the coaches. They have more credibility.
CHSAA,
That’s all fine and dandy but like you said, McDonald’s is donating right back into their own funds. Aside from that, what do they do for the sport or sports in general? Very little, if anything.
I’ll take Nike over McD’s any day. That’s just me though.
Really,
nobody has ever said they expected her to start next year. She’ll get minutes considering they graduate 3 seniors this season and 2 next year.
Colonial, yes, I take Nike over much when it comes to athletics but the McDonald’s game started out many,many years ago as a means to bring light to how fortunate the gifted athletes (that were chosen) were, not just athletically, but in life.
As I said, there is more to life than athletics and being involved in the McDonald’s experience is the equivalent to participating in the Wheelchair Classic back in the day.
Athletics takes a back seat to certain issues…just sayin’
I wouldn’t want to be Mamo today.
Ossining destroyed mamaroneck by 60. Bad news..Jalay Knowles down with a sprained ankle. What exactly was she doing in the game in the fourth quarter anyway?
That’s Ricci’s m.o. – AA is terrible, it won’t matter
Chong tried out for the that United States team this past summer. She didn’t make the team. She played with the best players in the country. Chong is a great player, but objectively speaking she is not a Top 30 player. She is somewhere between 30-100. Hard to say whether she is #31 or #99. My guess is that she is probably #80-100 best overall (all positions) in the country. A player like her comes along in an area like Westchester/Rockland every 10-15 years. I don’t agree that she was snubbed. There are alot of players in the nation better as stated above. I know that this is tough for a lot of local fans to swallow on this blog, but it is the truth. Chong is one of the top players in the country BUT she was not snubbed…..
BTW- Binder should not be even mentioned in the same page as Chong. (Not in the same ball park). There are many very good players in Section One like Giddons,Lai …... who are superior to Binder. Binder is a very good hs player but that’s it.
Saniya played against the best players in Arizona and her stats speak for themselve. Total snub but she is off to UCONN, nicest young woman, humble and talented.
Looks like Max Preps feels that Saniya was in fact snubbed by Mcdonalds. Truth of the matter is their are some people out their with agendas not only here on this blog but everywhere.
http://www.maxpreps.com/news/Hts9Cz8Rm0WprxJQg6S_mg/mitchmash—saniya-chong-should-be-a-mcdonalds-al
I was reluctant to post something, knowing the paranoia and intensity about Chong.
Agenda excuse is B.S.
LOOK carefully at current UConn roster. There are several players that didn’t play in the All Am. game. Then checkout the rosters and do a little research on Duke,Nd,Baylor and Stan. Alot of players didn’t make it to the big All-Am game.
And I bet you they weren’t home crying and being SOUR GRAPES- Grow-up !
The difference is those girls didn’t have the numbers this one has. Further, most of them played on privates or very big publics with mucho talent alongside them. This one played at a med sized public, a very tough sched, with a freshman and eighth grader on her wings and still had the numbers. Snub indeed!
Did anyone ask Saniya how she feels?? She probably feels like it was an honor and priviledge to be nominated and to not be picked is not the end of the world in her mind. She has so many other accolades and accomplishments and is very loyal to her high school. The bloggers on the other hand are the ones that seem disappointed she didn’t get picked and rightly so when we have watched someone become the person she is. A very talented, humbled human being and basketball player with a bright future!!!! Good luck Saniya!!
No Snub. What are you going to say (and post) next season if she is not starting or playing the minutes you think she is entitled to ?
BTW- perhaps “those girls” had more talent along side them BUT 80% of the games that Oss played were a joke compared to those “privates” and “very big publics”.
90% of the Class AA teams in Section One couldn’t even win the Section in Class A or B..
What does that tell you about Ossining’s competition?
Yes, Oss, did go on the road this season and play some good teams, BUT most of her #’s were accumulated from weak opponents..
No Snub.
@bball fan – before you guys start spinning this into kids and SC; PLEASE note that my posts are in reference to people on this thread saying that the All-Am Committee “snubbed” her. SO, this is about a certain party making a fair decision(in my opinion) and the hsbb and co. saying she was snubbed. I have only compliments for SC. (Just agree that she is not top 50 in nation)
I have said above that this kid is rare and tremendously talented BUT so there about 50-100 players just like her. I think the decision NOT to put her on the top 30-40 in the nation was fair.
But some won’t accept that and will now start twisting everything around.
hsbb fan and co. should accept the committees’ decision and not be sour grapes.
And I hope you are not sour grapes next season if SC doesn’t start or get the minutes you say should have.
No Snub.
We have to accept that and have. You’re the one who seems charged up about the topic. It cracks me up when people like you come on blogs and start criticizing people for expressing their opinion. What do you think blogs are for?
Regarding Oss’s comp, they are required to play a minimum # of sectional games in order to be eligible for states and that is exactly what they have done. Played the minimal amount of games to be eligible. They didn’t just “go on the road for a couple of good games, they brought Molloy, CTK, The Philly team and Irvington in.
I guarantee many girls on that MAA team played weaker schedules and had
weaker numbers. I recall seeing Mater Dei blew out some teams by 60. Did that hurt Samuels chances? Its got a lot to do with National recognition and coming from perennial National powers. Doesn’t take anything away from her talent or her game. She has proved tat she can play with anyone in her age group and I’m sure she’ll do so again in States and down in New Orleans.
This season Oss went out of the section and played some good teams but generally speaking, over the past few seasons, 80% + of their wins came locally against Class AA teams that would’t win Class B or even be close to the top in Class A. That being said, it’s easier to pad the stats against weak teams. SC is an excellent player. I hope you guys don’t use the ” agenda ” card throughout her career. She deserves better comments like “Congrats” and ” keep working hard to improve and get stronger” cause next season is a far cry from Section 1.
I think she is about the 80th best player in the country. Most of that guess is due to size.
Great player- NO Snub…..
YES CHONG WAS ROBBED,BUT IF NO OTHER PLAYER WAS SELECTED TO PLAY IN BOTH ALL-AMERICAN GAMES THEN ACTUALLY SHE WASNT. THE FACT IS THAT THE MCDONALD ALL-AMERICAN GAME SELECTION WAS ANNOUNCED AFTER CHONG WAS ALREADY NAMED TO THE OTHER ALL-AMERICAN GAME WHICH ANNOUNCED THERE PLAYERS FIRST. SO THE MCDONALD’S GAME GAVE ANOTHER PLAYER A CHANCE TO PLAY IN AN ALL-AMERICAN GAME SINCE CHONG WAS ALEADY CHOSEN. BLAME THE MCDONALD SELECTION TEAM FOR ANNOUNCING LATE BECAUSE CHONG WAS ACTUALLY ON THE SELECTION LIST,,,,,,,,BELIEVE ME!