GAME ON: Lyons, Medeiros, and Yarce Nominated to McDonald’s Team
Friday, February 04, 2011
One is a point-guard whose heart exceeds his height, one is a small-school superstar who might be Rhode Island’s best-kept secret, and one is a state champion hungry for another title. Bryan Yarce, Isaac Medeiros, and Tim Lyons are senior captains for separate schools, but they share a common drive to succeed which earned the trio State nominations to the prestigious 2011 McDonald’s All-American basketball team. Yarce, Lyons, and Medeiros will find out on February 10 if they earned one of 24 spots in the national McDonald’s All-American game, to be played March 30 in Chicago.
Yarce, from Cranston West High School, was thrilled to hear the news while he was out to eat with friends: “It is an honor to be mentioned with all those guys on that list,” he says, joining an accomplished list of McDonald’s All-American alumni. Since 1978, the McDonald’s All-American team has been the pinnacle of High School hoops, showcasing Hall-of-Fame talents like Michael Jordan, Isaiah Thomas, and LeBron James. Now in elite company, Yarce compares his game to a former McDonald’s All-American and current Celtic – Rajon Rondo: “He is a past-first guy and tries to get his teammates involved. That’s how I am.”
Medeiros was in awe of the honor: “I was just astounded about getting nominated. That’s top-100 in the country – I just thought it was crazy.” For Medeiros, a sensational scorer (22.7 ppg), the accolade is extra-special because it culminates a career often overlooked at Division-III Johnston: “I worked really hard and you can ask anyone - I’m always practicing somewhere or going to the gym to get stronger.”
For Lyons, team trophies are familiar at Bishop Hendricken, the 7-time defending State Champion, but this personal achievement took him by surprise: “When I first heard the news, I was honestly shocked but grateful to be selected.” While Lyons could earn a spot on the National All-American squad, joining former Rhode Island players like Eric Boateng (St. Andrews, 2005), he prefers to add another team banner for his school: “I think it is a great honor, but another championship is what I am really striving for.”GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAll three nominees praised each other for their outstanding individual accomplishments. Lyons described Yarce and Medeiros as “game-changers,” while Medeiros said of his peers: “They have worked really hard at their schools and done a great job leading their teams.” The McDonald’s nominations provide a moment of appreciation and reflection for all three well-deserving seniors. Their mutual respect will be tested soon during next month’s though, when all three expect to clash in tournament play.
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