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Wesley Yates rallies the crowd during a celebration at Beaumont United High School. Photo made Wednesday, March 9, 2022 Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Kim Brent / The Enterprise

I'll start with a simple question: What more does Wesley Yates have to do?

That was my first thought when I saw the McDonald's All-American list released Tuesday on national television. The 24 "best" boys players nationwide were invited to the annual game, which has become the most prestigious event in high school basketball.

Yet somehow, the best player on one of the country's best teams was left off the list. I'm talking about Beaumont United senior Wesley Yates, who might have been the biggest of any snub by the selection committee.

Since Tuesday's announcement, I've tried to wrap my head around how Yates' résumé wasn't good enough to be included. Spoiler alert, I haven't found an adequate answer.

All I can come up with is this: Yates' omission from the McDonald's All-American Game shows exactly what's wrong with high school basketball right now. Let me explain.

Yates, a 6-foot-5 guard, has accomplished just about everything imaginable at the high school level.

He's a two-time state champion and could very well have a third title in a few months. He's the all-time leading scorer at Beaumont United. He's a dead-eye shooter, but has done the work in the weight room to develop a physical frame, making him capable of driving to the rim with ease and defending at an elite level.

Yates has been equally impressive on the summer circuit, playing on high-level teams like LivOn/Fleur De Lis out of Louisiana and California-based Strive For Greatness.

College coaches understood Yates' value. He was recruited by just about every major program in the country. Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Texas, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU and Stanford were all the mix for Yates' services before he signed with the University of Washington in November.

But here's the problem when it comes to prospect rankings: Yates' game isn't overly flashy. He doesn't pander to the highlight reels or emphasize individual scoring over team basketball.

Yates is simply a winner, which apparently the McDonald's All-American Game selection committee doesn't value.

The second problem I suspect is that Yates plays in a city many outside Texas have never previously heard of. He had every opportunity to leave Beaumont and attend a big prep school program, but chose to "finish what he started" with the Timberwolves.

It's a shame that the McDonald's All-American Game will be played in Houston, yet Yates won't be able to represent Beaumont on high school basketball's biggest stage.

If I'm advocating for Yates to make the game, then I must suggest who I would take off the list. It's a tough task with such talented players, but I've got a few names in mind.

How about Bronny James, son of LeBron James, who made the McDonald's game as one of the few unsigned players on the roster. Yates actually played with Bronny last summer with Strive For Greatness. It was clear who the better player was, and he hailed from Beaumont.

Or perhaps Brandon Garrison, a center signed with Oklahoma State. ESPN has him rated as the 30th best prospect, but other recruiting services have him as low as No. 52.

Yates has spent most of his senior season ranked somewhere in the 30s among the 2023 prospects. However, right before the McDonald's All-American rosters were released, Yates dropped to No. 48.

Why that happened is a mystery to me.

Yates did everything right, yet the politics of high school basketball did him wrong.

But the cream always rises to the top. Yates put it perfectly in his social media response to the McDonald's All-American snub.

"We just keep working," he said.

MFaye@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/mattGfaye