If you want to win an NCAA title then you usually need a good coach, a great resume…and a McDonald’s All-American. Only 2 championship teams from 1979-2020 did not have such a player (2002 Maryland/2014 UConn), and while Florida won a title last April without 1, Coach Todd Golden added Arkansas transfer/2024 McDonald’s All-American Boogie Fland to his roster last May. The rosters for this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game were announced last week after selecting the 24 best players in the nation from a list of several hundred nominees. If you do not think these guys can make an immediate impact in the fall, just ask Coach Tommy Lloyd how he likes having 2025 honorees Brayden Burries/Koa Peat at Arizona! Unlike most years when 1 school stands out as the big winner with the most All-Americans, there are 3 different programs tied for the current lead with 2 each (Duke/Missouri/USC) and a whopping 8 players who have not yet committed to a college. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Adonis Ratliff about being named a McDonald’s All-American and sharing the honor with his twin brother.
You received offers from several great schools including Alabama/Arkansas/Texas but signed with USC last October: what was the biggest factor in your decision? I just felt like it was home during my visit. They treated me like royalty and a lot of people who went to USC go on to be very successful in life. Coach Eric Musselman previously coached my dad Theo (as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks in 2002), so they just checked all the boxes.
Coach Musselman’s team is currently 18-6: do you think they will make the NCAA tourney next month? Yes…if they can stay somewhat healthy. Hopefully everyone comes back and they can try to make a run.
Your coach Patrick Massaroni has been named Catholic High School Athletic Association COY for 2 years in a row: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He makes sure that each one of us will get into college no matter what. He has a will to win and wants us to make a statement every time we step onto the court: if we are up by 20 then he wants us to win by 40!
Earlier this month you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant everything. I had some injuries early on but worked hard enough to have my name selected.
Your twin brother Darius received the same honor: how special is it for your family to have 2 Ratliffs on the team? You do not see a lot of 7’ twins in high school, but our household is very happy for us. My dad never made it into the McDonald’s game, but we had that goal for a long time and have finally made it happen.
Darius will be joining you at USC this fall: is it true that playing together in college was “non-negotiable”? No. There was a point in time where we were unsure whether to go to the same school, but after the coaches showed us how we could play together we felt that it would work.
Your high school teammate Jasiah Jervis was also named an All-Americans: what is it like to play on a team with so much talent? It makes things a lot easier. If we all can do 1 thing great, then we will probably win the game. We are a dangerous team who plays off each other.
You are listed at 7’: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? I am a 3/4 combo forward now, and I think it will be the same for me in college.
Your father Theo was an NBA All-Star in 2001 and led the league in BLK 3 times from 2001-2004: who is the best athlete in the family? We are all good athletes, but my dad would have to take that title.
Your high school team has won 3 straight state titles: do you think you can make it 4 in a row this spring? Yes, our last regular season game is tonight and hopefully we can go undefeated in league play.
