Abaev, Alexander Named McDonald's All Americans
Cincinnati men's basketball signee Shon Abaev and women's basketball signee Dee Alexander were both named McDonald's All Americans on Monday afternoon.
While Abaev is the 12th McDonalds All American to sign with Cincinnati, Alexander is the first women's basketball signee to achieve the honor.
Abaev is a consensus Top-30 prospect and is UC's second-highest rated recruit of the 247Sports era, trailing only Lance Stephenson.
Abaev is currently averaging 24.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game playing for Fear of God Athletics in the Overtime Elite League. He has five 30-point performances thus far, including a 42-point performance on Nov. 23.
Other McDonald's All Americans to play for Cincinnati include Roger McClendon (1984), Keith LeGree (1991), Damon Flint (1993), Dontonio Wingfield (1993), Danny Fortson (1994), Kenny Satterfield (1999), DerMarr Johnson (1999, also Parade Magazine National Player of the Year), James White (2001), Mike Williams (2004), Lance Stephenson (2009), as well as Dillon Mitchell (2022).
Wes Miller on Abaev following his commitment and signing:
"Shon puts winning at a premium. He's a Bearcat. He fits here. People point to his scoring all the time. He can really score. People point to his shooting all the time. He can really shoot it. But the thing I don't think people realize is that he's unbelievable at making plays for others. When he has the ball in his hands, he's a facilitator."
Alexander is a five-star recruit, the highest-rated signee in Cincinnati history, and the No. 1 player in Ohio according to Prep Hoops. She was recently selected to the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit roster and the Naismith Girls' High School Player of the Year Midseason Team.
A star for Purcell Marian High School, Alexander has consistently delivered standout performances, including a program-record 50-point game in a 95-49 victory over Roger Bacon on Jan. 22. She has led Purcell Marian to three Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships.
Her individual accolades include two Ohio Ms. Basketball titles, making her the seventh player in history to win the award in back-to-back years, and two Max Preps Ohio Player of the Year honors. She is Purcell Marian's all-time leading scorer and the school's first athlete to earn Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year honors (2023-24).
The McDonald's All-American Games, which showcase the nation's top high school seniors, will be held on April 1 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.