By Henry Rawn
January 27, 2025
CINCINNATI – Cincinnati men’s basketball signee Shon Abaev (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Calvary Christian Academy) has been named a McDonald’s All-American.
Abaev is a consensus Top-30 prospect and is Cincinnati’s second-highest rated recruit of the 247Sports era, trailing only NBA veteran Lance Stephenson. Stephenson was also a McDonald’s All-American, earning a spot on the 2009 squad.
Playing for Fear of God Athletics in the eight-team Overtime Elite League, Abaev is averaging 24.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He has five 30-point performances thus far, including a 42-point outburst on Nov. 23.
Abaev is the eighth Cincinnati signee to earn McDonald’s All-American status, which began with Roger McClendon in 1984. Other honorees include Damon Flint (1993), Dontonio Wingfield (1993), Danny Fortson (1994), Kenny Satterfield (1999), DerMarr Johnson (1999, also Parade Magazine National Player of the Year) and Stephenson in 2009.
Other former honorees to suit up for the Bearcats include Keith LeGree (1991), James White (2001), Mike Williams (2004) and Dillon Mitchell (2022) to bring the total to 12.
“Shon puts winning at a premium,” head coach Wes Miller said upon his signing on Thanksgiving Day. “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.”
The McDonald’s All American Games feature the game’s brightest stars from the United States and Canada going head-to-head. The 2025 All American Games will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Tuesday, April 1. The boys game will tip off at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
COURTESY UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS
