DJ Wagner, Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw, and Hannah Hidalgo bring local flair to McDonald’s All American Games

Edwards, Wagner, and Bradshaw are heading to Kentucky next season, while Hidalgo is signed with Notre Dame. But they're enjoying the showcase while they close out their high school careers.

Imhotep’s Justin Edwards, posing with his mother, Ebony Twiggs, after winning MVP of the Public League championship game, is coming off winning a PIAA title with the Panthers.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

by Maria McIlwain

Published March 27, 2023, 5:45 p.m. ET

HOUSTON — Camden High’s Aaron Bradshaw feels like a kid again.

He’ll officially be a college player in a few short months, but for now, the 7-foot-2 Kentucky signee is preparing for the McDonald’s All American Game on Tuesday. The boys tip off at 9 p.m. (ESPN), and the girls’ game is at 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2).

Bradshaw is proud to represent his home state, citing players like Kyrie Irving and Markquis Nowell, who also played there, as inspirations.

“Basketball needs Jersey,” he said. “Jersey basketball is different because we’re tough. We’ve always got a chip on our shoulder.”

Hannah Hidalgo, who will represent the East in the girls’ game, had a similar sentiment. She attends Paul VI in Haddonfield.

“It’s been great being able to come here and being one of very few to represent where I’m from,” she said. “It’s truly a blessing.

“Jersey’s where it’s at,” she added. “We’ve built some beasts over there.”

Bradshaw is one of four future Wildcats on the boys’ side, joining Camden teammate DJ Wagner and Imhotep’s Justin Edwards on the East team, while Reed Sheppard of North Laurel (Ky.) High School will suit up for the West.

For Wagner, the McDonald’s All American Game is a family affair. He’s not alone in that — you may have heard of Bronny James’ dad, LeBron, who was the game’s MVP in 2003 — but Wagner is the third generation of his family to play, following his dad, Dajuan (2001), and grandfather, Milt (1981).

Edwards, a 6-8 forward, is the first Public League player to be named a McDonald’s All American since Rasheed Wallace in 1993. He hasn’t fully processed the magnitude of being picked yet but considers it an honor.

“Just to be the first one in 30 years means a lot,” said Edwards, who’s fresh off winning a PIAA title. “Just shows my hard work.”

The experience has helped the Kentucky quartet build chemistry, as Bradshaw sees his teammates carving out their roles. He says he brings energy, while Wagner sees himself and Sheppard as the quiet ones to Edwards’ and Bradshaw’s “goofy” personalities.

As for Bradshaw?

“I’m always laughing, always smiling, always pumping everybody up,” he said. “I’m just real energetic, and I’m the leader — or I try to be.”

Edwards, meanwhile, says he’s been able to be himself on the court and play to his strengths. He’s also eager for an on-court reunion with Wagner, an AAU teammate in middle school.

“I’m not somebody that’s ball-dominant,” Edwards said. “I feel like I can go in and still be able to be me. I play off the ball. I let the game come to me.”

The event also is another opportunity for Wagner and Bradshaw to take the court together after their Camden careers ended abruptly because of an on-court altercation with Eastside during the Camden County championship. The Camden school district announced that Camden and Eastside would be withdrawn from the state playoffs following the fracas.

“I’m excited just to be able to get back on the court with my guys again,” Wagner said of the upcoming Throne national championship event he and the Panthers are playing in. “It’s like one more go-round for us in a way.”

The Kentucky signees aren’t the only ones building chemistry. Emma Risch, a Florida native, is heading to Notre Dame, where she will team up with Hidalgo.

“This was my first time actually meeting [Hidalgo], so it’s been a great experience just being able to play with her,” Risch a 6-1 shooting guard/wing, said. “I feel like we honestly have chemistry already. … I think it’s just been great to actually be able to meet her and finally play a little bit.”

Hidalgo has enjoyed getting to know her future teammate, too.

“It’s been great practicing with her and scrimmaging with her,” she said. “She’s a shooter. I didn’t know her before coming in here, and then finally getting to see her and watch her play and how well we get along already is just something special for the future.”

The events surrounding the McDonald’s games have gone by in a flash, Hidalgo said. And with college basketball on the horizon, Bradshaw and his fellow stars know the work isn’t finished yet.

“There’s always somebody that wants what I’ve got,” Bradshaw said. “So I’ve got to always stay hungry. I’ve just got to keep on working because there’s a kid right now, probably, working out as we speak, trying to go at me. So I’ve just got to keep on working, keep on developing.”