Del City’s Brandon Garrison capped off an incredible senior season Tuesday night by participating in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American game in Houston.
The 6-9 center, representing the West squad, scored 10 points and added rebounds, two steals and a block in 20 minutes of action. The West came up just short, losing 109-106.
“I thought he represented himself and played well,” said Del City basketball coach Lenny Hatchett, who traveled to Houston to watch his former player. “He played his game. I thought he did a really good job of defending the paint and altering a lot of shots.”
It’s been a memorable senior year for Garrison, who was recently named Oklahoma’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He also led Del City to the Class 5A state championship, recording 17 points and 16 rebounds in the title game.
“The storybook couldn’t have ended any better for him and his teammates,” stated Hatchett. “That’s one thing about him. He’s so unselfish. He’s a great teammate. We’re just proud that it ended the way that it did and for him to get two state championships before he graduated and one runner-up is a pretty nice resume when you add McDonald’s All-American, Team USA and all the other accolades he’s received.”
Garrison is Oklahoma’s first McDonald’s All-American since 2020. He joins the likes of Blake Griffin, Trae Young and Bryce Thompson in receiving the honor.
Playing in the McDonald’s All-American game isn’t Garrison’s first brush with playing on a national stage. He was also a member of Team USA’s U18 team that won a gold medal in 2022.
“He’s kind of a stat stuffer,” said Hatchett. “He doesn’t have to score a lot. He likes to rebound. He’s a very good passer. He’s very versatile. He moves his feet well and finds ways to make it difficult for opponents to score on him.”
Next up for Garrison on the hardwood is advancing his game to the Division-I level. The Oklahoma State commit will likely compete immediately for playing time on Coach Mike Boynton’s Big 12 squad.
“I think Brandon is ready to go compete,” claimed Hatchett. “He loves the game. He’s going to figure out what it takes to play at that next level. He knows he’s got a lot of work to continue to keep doing and I know he’s going to do that. Coach Boynton is excited about getting him up there and getting him started. Once he gets up there he’s going to have to earn everything that he gets and I know he’s willing to do that.”
“We’re just proud of him.”
