Shon Abaev of Coral Springs was named an All-American at McDonald’s

Coral Springs, Florida – The school’s first-ever selection to the 2025 McDonald’s All-American Game is a Calvary Christian Academy standout.

In high school basketball, Coral Springs native Shon Abaev, a standout forward for Calvary Christian Academy (CCA) in Fort Lauderdale, has won a distinguished award. He is among the top 24 seniors in the country’s Class of 2025, making him the first player in CCA’s 25-year history to be recognized in this way.

Abaev and his parents, Olga and Ilya Abaev, have lived in the Woodside neighborhood of Coral Springs for 14 years.

sole three players from South Florida and four players from the entire state of Florida earned a spot in this year’s game, including 6’7″ small forward Abaev, who is the sole participant from Broward County.

He has contributed as a scorer and a facilitator for Calvary Christian’s varsity boys’ basketball squad. With a five-star aggregate rating of.9916, 247Sports has him rated No. 6 among small forwards in the Class of 2025, No. 7 among Florida recruits, and No. 28 overall.

Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant have all participated in the McDonald’s All-American Game, which has long served as a springboard for future basketball greats.

On April 1, Abaev will appear in court at Brooklyn, New York’s Barclays Center. At 9 p.m. EST, ESPN will broadcast the game.

Calvary Christian Academy’s District Director of Athletics, Keith Huisman, stated that “Shon is a driving force for CCA’s Varsity Basketball team.” He works so hard and is a fantastic team player, yet he can take over a game at any time. Seeing him do what he enjoys is entertaining.

Scouting professionals have noticed Abaev’s distinct skill set, according to CCA. According to Adam Finkelstein, 247Sports’ Director of Scouting, he was “one of the most polished one-on-one scorers in the national class.”

Finkelstein went on to say, “He’s a big southpaw wing with good positional size and an increasingly strong body. He can create his own shot at almost any time, even against a set half-court defense.”

In the fall, Abaev finally committed to the University of Cincinnati after obtaining 26 offers from prestigious universities.

He is the eighth signee in the history of the program to receive the award, joining an exclusive group of McDonald’s All-Americans who have played for Cincinnati. Notable athletes like Lance Stephenson Jr. (2009), DerMarr Johnson (1999), Roger McClendon (1984), and Damon Flint (1993) are on the list.

Cilk McSweeney, head coach of CCA’s varsity boys’ basketball team, said, “Shon’s commitment, work ethic, and character are an inspiration to all of us.” Over the course of his 12-year coaching tenure, McSweeney has guided the program to three Florida state titles. “We are immensely proud of his accomplishments and eager to see him continue to use his game to exalt Christ.”