The McDonald's All American Game recap: Which freshmen will stand out next year?

While we look forward to the sure-to-be unforgettable final weekend of the NCAA season, this is also the time of year where we get a glimpse of the shape of things to come, courtesy of a trio of High-School All-Star games showcasing the best and brightest to be coming up into the college ranks next season. 

These are the guys we might be seeing in the Final Four this time next year —or, at the very least, the guys who will lose two or three rounds earlier than we think they should, causing us to question their strength of character and basic moral fiber. 

First up was last night's McDonald's All-American Game, the most famous of the High School exhibitions, and one that featured every one of ESPN's top 20 recruits for the upcoming NCAA season. 

It's tough to be too analytical of an exhibition game where you're watching 24 players for the very first time. However, here were some general takeaways to be had about some of the new faces from this one. 

Jahlil Okafor (C), #1 on ESPN 100, Duke

Okafor has been and will be the most-hyped prospect coming into the next NCAA season. He's a sturdy 6'10" pivot with length and strength to spare. Statistically he didn't have the most dominant game in the McD's showcase — though his 17 and seven was enough to snag MVP honors when his West team held on late — but his ability to shed defenders in the post was fairly jaw-dropping, a combination of size, quickness and awareness that should make him next year's five-man equivalent to Julius Randle. 

Of course, like Randle, he was prone toward making a move that got him to the basket relatively unfettered, then just kinda hurling the ball at the rim and hoping for the best. 

The touch has time to get a little softer, and his jumper is suuuuuper-weird looking--like he chucks it down at the rim from an angle, though that doesn't seem like it should be possible. But against the Wake Forests and NC States of the world, Okafor should be the guy who gets the "beast" appellation more than anyone else next season. 

Myles Turner (C), #2 on ESPN 100, Undecided. 

If Okafor was the most-hyped frosh-to-be in this one, then the most discussed one was Myles Turner — mostly because he was the only guy in the game (and the only dude higher than 90 in the ESPN 100) still yet to decide on a school for the upcoming year. 

Texas, Kansas and SMU are among the schools in play for the Lone Star State-born seven-footer--or maybe he'll just decide to chill out the whole regular season and join a contender in time for the tournament. (You can do that in college basketball, right?)

Anyway, Turner didn't have a super-showy game in this one, but he did show a little of what he can do, hitting an outside jumper early, and shutting down Okafor on a couple consecutive possessions in the post--no small feat against the shifty Duke center. He also had by far the composed sideline interview of the night, impressing the hell out of color announcer Jalen Rose, who if you believe him, was basically Michael Cera with bad teeth when he was in high school. Seems unlikely, but who remembers. 

Karl-Anthony Towns (C), #9 on ESPN 100, Kentucky

The big man I thought was the most impressive in this one was Towns. He not only showed all the big-man fundamentals that most players at his position are still developing six or seven years further into their pro careers--defensive positioning, shot-blocking, some Love-esque outlet passing--but just watching the size and presece of his body and the way he moved, it seemed impossible this guy wasn't already a 25-year-old pro on his second contract. 

He doesn't seem to have the breathtaking athleticism we've come to expect from Kentucy big men--there are three C's on UK's roster right now that could probably out-run, out-jump and out-dunk this guy, and indeed, when Towns tried to slam at one point in this one, he got rejected by a smaller, quicker player with better ups. 

But he'll help Calipari win games right away in a way that few of his touted freshmen probably could. I'm very excited to watch this guy at the next level, especially if he holds on to the "Anthony" in his official name. Think of the KAT puns!

Emmanuel Mudiay (G), #5 on ESPN 100, SMU

In a game featuring recruits that will be littering all the NCAA's marquee franchises next season, the guy who rolled up with by far the greatest swag was the guy ticketed for Southern Methodist. 

You might not have known Emmanuel Mudiay's name before this game, but he made sure you would by night's end, scoring 15 points, taking the most shots of any perimeter player, and getting buckets in a variety of impressive ways, including a crossover move and authoritative dunk to close the first half, and what appeared to be a double-clutch fadeaway jumper in the second. 

"Don't be surprised if Mudiay is the best guard to come out from this game," said an again-impressed Rose towards the end of Mudiay's run in the first half. We might have been before, but we won't be now: This guy could be an absolute sensation for Larry brown next season. 

Justin Jackson (SF), #8 on ESPN 100, UNC

The converse of Mudiay would have to be Carolina recruit Justin Jackson--not to be confused with the All-AAC Cincinnati big man of the same name--who basically had zero highlight plays on the night, but still emerged with by far the best stat line, pouring in 23 points on 11-14 shooting, the ball just kinda gravitating towards his hands at every opportune moment--for tipbacks, off turnovers, on the break, and so on. 

Hard to score 23 a night in the ACC like that, so we'll have to see a little more from Jackson before we can deem him a star — and we did see him hit a three at one point, so there's that — but just having a guy who always knows the right spots to be at on the court is invaluable in itself, and should help bolster an already loaded North Carolina roster for next season. 

Stanley Johnson (F), #7 on ESPN 100, Arizona

Simply put, Johnson seems like the natural successor to Aaron Gordon at Arizona. He's a little smaller, so he'll be more of a natural three for Sean Miller than Gordon was in the Wildcats' super-sized lineup, but he has the same relentless motor — always the first one up the court at either end, tenacious on defense, hyperactive on offense — and the same kind of athleticism and passing skill, even running the pick-and-roll with Okafor for a big second-half dunk. 

Of course, the Gordon comp isn't complete without a somewhat erratic shooting touch, and it certainly looks like Johnson's got that one too. He pulled up for a long two at one point that looked terrible out of his hands and wasn't even close with its landing. At the very least, if Gordon declares for the draft as most predict he will, Johnson should fit into the AG-sized holes in the hearts of fans in Tuscon pretty seamlessly. 

Tyus Jones (PG), #4 on ESPN 100, Duke

Jones' shooting was touch-and-go in this one. He did make a couple big shots late, but at least one of them (the late runner that looked like a potential game-winner) got a pretty lucky roll, and he only had five points before that. 

But oh man, can this dude pass the ball. Leave-offs and alley-oop lobs for teammates on the run, whip-passes down low in the half-court, angular darts in the pick-and-roll...just beautiful, beautiful stuff, as he ended up with ten assists and would have had at least three or four more if his teammates were a little more prepared to capitalize on his vision. 

We had some good point guards in college this year — Scottie Wilbekin, Tyler Ennis, Shabazz Napier, Marcus Smart — but I don't think any of them were asexciting with their play-making as Jones was in this game. He and Okafor were separated by the two rosters tonight, but at Duke, they could be a little-big combo like no one has seen in college--particularly at Duke--for a good many years. 

Don't sleep on Kentucky PG Tyler Ulis, either, who had some excellent moments in the drive-and-kick and transition games in this one. He and Towns are gonna make some two-man hay of their own in Lexington next season. Get Myles Turner to SMU with Mudiay, and we're well on our way to the NCAA's most awesome two-man NBA Jam-style tournament ever. 

Theo Pinson (SF), #10 on ESPN 100, UNC

Pinson didn't do a ton in this one, but did do this:

Worth mentioning.

These guys are up again next Saturday at the Nike Hoop Summit. It's worth a watch, especially after you get sick of talking so much about those old fogies Julius Randle and Sam Dekker this weekend.