Knee Jerk Reactions After 2017 McDonald's All-American Game

As March Madness reaches its crescendo, basketball fans got a glimpse Wednesday of the next guard.

In the shadow of Michael Jordan, the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game went down from the United Center in Chicago. 

The final stat line will show that the West survived a late charge from the East to win 109-107. But we all know that's not the real thrust of the contest. 

Who did well, and who will they play for next season? What did we learn from watching the very best high school players duel it out on national television?

Let's take a look at some knee-jerk reactions from the game.

Michael Porter Is the Real Deal

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Michael Porter came in as the nation's top overall recruit for 2017, at least according to ESPN.

His performance Wednesday didn't dampen his hype at all.

The small forward went for 17 points and eight rebounds to nab game MVP honors. The 6'10" Missouri commit is multifaceted, known as much for his combo-type play as for his posterizing dunks.

He'll have more to prove at the next level, but for now, he's proven plenty.

Are the Blue Bloods Failing?

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Wendell Carter

This is not to say that Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky are going anywhere. They aren't.

And maybe the underperformance of their collective recruits were a natural extension of what was, frankly, a pretty unimpressive game. 

However...

Of the 24 players who played in the game, "only" seven were committed to those four schools. And—again, relatively speaking—they didn't have a ton to show for their time.

The players in question—Wendell Carter (Duke), Quade Green (Kentucky), Nicholas Richards (Kentucky), Jarred Vanderbilt (Kentucky), PJ Washington (Kentucky), Billy Preston (Kansas) and Gary Trent Jr. (Duke)—combined for a measly 47 points. 

I'm sure every fan of these four teams will be happy to shut me down when these teams and players blow up in 2017-18. Judging by this game, though, it's not exactly a bumper crop of talent at the top.

Alabama Should Be Happy

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Collin Sexton

Looking at the final game stats, according to blog SEC Country, guard Collin Sexton had eight points, seven assists and four steals. But that only tells part of the story. 

As blogger Ricky O'Donnell noted, Sexton is a "maniac." That was noted not as much in the stats but the eye-popping highlights he produced, including a buzzer-beating dunk at the half and some crazy passes in traffic.

Sexton will play for Avery Johnson in Tuscaloosa, Alabama next season. If any sports fan knows anything about the University of Alabama, it's that they need more winners on their sports teams. Sexton is a valuable addition in that regard.

Whoever Lands Mohamed Bamba Is a Lucky Team

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Duke, Kentucky, Texas and Michigan all are in the running for Mohamed Bamba.

He showed again Wednesday why he's worthy of such suitors. The undecided 6'11" Harlem native is a beast all over the court, and off the court, for that matter (last year he made an unofficial visit to Harvard). 

It's his natural talent that takes him off the measurable scale.

"It's his arms, man. ...his arms," said fellow McDonald's All-American Deandre Ayton, who will go to Arizona next season, per Brendan Quinn of MLive. "He will contest every shot. And trust me, he's going to block you. When I say he dominates the defensive end, it's crazy. Like, for me to not even go in the post and be out shooting jumpers? It's like, that's what coaches want. He takes you out of your game. He's dominant."

Lest he be labeled a specialist, on Wednesday he tossed in 17 points on 7-10 shooting, to go with his five rebounds, four blocks and two steals. That is pretty good. And the team that ultimately lands him will instantly be pretty good, too.