While not an end-all, be-all measurement, the McDonald's All-American game typically produces the nation's most heavily recruited players. These are players that schools will do anything to recruit, make an instant impact as freshmen.
The below list includes players such as Derrick Rose and Kevin Love, who would currently be in their senior college season if they would have remained in college.
The implication from compiling this list is that certain programs and coaches have stacked decks, even if it doesn't explain the current struggles of North Carolina, who leads this list with ten McDonald's recruits over the past four years. Nor does it prove much insight into San Diego State, BYU, Texas A&M, Missouri and Purdue, who are each amongst the top teams in the country despite no representatives on the list.
One thing that is clear is the danger of John Calipari at Kentucky, as he has combined his recruiting prowess with one of college basketball's most storied legacies. Excluded from the below list for Calipari is John Wall (fifth year senior in high school) and Enes Kanter (international).
The ACC also remains the nation's dominant conference in terms of recruiting high end talent, claiming 27 of the available players, followed by the Big East at 16, Big 12 at 15, the SEC's 13, ten for the Pac-10 and eight for the Big Ten.
Alabama
JaMychal Green, 2008
Arizona
Jerryd Bayless, 2007
Arizona State
James Harden, 2007
Baylor
Perry Jones III, 2010
Cincinnati
Lance Stephenson, 2009
Clemson
Milton Jennings, 2009
Connecticut
Alex Oriakhi, 2009
Kemba Walker, 2008
Detroit
Ray McCallum, 2010
Duke
Kyrie Irving, 2010
Ryan Kelly, 2009
Mason Plumlee, 2009
Kyle Singler, 2007
Nolan Smith, 2007
Elliot Williams, 2008
Taylor King, 2007
Florida
Patric Young, 2010
Kenny Boynton, 2009
Mike Rosario, 2008
Nick Calathes, 2007
Florida State
Michael Snaer, 2009
Chris Singleton, 2008
Georgetown
Greg Monroe, 2008
Austin Freeman, 2007
Chris Wright, 2007
Georgia Tech
Derrick Favors, 2009
Iman Shumpert, 2008
Gani Lawal, 2007
Illinois
Jereme Richmond, 2010
Indiana
Eric Gordon, 2007
Kansas
Josh Selby, 2010
Xavier Henry, 2009
Cole Aldrich, 2007
Kansas State
Wally Judge, 2009
Michael Beasley, 2007
Kentucky
Terrence Jones, 2010
Brandon Knight, 2010
Doron Lamb, 2010
DeMarcus Cousins, 2009
Patrick Patterson, 2007
Louisville
Peyton Siva, 2009
Samardo Samuels, 2008
Memphis
Jelan Kendrick, 2010
Joe Jackson, 2010
Tyreke Evans, 2008
Derrick Rose, 2007
Michigan State
Keith Appling, 2010
Mississippi State
Renardo Sidney, 2009
Nevada
Luke Babbitt, 2008
North Carolina
Harrison Barnes, 2010
Reggie Bullock, 2010
Kendall Marshall, 2010
Dexter Strickland, 2009
John Henson, 2009
Ed Davis, 2008
Tyler Zeller, 2008
Larry Drew II, 2008
David Wear, 2009
Travis Wear, 2009
North Carolina State
C.J. Leslie, 2010
J.J. Hickson, 2007
Ohio State
Jared Sullinger, 2010
Deshaun Thomas, 2010
William Buford, 2008
B.J. Mullens, 2008
Kosta Koufos, 2007
Oklahoma
Tiny Gallon, 2009
Tommy Mason-Griffin, 2009
Willie Warren, 2008
Blake Griffin, 2007
Oklahoma State
James Anderson, 2007
Oregon
Michael Dunigan, 2008
Pittsburgh
Dante Taylor, 2009
Syracuse
Fab Melo, 2010
Jonny Flynn, 2007
Donte Greene, 2007
Tennessee
Tobias Harris, 2010
Scotty Hopson, 2008
Texas
Cory Joseph, 2010
Tristan Thompson, 2010
Avery Bradley, 2009
Jai Lucas, 2007
UCLA
Joshua Smith, 2010
Jrue Holiday, 2008
Malcolm Lee, 2008
Kevin Love, 2007
USC
DeMar DeRozan, 2008
O.J. Mayo, 2007
Villanova
Jayvaughn Pinkston, 2010
Dominic Cheek, 2009
Maalik Wayns, 2009
Corey Stokes, 2007
Virginia
Sylven Landesberg, 2008
Wake Forest
Al-Farouq Aminu, 2008
Washington
Abdul Gaddy, 2009
Click on the following links to see the McDonald's rosters for the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.