McDonald's All-American Game: The storylines we are watching

Chicago, Illinois – On Tuesday evening, 24 of the nation’s best seniors will tip-off the 45th McDonald’s All-American game.

With the practices in the books and the game on the horizon, here are the storylines On3 is watching.

**The On3 Consensus is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting media services.

The No. 2 spot

Barring something unforeseen, Duke signee Kyle Filipowski has done enough to hold tight to the No. 1 ranking in the 2022 class. He was not selected in the McDonald’s All-American game because he is considered a fifth-year.

However, the No. 2 spot will continue to be a discussion until the final hour. Currently, On3 has Texas signee Dillon Mitchell in the spot. Mitchell is a lengthy and elite athlete who simply moves in ways many do not. During the practice session, he showed he could knock down threes off the catch, and he made multiple pull-up jumpers. This has always been a question-mark for Mitchell, but it is obviously something he has been working on. Already one of the premier defenders in the class, if Mitchell can consistently showcase this jump shooting ability, his spot at No. 2 speaks for itself.

Looking across the landscape, Mitchell’s Montverde (FL) Academy teammates Dariq Whitehead, currently On3’s No. 4 ranked player, started off the practice sessions strong. Whitehead showcased tough shot-making capabilities in the two-on-two and three-on-three portions of the practice. He had range, balance, confidence, and footwork. However, as the five-on-five portions started, those tough shots stopped falling, causing them to look like questionable shots. Whitehead will have more viewings, but he is firmly in this conversation.

Dereck Lively is another player talked about for the No. 2 spot. I think it is safe to suggest Lively has the most pro tools in the class. Listed at 7-foot-2, the Duke signee is a fluid athlete with explosion and quick-twitch, a very unique archetype for a guy his size. When On3’s No. 3 overall player plays within 10-feet of the basket, Lively is tough to contend with as a roll guy and in the dunker spots. He needs strength, and he needs to continue to find comfort in what his game is, but there is so much there for him.

Jarace Walker probably won’t enter the conversation for No. 2 overall, but I felt it worth mentioning how good he has been this season and how dominating he looked at times in this setting.

How high will Cam Whitmore rise

The Villanova signee has been one of this season’s biggest risers regarding the national rankings. Cam Whitmore is listed at 6-foot-7, and there is a raw nature to his game; however, you cannot ignore the production. That rawness is what has kept Whitmore from being higher in the rankings. However, there comes a time in the process when you value the overall production of a player.

Whitmore is a combo forward. He is switchable defensively across multiple positions and values defensive possessions and plays with a purpose. Offensively, he finds a way to score the ball. While the handle needs to be looser, the jump shot sped up a bit, and his hips can be a bit tight. He is decisive when attacking the basket and explosive, with touch, when he is at the rim.

The On3 Consensus, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting media services, has Whitmore at 25. On3 is a touch lower right now, with him ranked 28. Look for a bump when On3 next updates; how large that bump is will be a point of discussion after the all-star season ends.

Combo forwards

Every class has one position that stands out, one position where there is depth. Looking at the 2022 class, that position is combo forwards. Yeah, it’s not traditional, but there are a lot of guys in the McDonald’s All-American game who could go either way in their long-term projections.

Duke signee Mark Mitchell is listed at 6-foot-9. He has long arms and covers a lot of ground with his movements. Ideally, you would want Mitchell to guard across multiple positions and be able to attack the basket and make a play on offense. Mark is much like 6-foot-7 Texas signee Dillon Mitchell. Dillon is more explosive and a bit more advanced with his instincts on both ends of the floor. Mark is noticeably taller with more length.

Kentucky signee Chris Livingston and Villanova signee Cam Whitmore have both been bigger and stronger than many of their counterparts. Both players really thrive in doing the dirty work, the defense, and the rebounding many others do not enjoy. Both players are straight-line drivers, and both have inconsistent jump shots. They attack the basket viciously and can be plus defenders at the next level.

Arkansas signee Jordan Walsh is a highly explosive player who wins most 50/50 balls. And no one is really like Alabama signee Brandon Miller. He has good size and is as advanced in the mid-post as any player in the class. Both players will need to continue adding weight and tightening up their ball skills, but there is a world of upside in there.

Are they threes? Kind of, but not really. Are the fours? Sort of, but not really. However, somewhere between the two, there is a lot of talent in the 2022 class.

The Nick Smith experience

Nick Smith has been a player talked about for a while. He has been consistently ranked among the top 50 or 75 players. However, in the championship game of Peach Jam, things changed for Smith. He finished with 30 points for Brad Beal Elite, and his story started to shift. By February, there was talk of Smith being the top NBA prospect in the class.

On3 was very excited to get to Chicago and get an updated viewing of Smith. He was a big point of discussion during our last rankings, and it is always good to get as many viewings in as many different settings as possible.

Listed on the McDonald’s All-American roster at 6-foot-5, he is a slender guard prospect. He has a smooth handle that gets him into the mid-range, so the initial intrigue is there. As you watch him play, you see someone very comfortable in the mid-range. He is a tough shot maker from 12 to 19 feet at all different angles. Where Smith struggles at times is finishing at the rim and making reads. The finishing issues are understandable; he needs strength. The floor vision can sometimes be worrisome as it leads to over-dribbling and errant passes.

Smith’s three-point shot has been questioned in the past, and although the release is low, that piece looked fine today. He looked more comfortable putting it on the floor and getting toward the basket. Defensively Smith is a work in progress with a lot of room for improvement.

At the end of the day, Smith will have to add weight and with that should come better finishing at the rim and more consistent jump shot results. Strength should also get him to at least average on the defensive end. His handle is crafty and instinctive, and his ability to make shots from all over the mid-range is a real tool. It is easy to get the five-star hype with Smith, and he fits in with the spacing, and iso-play Musselman plays with at Arkansas.

The dunk contest

The vaunted McDonald’s All-American game dunk contest will take place on Monday. That could be an exciting venture as there are some players with a special-type explosion in this year’s class. The easy money would look at Villanova signee Cam Whitmore (On3 Consensus No. 25) and Texas signee Dillon Mitchell (On3 Consensus No. 7). Both players are explosive athletes who hunt dunks in-game. Mitchell has a lot of fluidity, but Whitmore has a lot of power.

Everyone knows a dunk contest is about making the dunk on the first attempt. My early money goes toward Dillon Mitchell here, but it could be a contest worth tuning in as these two are premier athletes.