Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: McDonald's All-American Game Primer

The McDonald's All-American Game is must-see TV for fans of the Kentucky Wildcats. For many of us, this is the first time that we will get to see our newest Wildcats in a game setting.

The McDonald's All-American Game is the most prestigious high school all-star game in the country and the Wildcats are well represented in Chicago for this year's contest.

Kentucky commit Malik Monk has already made some noise as he won the three-point contest and came in second in the dunk contest, showcasing his athleticism and his shooting prowess.

Like years past, the game will be a live infomercial for Kentucky basketball as the 'Cats will have four committed players on the court, more than any other school,  and two undecided recruits that have Kentucky high on their lists.

Wenyen Gabriel is not eligible for the game because of his age, or the 6'9 incoming five-star player would surely be showcased.

Let's take a look at the guys already signed on the dotted line and the two players that have yet to commit, but still have Kentucky on their radar.

East

#13 Bam Adebayo

Power Forward/Center: 6'9 240 pounds

Picked Kentucky Over: Arkansas, North Carolina State, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, and others

Breakdown: Edrice "Bam" Adebayo is the type of player that Kentucky missed last season. He is an extremely athletic big man that can rebound, dunk with authority, and can finish in the post. John Calipari has had a few athletic/dominant big men in his tenure, Julius Randal comes to mind, but Bam may be the strongest and most athletic of them all. He is a high motor player that can run the floor during fast breaks. Out of all of the players in the class, Bam is the one with the highest ceiling and is the most physically imposing. Get hype, BBN.

#5 De'Aaron Fox

Point Guard: 6'3 185 pounds

Picked Kentucky Over: Kansas, Louisville, and LSU

Breakdown: Fox is your prototypical Calipari point guard: big, fast, athletic, and good with the ball. Fox falls more into the mold of Derrick Rose and John Wall than any other point guards that have played for Cal. He has a reputation for defense, which is a must in Kentucky's system. Cal has already given him the nickname "The General" and is quickly emerging as the leader of the 2016 class. Fox is as skilled as any player in the country, but his jump shot needs work. His strength is in getting to the rim and distributing the ball amongst his teammates.

#1 Sacha Killeya-Jones

Power Forward/Center: 6'11 215 pounds

Picked Kentucky Over: Kansas, North Carolina State, Virginia, St. Joseph's, and and Wake Forest

Breakdown: SKJ is a hybrid of Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere. He runs the floor, rebounds, and jumps like WSC while he has a more offensively polished game like Skal. Killeya-Jones can extend his offense to outside of the paint and he has a very nice mid-range jump shot that can stretch out beyond the arch. He is not as physically imposing as Bam or WCS as a junior, but he has all of the makings of a very good post player for Kentucky.

West

#5 Malik Monk

Shooting Guard: 6'3 185 pounds

Picked Kentucky Over: Arkansas, Kansas, Florida State, Alabama, and Oregon

Breakdown: Malik Monk is the total package offensively. Shooting is a question mark coming into the season, but Monk is showing during his week in Chicago that he is quite proficient. Monk is an athletic freak that has the speed to keep up with Fox and the skills to beat defenders off of the dribble. He reminds me a lot of Eric Bledsoe, but he is a better shooter. He is not as physically strong as Eric but he has the athleticism to make up for it. One can argue that either Monk or Bam is the steal of the class for coach Cal as both players were strong leans elsewhere.

#31 Jarrett Allen

Center: 6'10 235 pounds

Being Recruited By: Houston, Kentucky, Kansas, Notre Dame, and Texas

Breakdown: Allen fell off of Kentucky's radar but is now back on the scene. John Calipari recently reached out to Allen to tell him that the 'Cats are still interested. Many see this as Cal needing a back-up plan if he does not land Bolden. Allen is a true back-to-the-basket center that posses all of the fundamentals on the low block that Kentucky lacked last season. He has a big body and physically imposing strength. He isn't as polished as Bolden but he is a close second as far as true centers go for 2016.

#1 Marques Bolden

Center: 6'10 240 pounds

Down to: Kentucky, Duke, TCU

Breakdown: Bolden has been considered the best center in the class. Kentucky seemed to be in good position with the big man and Cal made one more visit before Bolden left for Chicago, but recent events have made the "experts" start to favor Duke. De'Aaron Fox has been making a push for Bolden lately, but five star center wants to go to the best situation possible. He, like Allen, is a traditional center, but he has great footwork and hands for someone his size.

Between Bolden and Allen, John Calipari will not be caught without a surefire true center like he was last season.