ESPN

In an all-star showcase, which team wins the game is often secondary. But which players win their individual matchups -- now that's another story. So to get you prepped for the McDonald's All American Game (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU and WatchESPN), we've ranked the top five matchups to watch during the contest.

With bragging rights and sometimes rankings on the line, you can bet these high-level one-on-one battles will be intense and will provide must-see TV. Here's what you need to know.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago will be the first city to host back-to-back McDonald's All-American Games after being named the 2012 site on Thursday.

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CHICAGO – No high school basketball player has ever likely slammed what Anthony Davis did into one year.

On March 30, 2010, no one knew who Davis was. He was a 6-foot-10 junior at Perspectives High School in Chicago, putting up big numbers, but virtually unknown to anyone outside of his conference.

A year later, Davis, now a Kentucky signee and the No. 2 player in the Class of 2011, was blocking shots, grabbing rebounds and throwing down dunks before a hometown crowd of 20,019 fans at the United Center in the McDonald’s All-American game on Wednesday.

Davis finished with 14 points, six rebounds, one assist, four blocks and two steals in the West team’s 111-96 losing effort to the East before the biggest crowd in the game’s history.

“It was excellent,” Davis said. “I played in front of my home crowd, my hometown Chicago, Illinois. I especially put a lot of pressure on myself because Wayne [Blackshear] wasn’t playing, so it kind of made me step up and represent for Chicago. He was only able to play eight minutes. I think I did an excellent job representing Chicago.”

Blackshear concurred.

“He really put on a show for everybody,” Blackshear said. “That’s what I said before, he’s going to go out there and just play basketball, and that’s what he did.”

ESPN senior recruit analyst Dave Telep has been touting Davis’ game ever since he first saw him last spring, and Davis continued to impress him from the first practice of the week to the final buzzer of Wednesday’s game.

“His week met and exceeded expectations,” Telep said. “On the biggest stage of his career, he looked remarkably comfortable. Add up the physical attributes, project where he can go and mix in the fact he has the ability to maximize the potential, and I think he stated a powerful case to be considered as the top prospect in the class."

Davis never doubted it was impossible.

“I did a lot of work,” Davis said. “I knew one day I wanted to be a McDonald’s All-American. When I got that call, I was just shocked. What Alonzo Mourning told us earlier today, you put in what you get out of the game. If you don’t put in the work, you’re not going to anything out of the game.”

Blackshear didn’t have the numbers or the night Davis had, but just getting on the floor was a blessing for him. After dislocating his left shoulder in practice on Tuesday morning, Blackshear was told he would be unable to play in the game.

On Wednesday, Blackshear’s shoulder began feeling better, and he decided to give it a try. He started the game, played eight minutes and had two points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.

“It was a big stage for me,” Blackshear said. “Even though I was hurt, I wanted to play so bad because this was a big thing for me and it was in my hometown. I was excited I got at least got a couple of minutes.”

In the girls game, Bolingbrook’s Ariel Massengale had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists in the East team’s 78-66 win.

“It was amazing,” said Massengale, who was the ESPNChicago.com Player of the Year. “I’m honored to have the game played in my state and to be chosen to participate this year. It was just great. A lot of people were here, teammates, friends, church members. It was just great to have them come out and see me play.”

CHICAGO -- Morgan Park senior Wayne Blackshear will attempt to play in the McDonald's All-American game in front of his hometown fans on Wednesday after dislocating his left shoulder earlier in the week.

"I'm going to be a game-time decision," Blackshear said on Wednesday afternoon. "My shoulder feels better. It would be exciting. I'm hoping to feel it out."

Blackshear dislocated his shoulder when he collided with a teammate during a practice on Monday morning. He said that night he would not be able play in the game due to his injury.

Blackshear, Perspectives forward Anthony Davis and Bolingbrook point guard Ariel Massengale were the three Chicago-area players selected for the McDonald's All-American boys and girls teams.

Perspectives forward Anthony Davis shows off his ability at a McDonald's All-American game practice in Chicago on Tuesday.

CHICAGO -- The McDonald’s All-American West team was coasting through Tuesday morning’s practice at ATTACK Athletics.

Passes were ending up in the bleachers. Shots were falling short. Rebounds were available for anyone willing to give any sort of hustle. Defense was rarely witnessed.

West coach Gene Pingatore stood by watching all of it, trying not to explode. How his players were practicing went against everything he had ever taught in his 41 years coaching at St. Joseph High School, and he had to fight the urge to go off.

He was able to restrain himself. Instead, he decided to end practice early. It was best for everyone.

“It’s really hard,” said Pingatore while laughing. “Coaching this group, I’m not my own personality. I’m not out there yelling and screaming. I have to understand what they can and can’t do. I’m holding back.

“You have to be realistic. You can’t be yelling and screaming for people to do things they don’t want to do. You got to make it fun. That’s what it’s all about really.”

Pingatore is labeled the West coach, and he’s diagrammed some plays for his team, but ultimately he’s really just the person who subs in players and calls timeouts.

It’s more about the distinction of being selected.

“It’s a phenomenal honor,” said Bill Riley, who is an assistant for Pingatore at St. Joe’s and in the McDonald’s game. “To have been coaching as many years as he has, to have the success he has, to be asked by an organization that is noticed nationally is a great honor for him.”

Like any all-star game, once the players hit the floor at the United Center on Wednesday, plays, instructions, organization, discipline, fundamentals and everything else Pingatore stands for will be thrown out the window.
He understands that.

“They’re going to do what they want to do when they get out there,” Pingatore said.

West guard Wayne Blackshear, who is from Chicago, thought Pingatore was coaching the game the right way.

“He knows this is an all-star game,” Blackshear said. “He knows it’s just for us to have fun. He’s not focusing on defense or nothing. He just wants us to play.”

Pingatore has treated all-stars game differently in the past. In 1986 in Peoria, Ill., he was coaching an all-star game between Chicago-area players and downstate ones. Among his players were Nick Anderson and Kendall Gill, and some of them weren’t giving the effort Pingatore desired in practice.

“It was the same thing,” Pingatore said. “They didn’t want to play. I had them running stairs in the Bradley Center. I can’t come here and do that.”

Pingatore’s practice expectations have changed, but his game ones have remained the same. There’s a reason why he’s won 862 career games in Illinois.

“We want to win,” Pingatore said. “I told them, ‘Look, we’re going to keep it simple, have fun, but I’m from Chicago, and this game is in Chicago. We got to win the freaking game. We got to win the game.’ ”