Five best players left off McDonald's All-American Game roster

Video: Cam Thomas COP Highlights

This year is no different, as some tough decisions had to be made for the deep and talented Class of 2020. While the players who made the roster are deserving of the distinguished honor, we took a look at a few names of players who narrowly missed the cut despite strong resumes.

Over the years, the McDonald's All-American game has produced plenty of bona fide superstars from Michael Jordan to LeBron James. However, the event has also left off NBA legends like Karl Malone, David Robinson, John Stockton, Dwyane Wade, Scottie Pippen, Allen Iverson, Clyde Drexler, Gary Payton and Steph Curry among others.

Here's a look at the five best players left of this year's McDonald's All-American Game roster.

The talented point guard reclassified to the Class of 2020 prior to the season. He's put together a strong senior campaign, averaging 15.3 points, 7.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds against a challenging national schedule. Although Mater Dei suffered a pair of losses last week, the Kentucky signee made a strong closing argument for McDonald's All-American honors, posting 29 points and five rebounds in a loss to St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and 20 points, nine assists, six rebounds and five steals in a loss to Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.) at the Spalding Hoophall Classic.

The Illinois-bound point guard has stuffed the stat sheet this season, averaging 19 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals per contest. The impact guard has guided the Crusaders to a strong 15-2 start and No. 22 rank in the MaxPreps Top 25. Curbelo is coming off a strong junior season in which he earned third team MaxPreps Junior All-American honors after leading his team to the New York state federation Class AA Tournament of Champions title and a No. 17 finish in the final top 100.

The Virginia pledge is coming off a stellar junior season that saw him lead the Hornets to their third consecutive state championship, while averaging 21.9 points, 10.2 assists, 10.2 rebounds and 3.6 steals per night. Beekman earned second team MaxPreps Junior All-American honors. He's averaging 18.8 points, 10 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.7 blocks and two steals per outing for the 16th-ranked Hornets.

He established himself over the summer as one of the premier players in the nation after averaging 18.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game against elite competition in the Nike EYBL circuit. The 6-foot-6 Miami commit has risen up the NBA Mock Draft boards, sitting at No. 16 in ESPN's latest 2021 mock NBA Draft. Timberlake has been the driving force behind the Stags strong 16-2 start and No. 6 ranking. Teammate Hunter Dickinson was another player with a strong resume, especially after his dominant play at the Spalding Hoophall Classic.

The most deserving player to miss the cut for the McDonald's All-American Game was the 5-star guard and LSU signee. Thomas has navigated the second-ranked team in high school basketball to a 27-1 record this season, averaging 30.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 89 percent from the free throw line, 41 percent from beyond the arc and 56 percent from the field. The Warriors also have won two major tournaments — the 'Iolani Classic and Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions — with Thomas winning MVP at both events.