Ed. Note: I don't know that I agree with this. Nor do I think it matters; the McDonal's All-American roster spot is a sweet honor, but it matters more how a player develops, and how ready he is to make that NBA or Euroleague money.

Tom Konchalski, a recruiting analyst, said the city snub is not a surprise, with some of the best talent going elsewhere to play at prep schools.

"Basketball in New York has been on the decline," said recruiting analyst Tom Konchalski. "Kids are leaving for prep schools and not working on their skills the moment the season is over."

One such player is Maurice Harkless, a St. John's commit who played at Forest Hills HS but transferred to the South Kent School (Conn.) this year. He was on the first two ballots, but failed to make the final cut.

"If Maurice stayed at Forest Hills, he'd have been the Big Apple 2011 basketball valedictorian and seen more by the voters," Konchalski said of Harkless.