It should come as no surprise which programs sit atop StatSheet.com's list of schools who have signed the most McDonald's All-Americans since 1990.
The top two are North Carolina (39) and Duke (37), easily out-distancing fellow blue bloods Kansas (24), Kentucky (17) and UCLA (16).
Tobacco Road fans will argue this list shows that the Tar Heels and Blue Devils rarely lose a top recruit they target except to each-other. Cynics will counter that this list suggests the ranking of players who sign with North Carolina and Duke are often inflated because of the reputation of the schools they've chosen.
The truth is both arguments are probably true. Guys like Eric Boateng or Bobby Frasor probably wouldn't have made the McDonald's roster had they signed with lesser programs, but the Tar Heels and Blue Devils have consistently won more battles for the nation's most coveted recruits than any other programs.
Some more observations:
? The school that has signed the most elite prospects yet accomplished the least in the past two decades is probably Texas, which has signed 12 McDonald's All-Americans since 1990 yet made just three Elite Eights and one Final Four.
The six programs who have also signed 12 or more All-Americans during that same span have combined for 13 national championships. Seven of the next 10 programs on the list have at least been to multiple Final Fours since 1990.
Other notable underachievers: Georgia Tech (11), LSU (9) and Florida State (7). It's very difficult in particular to believe that LSU has signed more All-Americans in the past two decades than Syracuse, Maryland or Georgetown.
Is it Xavier, which has won five straight Atlantic 10 titles and made 10 NCAA tournament appearances in 11 seasons? Or is it Gonzaga, which has won 10 straight WCC crowns and participated in March Madness every year since 1999? Or maybe Butler, which has four Sweet 16s and a pair of runner-up finishes since 2003?
Xavier gets the slight nod here, though you can make a case for any of them. Of the BCS conference programs, it's noteworthy that Vanderbilt has been competitive in the SEC for years without having a McDonald's All-American since Bill McCaffrey in 1989.
? Several schools that you may not suspect have signed All-Americans since 1990:
San Diego State's lone McDonald's signee was Los Angeles product Evan Burns, who failed to qualify academically at UCLA and then selected the Aztecs in 2002. Burns lasted just one season with the Aztecs before injuries and poor grades ended his college career.
The decline of Tulane basketball in recent years makes it easy to forget that the Green Wave was competitive in Conference USA during the 90s. Lone McDonald's All-American Jerald Honeycutt averaged 19.9 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior in 1997 and led the Green Wave to three straight 20-win seasons.
Would you believe that Colgate has signed a McDonald's All-American? That lone elite recruit was Adonal Foyle, who became the school's all-time leading rebounder despite playing only three seasons. Foyle had a lengthy NBA career as a journeyman backup center.
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