CHICAGO — Dariq Whitehead has shown why he’s headed to Duke and set to be part of the first freshman class since 1979 not to play under retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.

Cam Whitmore, meanwhile, put in a performance that should please Villanova coach Jay Wright.

Future Wildcat Whitmore scored 19 points, Whitehead earned McDonald’s All American Game MVP honors and East beat West 105-81 at Wintrust Arena on Tuesday night.

The showcase event which spotlighted big names such as Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James has made a comeback after being canceled for the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. The final contestants showed why they’re the best high school players in the country, whether they’re throwing vicious dunks or making acrobatic layups.

Whitmore had eight rebounds.

Whitehead wanted to show fans he’s a versatile player and that’s exactly what he did with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to help the East earn an easy win.

“Coming into the game, I wasn’t thinking about it so much as getting stats,” he said. “I just wanted to win the game, the most important thing. That’s something we emphasized.’

Duke-bound Mark Mitchell led the West with 19 points.

“Having not had the games for the past two years, I think it was just an honor that they were able to hold the games this year,” he said. “We had to go through a lot of protocols. It was definitely worth it in the end.

Former NBA star Jermaine O’Neal sat courtside, and Chicago rapper G Herbo was four chairs to his left. Lil Baby played at halftime. The East had already put on quite a show by then, taking a 58-38 lead.

Whitehead had three 3s and had 11 points to go with five assists in the half. Whitmore scored nine points, and the 6-foot-7 guard from Archbishop Spalding High School near Baltimore punctuated it with a windmill dunk in the final seconds that drew the loudest roar from the crowd, until ’til Lil Baby speaks.

“When I got to the big stage, playing in front of thousands of people, it was a little nerve-wracking,” Whitehead said. “I wasn’t used to playing in front of tons of people. When I got used to it, it became something you looked forward to. It also allows you to go out and perform better, just by knowing you have people paying to come see you play.’

West’s list was Anthony Black, who announced his commitment to Arkansas Monday night on ESPN, giving Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks their third five-star prospect in the Class of 2022.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.