The McDonald’s game was about trading monster dunks, the Summit was about trading serious elbows and serious trash talk with the best players from the entire world.

McDonald’s was about contests. The Summit was hotly contested. It was about winning one for the good old USA.

Honestly, the only similarity in the two games was that both were televised by ESPN.

“Oh yeah, there was a big difference in the two,” said West Rowan’s Scooter Sherrill, one of a dozen high schoolers chosen to represent the U.S. “At the McDonald’s we were laughing on the court. I didn’t see anyone laughing today.”

The Team USA teens beat the International Men’s Select team 98-97 at Indianapolis’ mostly filled Conseco Fieldhouse in what was actually a pretty terrific ballgame. There were still plenty of vicious dunks — both teams had some serious, serious talent — but both squads also ran disciplined offenses and defense wasn’t a foreign word like it was in the McDonald’s, where everyone got a break.

“At McDonald’s everyone was smiling at practice. Here, we worked. We ran a lot and did a lot of defensive drills,” said Sherrill.

Scooter’s fans would hardly have recognized him Sunday and not just because he was wearing red, white and dark blue and numeral No. 5. He shot from the field just twice — one airball from the wing, one missed left-handed layup after a steal.

His only two points came on a couple of tiebreaking free throws in the second half after he was tackled on a long pass. But then again, every score was important in the one-point victory.

“No, I didn’t shoot much,” said Sherrill, who has committed to N.C. State. “This wasn’t high school where the guys were looking to me. When you’ve got (6-foot-9, 270-pound) Zach Randolph inside, you go to him. And Zach kept calling for the ball.”

Randolph, a Shaquille O’Neal clone, led the Americans with 24.

“But you know if coach had asked me to shoot, I would have,” Sherrill added with a grin.

Sherrill indeed had a couple of chances to launch jumpers from the wing, but passed them up. He spent most of his time concentrating on the defensive end, where he was matched against high-jumping 6-6 Spaniard Sergi Vidal or lightning-quick Belgian Tony Parker, a 6-2 player who led the internationals in scoring with 20 points. Most of Parker’s production wasn’t on Sherrill’s watch, however.

Sherrill, named to the Parade All-America team on Sunday, did get 18 minutes of action — nine in each half — which showed that he had won the confidence of USA coach George Pitts of Science Hill High in Johnson City, Tenn.

“This is the second time Pitts has coached me,” said Sherrill, who added that Pitts is a bit more laid-back than his high school coach, Mike Gurley. “Really, I was just happy to be part of this team. To be one of 12 people picked to play for your country is a high honor. Even if you don’t play a minute.”

Sunday was not Sherrill’s debut against international players, of course. He was also part of a gold-medal winning USA effort in the World Youth Games in Moscow in 1998.

Sherrill didn’t complain of fatigue, but he and many of his teammates had to be just about exhausted. They’ve been away from mom’s cooking and running through airports for a solid week.

There’s been some play mixed with the work, though. The Summit stars had prime seats for the Final Four semifinals on Saturday.

“It’s been an experience of a lifetime,” said Sherrill. “You only get to do something like this once, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ve gotten the chance to become friends with a great bunch of guys.”

But you can tell from the weariness of Sherrill’s voice that he’s had enough of the celebrity lifestyle to last him a little while. The kid from the country has done his part to uphold his county’s basketball pride. Now, it’s high time to get back to Rowan County.

In fact, Sherrill’s flight — a considerably longer one than the shirtless one he took in the McDonald’s dunkfest — was leaving Indianapolis shortly after the game.

“I can’t wait to get home,” said Sherrill. “This was no question the best week of my life. But I miss my family and friends.”

Sherrill still has more all-star games ahead of him once he returns to North Carolina, but this week won’t be forgotten. Some of the memories of people and places will be etched in his brain. Other memories take more tangible forms.

“I left home with two bags,” said a mystified Sherrill. “But we got all kinds of shoes and shirts from the sponsors. I’m taking five bags home.”