The inaugural Pangos All-American Festival held last November 7-8, 2020 @ AZ Compass Prep (Chandler AZ) proved to be a smashing success not only from a marquee talent standpoint but also from an elite competitive one as well. Plenty of 5-star and 4-star matchups ensued including appearances of top prospects like Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga), Paolo Banchero (Duke), Jabari Smith (Auburn), Mike Foster (NBA G-League Ignite), Daimion Collins (Kentucky), TyTy Washington (Kentucky) and Kobe Bufkin (Michigan).
Following up on that great foundation, the 2nd annual Pangos All-American Festival was held last weekend (August 28-29, 2021) at Amplus Academy in Las Vegas NV and again there were more than plenty of top talent on-hand.
BallerTV.com live-streamed all 4 games at the event (now available for replay):
https://www.ballertv.com/events/pangos-all-american-festival-4
The title game was also broadcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rExeqmzG_VI
In Semi-Final I it was the East squad outlasting the Midwest team in an OT thriller 131-128 with leads changing hands multiple times throughout the game. 6-1 2022 Fabio Basilis (Oakridge/Orlando FL) led the East with a triple-double (18 points/10 rebounds/10 assists) including a 3 point bomb that forced the OT period. 6-7 2022 Ven-Allen Lubin had a team-high 23 points (9/15 FG), 6-10 2022 Ernest Udeh scored 19 points and 6-7 2023 sharpshooter Gavin Griffiths added 17 points for the East. 6-3 2022 Trey Pettigrew sparked the Midwest with a game-high 32 points while 6-4 2022 Oziyah Sellers also scored at high-clip pouring in 30 points (6 threes) while 6-1 2022 Paul McMillan (19 points) and 6-8 2022 Mark Mitchell (17 points) also produced in a major way for the Midwest.
In Semi-Final II, a balanced West attack allowed them to sneak past the South 95-92 as 6 West players scored in double-figures including 6-7 2023 Mookie Cook (19), 6-8 2022 Joshua Jefferson (16), 6-6 2022 Jaylen Thompson (15), 6-4 2022 Collin Chandler (14), 6-8 2022 Jaxon Kohler (12) and 6-9 2022 Kijani Wright (10). The South was sparked by 3-point flamethrower 6-3 2023 RJ Jones who scored a game-high 29 points (8 threes) and super senior sleeper Big Man 6-9 2022 Jalen Reed who contributed 19 points/7 boards.
In the 3rd Place Game on Sunday, 6-8 2022 Aidan Shaw (26/10) and Mark Mitchell (25/10) combined for 51 points and 20 boards as the Midwest outlasted the South 114-94. Trey Pettigrew added 20 points and 4 assists for the winning Midwest squad. For the South, leading the way were 6-7 2022 Jordan Walsh (18 points on 7/10 FG) and 6-3 2023 Sebastian Mack (18 points).
In the championship game Jaxon Kohler had a game for the ages, erupting for 53 points and 23 rebounds . That fantastic clinic of post moves and footwork earned Kohler event MVP honors and propelled the West to an early lead and they never looked back as they cruised to a 133-112 win over the East. Jaylen Thompson caught fire from the 3-point arc in the 2nd half, connecting on 6 threes en route to 24 points. Collin Chandler was also superb adding 16 points and a team-high 8 assists. For the East, Fabio Basilis did all he could to keep the East in contention, having team-highs in points (27) and assists (8). Ernest Udeh displayed flashes of post dominance, scoring 26 points on 11/14 FG for the East while Ven-Allen Lubin added 18 points.
The event’s official 10 player all-tourney team is:
Jaxon Kohler (MVP/West)
Collin Chandler (West)
Jaylen Thompson (West)
Fabio Basili (East)
Ernest Udeh (East)
Ven-Allen Lubin (East)
Trey Pettigrew (Midwest)
Aiden Shaw (Midwest)
Mark Mitchell (Midwest)
Jordan Walsh (South)
Below, we will highlight players that were members of the championship West squad coached by former UNLV coach and player on the 1990 UNLV national championship squad Dave Rice. We will follow up this article with 3 additional ones which will highlight players on each of the other three regional teams.
2021 Pangos All-American Festival West Team
(in alphabetical order)
Collin Chandler 6’4″ 2022 Farmington (UT)
Smooth and bouncy lead guard has already acquired a major reputation as an athletic driver and finisher and accurate long-range shooter. Pressed into action on the ball here, Chandler also displayed an impressive playmaking ability with his court vision and pin-point passing (had a team-high 8 assists here). Collin averaged 15.0 points and 6 assists per game. Veteran scout Frank Burlison has pegged him as his best 2022 wing guard in the West and I can’t quarrel with that assessment. Belongs in the discussion for 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game and will get my vote as a Top 20 selection on my Spalding All-American Team ballot next Spring. CC’s fine play this past year is starting to get traction in the major national rankings as ESPN.com just named him as their #29 ranked player in 2022. Video Highlights:
https://twitter.com/CourtsideFilms_/status/1432323168144814081
Mookie Cook 6’7” 2023 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler AZ)
Portland OR native has quickly ascended into the Top 10 of the national 2023 class. Athletic and savvy swingman with plenty of scoring punch has quickly become a priority of Pac-12 heavyweights Oregon, UCLA and Arizona and they will have plenty of company from coast to coast for Cook’s future college services. Cook shot a sizzling 65% FG (13/20 FG) here en route to an efficient 13.5 points per game. Video Highlights:
https://twitter.com/CourtsideFilms_/status/1431823288271978499
Adrame Diongue 7’0” 2022 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler AZ)
Very long center is a pogo-stick in transition. Senegal native runs floor well, is an active rim-protector and can finish above the rim. Diongue shot the ball well here (63% FG) and averaged 5 rebounds per game. Adrame still needs to add weight and strength but the long-term upside is real. Texas Tech, Mississippi State, Washington State, Western Kentucky, East Carolina, Creighton, Washington and UC-Santa Barbara are among the colleges involved.
Isaiah Elohim 6’5” 2024 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth CA)
Very talented sophomore guard is quickly becoming a household national name in the 2024 class (currently checks in at #4 in 2024 by ESPN.com). Isaiah is a power lead guard with size, elite athleticism and a terrific pro-style mid-range game. Isaiah was the leading scorer (28.5 ppg) at the Nike EYBL’s 15u Peach Jam division this past July in North Augusta SC. Elohim’s early offers include Oregon, USC, Arizona, Arizona State and Washington with Kansas, UCLA, Texas and Kentucky among the other major schools showing interest. Spent his freshman HS year at Heritage Christian (Northridge CA) before making the move to Sierra Canyon.
Jaxon Kohler 6’8” 2022 SoCal Academy (Los Angeles CA)
Kohler’s terrific exhibition of post-moves and foot-work are from a bygone era but it has proved to be effective in this modern period of hoops as well. It wasn’t just his 53 points on 19/29 FG (including 2 threes) and 23 boards that was impressive here but also his performance against one of the more dominant and elite 2022 centers Ernest Udeh. Utah native attracted an offer from Michigan State shortly after the conclusion of the event and is officially visiting Iowa this weekend. Other visits planned include USC, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Washington and Michigan State. Kohler also played well this summer at Pangos All-American Camp invitee (made Top 30 Game) and NBPA Camp in Orlando FL. ESPN.com’s #40 2022 prospect’s stock is climbing fast.
Joshua Jefferson 6’8” 2022 Liberty (Henderson NV)
Strong and versatile forward is one of the most underrated players in national 2022 class and its rather mystifying. Consistent scorer plays winning basketball and can put the ball in the hoop anywhere from the 3-point arc and in. Joshua had a very efficient 16 points (6/8 FG; 1/2 3FG) in the West’s title game win and shot at a nice 58% FG clip throughout the event. Hometown program UNLV, Nebraska, Utah State and St. Mary’s are among the programs recruiting Jefferson the hardest right now. Very good student (3.8+ GPA) played well at last June’s Pangos All-American Camp (selected to the Top 60 Game) and was a core piece of Dream Vision’s adidas 3SSB championship team in July. Dad Ben Jefferson played football at Maryland and in NFL. Video-highlights:
https://twitter.com/CourtsideFilms_/status/1433128718831083524
Jaylen Thompson 6’7” 2022 SoCal Academy (Los Angeles CA)
Athletic and slithering swingman provokes memories of a young Rip Hamilton (UConn/NBA). Thompson is an excellent shooter and has the length and quickness to be a very good defender at the next level. Bay Area native averaged 19.5 ppg here on 15/28 FG including 6/10 3FG in title game (scored 24 points). Stanford is believed to be the strong leader at this point for 247Sports.com’s #60 prospect in 2022. 2021 Pangos All-American Camp invitee (made Top 60 Game).
Kijani Wright 6’9” 2022 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth CA)
Very strong and physical PF with smooth stroke that extends to the 3-point line has committed to USC over offers from the likes of Stanford, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Arizona State and Cal. Excellent student and the 247Sports.com Composite’s #12 player in 2022 averaged a solid 10.5 ppg here. Wright is transferring to Sierra Canyon for his senior season after spending his first three years of high school at Windward (Los Angeles CA).
