By Dinos Trigonis, Nothing But Net Magazine Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
The inaugural Pangos Premier 80 Showcase was held on July 12 at Westminster High (CA) to tip-off the July live period and featured 100-plus top prospects from California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington and Oklahoma.
The quality of the talent present attracted 75-plus college coaches and scouts including programs from the Pac-12, Mountain West, West Coast, Big West, WAC, Conference USA, Big Sky, Ivy League and Patriot Conferences.
Media and scouts on hand included Frank Burlison (BurlisononBasketball.com, McDonald’s All-American Game voter, NBPA Camp Selection Committee), Ronnie Flores (GrassrootsHoops.net, BallisLife.com, Fab 50 National HS Team Rankings), Joel Francisco (PrepHoopsSoCal), Devin Ugland (HoopsbyUgland.com, PrepHoopsSoCal), Alex Carmon (Beach City Hoops) and John Schwer (Highlight Sports Productions).
Baller.tv live-streamed all the games with play-by-play and those are currently still available on the website (click on link). The event’s top two players, Bryce Hamilton and Logan Johnson, are both ranked in the Top 100 for the Class of 2018 by Nothing But Net Magazine. Listed below are several of the event’s standouts.
Bryce Hamilton, 6’4”, 2018, Pasadena (Pasadena, CA): Hamilton is a rising star and showed why here – scoring 20 points in the opening game. A year young for his grade (a 16-year old senior who won’t turn 17 until November), Hamilton is rangy combo-guard with the athleticism necessary to get to the cup and finish as well as knocking down shots via a nifty mid-range pull-up jump shot or spotting up from beyond the 3-point arc. Good student (3.3 GPA) has narrowed his schools to six: Ohio State, UNLV, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah and Nevada.
Logan Johnson, 6’3”, 2018, St. Francis (Mountain View, CA): Upstart rising prospect and combo-guard is an excellent athletic two-way player with an impressive all-around game. Colorado, Cincinnati, Oregon State, St. Mary’s, Nevada, Fresno State, Long Beach State, Utah State, San Jose State, UC-Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Cal Poly and Montana are among his offers, to go along with recent interest from UCLA. Younger brother of Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson.
Boe Nguidjol, 6’8”, 2018, Central City Value (Los Angeles, CA): Bouncy power forward with huge upside played well here and other venues this past July. Eastern Washington and Cal State Northridge are trying hard to secure his signature on a National Letter of Intent. MM+ prospect with potential to be higher with hard work and continued development is severely under-recruited at the moment.
Josh Phillips , 6’8”, 2018, Edison (Huntington Beach, CA): Very athletic forward is just scratching the surface of his immense potential. Phillips is an impressive rim-runner and a premier shot-blocker. Strong summer play resulted in offers from Nevada, Long Beach State, Portland, Portland State, Fordham, Cal Baptist and Florida International, with interest from UC-Santa Barbara, Boise State, Oregon State, Eastern Washington, Iona and UC-Riverside.
Elias King, 6’8”, 2019, Christian Bros (Sacramento, CA): Dependable post scorer also has ability to stretch defenses with his potent perimeter shot. Will be a top West Coast recruit, a MM+ to HM- target in his class.
Payton Moore, 6’4”, 2018, Santa Monica (Santa Monica, CA): Athletic combo-guard is quick off the bounce and can finish above-the-rim with authority. Recently picked Rice over Nevada and UTEP.
Ron Artest III, 6’8”, 2018, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, AZ): Very athletic and strong forward competes like his Pops (Metta World Peace) on every play and is a versatile scorer that can connect from both the perimeter and in the paint. Will spend a post-grad year at Hillcrest Prep after playing for Beverly Hills (CA) last season. HM prospect.
Mehkel Harvey, 6’9”, 2018, Ocean View (Huntington Beach, CA): Very underrated West Coast post-forward is an impressive rebounder and rim protector. Hawaii, Boise State, Nevada, Portland, UTEP, Colorado State and Pepperdine in the mix here.
Bernardo Da Silva, 6’9”, 2019, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, UT): Very athletic and well-built power forward is active on the glass and has real ability to score on the block. Very good student (3.75 GPA) has BYU, Utah, Oregon State, Stanford and Utah State taking a serious look.
Mady Sissoko, 6’9”, 2020, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, UT): Like his teammate Da Silva, Sissoko is another foreign import with a great physique, athleticism & grades (3.5 GPA). Several Pac-12 schools and BYU are very well aware of his HM long-term potential.
Garrett Pascoe, 6’3”, 2018, Clayton Valley (Concord, CA): Savvy guard with nice court instincts and ability to make it rain from the 3-point arc. Terrific student (4.2 GPA) recently committed to Boston University over offers from Northern Arizona, Cal State Northridge and Towson University.
Jamal Hartwell II, 5’10”, 2018, Fairfax (Los Angeles, CA): Crafty playmaker can create well for teammates. Good student (3.2 GPA) has offers from Northern Colorado, San Jose State and Montana.
Andrew Graves, 6’10”, 2019, Jefferson (Portland, OR): Skilled face-up power-forward with length is a player to monitor in West Coast’s rising junior class. Utah State (offer), Boise State, Santa Clara, UC-Irvine and Idaho are among growing number of schools showing interest.
Benjamin Todd, 6’10”, 2020, Heritage Christian (Northridge, CA): Very young promising big man with nice offensive skills. Very good student (4.0 GPA) is one for HM to track
Jalen Hill, 6’6”, 2019, Clark (Las Vegas, NV): Versatile “jack-of-all-trades” swingman is just a consistent jump shot away from being a HM prospect.
Demetrius Williams, 6’7”, 2018, Amador Valley (Pleasanton, CA): One of my favorite West Coast sleepers is a rangy wing-forward with nice off-the-bounce ability to get to the cup as well as the agility to be a factor in transition.
Rip Economou, 6’7”, 2018, Santa Monica (Santa Monica, CA): Long-distance flame-thrower can score in bunches. Son of UConn product Greg Economou just picked Seattle as his college choice over interest from UTEP, Utah State, Davidson, Cal State Northridge, Rice, Boston University, Iona, Northern Arizona, Towson and Central Connecticut.
Jaylen Cross, 6’4”, 2018, Culver City (Culver City, CA): Melbourne, Australia native will be moving to California to live with his dad and play his senior season for new coach Reggie Morris. Skilled combo-guard can score in transition and is a solid defender.
Jacob Ogle, 6’6”, 2018, Norman (Norman, OK): Big wing with excellent mid-range game and nice passing/court-vision. Very good student (3.4 GPA) has interest from the likes of Mt. Saint Mary’s (MD), Abilene Christian, Montana State and UT-Rio Grande Valley.
Zekiah LoVett, 6’2”, 2018, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, CA): Younger brother of St. John’s Marcus LoVett is an emerging talent in his own right. “Bumpy” has the athleticism and scoring ability to be a future Division I player.
Chris Williams, 6’3”, 2017, Orange Lutheran (Orange, CA): High-octane scoring lead guard just signed with Division II Dominican University in Northern California. Absolute steal for the Penguins.
Daishen Nix, 6’3”, 2020, Trinity (Las Vegas, NV): Strong play-making point guard with accurate 3-point range. Among the best West Coast guard prospects in his class.
Gary Harris, 6’5”, 2018, Price (Los Angeles, CA): Athletic slashing scorer can finish at the rim. Good student (3.3 GPA) is hearing from Cal State Bakersfield and Cal Poly.
Tony Goodwin, 6’5”, 2018, Maranatha (Pasadena, CA): Transfer from Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV), he’s among the top defenders in the nation with improving offensive skills. Terrific student (4.0 GPA).
Deshawn Washington, 6’3”, 2018, Cajon (San Bernardino, CA): High-scoring combo-guard has not peaked physically and could be a Division I prospect in demand come spring.
Jeron Artest, 6’2”, 2019, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, AZ): Son of former NBA star Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) is a quick ball-handler with a nice pull-up jump shot. He is transferring after spending first two years at Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills, CA).
Dorian Harris, 6’5”, 2018, Cerritos (Cerritos, CA): Sturdy swing-man can finish through contact.
Chris Howell , 6’5”, 2021, San Marcos (San Diego, CA): Outstanding young guard with the skill and feel necessary to be a future HM prospect.
Emmanuel Taban, 6’6”, 2019, Apollo (Glendale, AZ): Athletic wing with excellent ability to slash and score. Solid student too (3.1 GPA).
Jake Wojcik, 6’4”, 2018, Bellarmine Prep (San Jose CA): Son of former San Jose State coach Dave Wojcik is a cerebral floor-general that knows how to run a team and can make shots.
Steele Bennett, 6’11”, 2018, Desert Vista (Phoenix, AZ): Improving post prospect with size is a West Coast senior sleeper.
Ben Baker-MCann, 6’3”, 2018, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA): Steady lead guard can score off the dribble and is a solid defender.
Walter Talley, 6’7”, 2019, Tri-Cities Christian (Chandler, AZ): Strong hybrid-forward has nice touch on his perimeter shot.
Zeke Quinlan, 6’7”, 2018, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, AZ): Skilled forward with good perimeter range has Weber State, Colgate and Montana among those showing interest.
Kaveon Batiste, 6’7”, 2019, Pacific Hills (Los Angeles, CA): Active combo-forward can defend and rebound.
Dischon Thomas, 6’8”, 2019, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, AZ): Hard-working rebounder is a very good student (3.6 GPA).
Brandon Unaka, 6’7”, 2017, Washington Prep (Los Angeles, CA): Solid rebounder and post scorer just committed to Southern Utah. Will spend a post-grad year this upcoming season most likely at Middlebrooks Academy (Los Angeles, CA).
Miles Turner, 6’3”, 2018, Tracy (Tracy, CA): Under-the-radar combo-guard is athletic and can score off the bounce. Dad is former San Francisco 49ers’ Keena Turner. Very good student (3.55 GPA).
Charley Wadler, 5’10”, 2018, Brentwood (Los Angeles, CA): Cerebral floor leader with long-distance range on jump shot. Terrific student (4.18 GPA).
Silas Slaughter, 5’10”, 2019, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, CA): Confident point guard with nice pull-up jump shot as well as impressive court vision. Good student (3.2 GPA) is the younger brother of former San Diego State star and overseas pro Marcus Slaughter.
Drake London, 6’5”, 2019, Moorpark (Moorpark, CA): West Coast sleeper is a strong wing with impressive scoring ability. Early offers from Montana, San Diego, Rice, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount are only the beginning.
Anthony Hunter, 5’11”, 2020, Durango (Las Vegas, NV): Young lead guard with plenty of court savvy. Very nice upside. Long Beach State is reportedly one of his early offers.
Justin Rene, 6’2”, 2019, Poly (Long Beach, CA): Sharp-shooting guard was money from beyond the 3-point arc in night-cap of this event and scored 20 points on five three-pointers.
Toby Okwuokei, 6’1”, 2018, Etiwanda (Etiwanda, CA): Quick point guard is hard to guard off the bounce and really defends. Good student (3.2 GPA).
Jonah Crumpton-Murray, 6’4”, 2019, Buchanan (Fresno, CA): Skilled wing can score in a variety of ways.
Yagizhan Selcuk, 6’8”, 2018, The Phelps School (Malvern, PA): Physical power forward can score on the block. Turkish native is also a solid rebounder.
Lee’Andre Howard, 7’1”, 2019, Hesperia (Hesperia CA): “Work in progress” center with tons of length and upside.
Dylan Aiono, 6’5”, 2019, Ayala (Chino Hills, CA): Active wing plays with energy baseline to baseline.
Elijah Randall, 6’5”, 2020, San Marcos (San Marcos, CA): Strong young guard is a strong finisher at the rim and excellent student (4.0 GPA).
Levelle Zeigler Jr., 6’2”, 2018, Ridgeview (Bakersfield, CA): Pesky defender has quick release on his perimeter shot.
Austin Cook, 6’4”, 2020, Damien (La Verne, CA): Excellent shooter with outstanding grades (3.6 GPA).
Dillon DePina, 6’3”, 2020, Heritage Christian (Northridge, CA): Strong young wing with plenty of scoring punch.
Evan Oliver, 5’11”, 2020, Citrus Valley (Redlands, CA): Dazzling ballhandler can create his own shot. Very good student (3.7 GPA).
Justin Ebor, 6’7”, 2021, Oak Park (Oak Park, CA): Talented young post competes on every play and can make shots on the block.
PANGOS PREMIER 80 SHOWCASE HONORABLE MENTION
Corbin Zentner, 5’9”, 2020, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, UT), 4.25 GPA
Logan Stout, 6’3”, 2020, Wonderful College Prep (Delano, CA), 4.2 GPA
R.J. Velez, 6’1”, 2019, Blanchet Catholic (Salem, OR), 4.0 GPA
Quentin Guliford, 6’5”, 2018, Liberty (Peoria, AZ), 3.75 GPA
Jacob Hjort, 6’3”, 2018, Columbia River (Vancouver, WA), 3.75 GPA
Sean Larimore, 6’7”, 2018, Paraclete (Lancaster, CA), 3.56 GPA
Daniel Zahabian, 6’0”, 2018, Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills, CA), 3.4 GPA
Dylan Cabs, 6’5”, 2019, Mayfair (Lakewood, CA), 3.2 GPA
Josh Holloway, 6’1”, 2019, Valley (Surprise, AZ), 3.2 GPA
Mawutor Nogoson, 6’9”, 2019, Fairmont Prep (Anaheim, CA)
Demetrius Jackson, 6’2”, 2019, El Toro (Lake Forest, CA)
Dylan Belquist, 6’7”, 2018, Los Gatos (Los Gatos, CA)
Kendall Stubblefield, 6’6”, 2018, Bellarmine Prep (San Jose, CA)
Ziggy Lauese, 6’7”, 2018, Sequoia (Redwood City, CA)
Oreon Courtney, 6’3”, 2019, West Albany (Albany, OR)
Conner Zralka, 6’4”, 2019, West (Linn, OR)
(Photo credit: Scott Kurtz)
