Long Beach, CA – Last weekend, September 24th and 25th, Fullcourt Press hosted their annual Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp at McBride High School in Southern California to kick off the four-region Frosh/Soph Camp series. In a previous article for this event, I looked at my top 13 players from the Central Section of California that participated in this Camp, which included overall Camp MVP and Top 30 Game Co-MVP Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph who would be one of my top performers not included in this article. Other players that I had as my top performers that were already covered in my Central California Edition for this Camp were Top 30 Game participants freshman Julius Price of St. Joseph, and sophomores Abram Potts and Isaiah Carter of San Joaquin Memorial.
This article takes a look at my 20 standout performers from the Camp, not from Central California, and is based on players I personally watched in the 3 sessions of showcase games. I did not stay for the Top 30 and Top 60 Games, therefore, this article does not include any recap or breakdown of players’ performances in those games besides stats posted on public platforms. As a result of missing the All-Star Games, I did not see players like sophomore Jovani Ruff of Long Beach Poly in the game he went off in Saturday, and only saw Gavin Hightower of Windward in one game on Day 1, where he put up 30+ points, but recognize many would have them as top players at the event and they were selected to the Top 30 Game. Nevertheless, I kept the focus on players that I saw live over the 3 sessions of games. This article provides a brief overview of how the players performed throughout the event, a brief description of their skill sets, and their relevant player information. Although this is a breakdown of my 20 standout performers, the players are not listed in ranked order but are in alphabetical order. I begin by taking a look at the intriguing freshman from Narbonne, Maximo Adams.
2026 6’6 Maximo Adams (Narbonne/Los Angeles CA)
Adams is a lengthy and rangy guard/wing that can score in bunches from 3-levels and has the build to be a high-level two-way player. Adams had a monster Day 1 at the Pangos Frosh/Soph Camp, as he scored 30 points and 28 points respectively in his first 2 games. Adams has range with the 3-ball, is able to shoot it off the dribble or the catch and shoot, has impressive handles and the moves to separate from his defender, and is a creative finisher when attacking off the perimeter. Adams has a long wingspan that allows him to deflect passes and jump passing lanes, which leads to turnovers and transition buckets. Adams can play multiple positions on both sides of the ball and his upside is huge for a freshman with four years to establish his game and name on the basketball scene. Selected to the Top 30 Game.
2026 6’6 Tajh Ariza (St. Bernard/Playa del Rey CA)
Ariza is a lengthy wing/guard that can fill it up in volume from beyond the arc and has the build combined with athleticism to be an elite two-way player. Ariza had two solid showings on Day 1 of the All-West Camp, as he was knocking down threes and attacking open lanes off the dribble, finishing with 15 and 12 points respectively. Ariza is solid on the glass, has the length to disrupt passing lanes on the perimeter, the size to switch off on bigger defenders in pick and roll situations, and the handle to push the pace of play off the rebound. Ariza looked comfortable shooting the 3-ball off the dribble and, as his game continues to develop, this will open up scoring opportunities in the mid-range and at the basket with his accuracy from the perimeter.
2025 6’7 Kade Bonam (St. John Bosco/Bellflower CA)
Bonam is a skilled forward with quality handles and the court vision to make plays out of the post, as well as being able to space the floor from the perimeter. Bonam showcased his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways, whether it be on the boards, strong finishes through contact around the basket, making quality reads to cutting teammates from the high-post, or knocking down perimeter shots, Bonam leaves his mark on the game. Bonam has good handles as a forward, moves to create off the perimeter, is tough to stay in front of when attacking downhill, and has nice touch around the basket. Bonam is accurate with the mid-post shot and is efficient enough from the 3-point line to pull his defender away from the basket. Bonam earned Top 30 Game honors for the 2nd consecutive year at the Frosh/Soph Camp and will look to anchor both ends of the court for the Braves this season.
2025 6’4 Isaac Carr (Central Catholic/Portland OR)
Carr is a true shooting guard with range on the 3-ball and the ability to create his own looks or knockdown off the catch and shoot. Carr moves fluidly off the ball to create space, the handles and moves to get downhill off the wing, and gets good lift on his pull-up jump shot. Carr put on an impressive shooting display in the final round of games on Day 2 and earned a spot in the Top 30 Game. Carr has active hands on defense and good lateral movement to stay in front of smaller guards and the length to cause havoc for the opponent. Carr displayed good court vision and made quality decisions off the pick-and-roll action.
2026 6’ Rashod Cotton Jr. (Modesto Christian/CA)- featured in photo
Cotton is a shifty lead guard that is capable of creating his own offense and has the court vision to make plays to open teammates. Cotton, a Frosh/Soph Camp participant as an 8th grader, has elevated his game to another level and displayed his ability to hit difficult shots from all 3-levels over the 2-day event, which culminated with him being named Top 30 Game Co-MVP with Tounde Yessoufou. Cotton had games of 31 points and 19 points on the opening day of the Camp, as he was making shots from all over the place. Cotton has elite handles, shifty moves to keep his defender off balance, good body control to finish tough shots around the basket and from the perimeter, and is efficient from beyond the arc. Cotton has solid court vision, makes good decisions with the ball in his hands, keeps it on a string to weave through the defense, and can find teammates in tight windows. Cotton will be a welcome addition for the Crusaders, who have an unreal amount of talent at the guard position this season.
2025 6’3 Isaiah Cunningham (Lincoln/Tacoma WA)
Cunningham is a physical wing/guard that gets downhill and attacks the basket with authority and is able to finish through contact. Cunningham displayed his relentless motor on both ends of the court at the All-West Camp, as he pushed the tempo of play frequently and does a solid job of going coast to coast. Cunningham has a good handle on the ball, has the physicality to finish at the rim through contact, and has enough court vision to make the right reads when the defense collapses. Cunningham rebounds well for his height, which allows him to play to his strength. Cunningham is enough of a threat from the perimeter to force defenders to close out and opens up driving lanes. He was named to the Top 60 Game and looks to have a big sophomore season.
2025 6’8 Juju Ervin (North Central/Spokane WA)
Ervin is a lengthy and athletic wing/forward that excels in the open court and can stretch the floor from beyond the arc. Ervin wasted no time at the All-West Camp, as he would put up 22 points in his team’s opening game and would earn a spot in the Top 30 Game. Ervin has the length to defend in the post, the wingspan, and lateral quickness to stay in front of smaller perimeter players, and generates steals and block shots to initiate the transition offense. Ervin runs the floor well, understands spacing in the open court, and is often the recipient of passes up the court for easy points. Ervin displayed the skill set to create off the wing, is hard to stay in front of with his length when on the attack, and has an effective perimeter shot.
2025 6’3 Aaron Glass (Rancho Cucamonga/CA)
Glass was one of the better pure shooters at the Frosh/Soph Camp and was knocking down shots off the dribble and off the catch and shoot. Glass had his signature game on Day 1 of the event, where he connected on 5 threes and scored a team-high 23 points and was selected to the Top 30 Game. Glass is a lights out shooter from the 3-point line with limitless range, the handles and moves to breakdown his defender, makes good use of the hesitation move to keep his opponent guessing, and is a volume scorer off the bounce or moving off the ball to get open for catch and shoot opportunities. Glass has good court vision and when he heats up from the perimeter, he looks to attack the open lanes and make plays to teammates.
2026 6’5 Andre Gomez (Grant/Sacramento CA)
Gomez is a wing/guard that can score from the perimeter effectively, as well as the moves to score in the post. Gomez showcased his overall impact on both ends of the court, as he controlled the rebounds, displayed the handles to push the pace of play in the open court, and the court vision to get the ball up the court to teammates running the floor. Gomez has good handles, moves to create off the dribble, and the ability to score at the basket or from fifteen feet to the three-point line with accuracy. Gomez is versatile on defense and is able to defend on the perimeter, as well as bigger players in the paint. Gomez will be one of the top impact freshmen in Northern California, scored 19 points and 18 points on Day 1 of the event, and was selected to the Top 60 Game of the Camp.
2025 6’7 Kellen Hampton (Moreau Catholic/Hayward CA)-featured in photo
Hampton was one of the most electric scorers at the All-West Camp, as he went for 35 points and 40 points on Day 1 and added big numbers on Day 2. Hampton is a big guard that is capable of scoring the ball from all 3-levels and gets buckets in volume. Hampton has a solid handle on the ball, the moves to create space from his opponent, the size to raise up over most perimeter defenders, and the ability to get by bigger defenders when attacking off the dribble with good touch on finishes around the basket. Hampton has range from beyond the arc, is solid on the glass with the skill to push the ball up the court, the size to finish through contact at the basket, and has a nice pull-up jumper. Hampton has a great blend of size and skill and has three years to keep growing, which is crazy to say given how gifted he currently is as a shotmaker.
2025 6’1 Nick Jefferson (Bishop Gorman/Las Vegas NV)
Jefferson was one of the top two-way perimeter players at the Frosh/Soph Camp, as he showcased his ability to create his own offense and score points off of defensive plays at a high level. Jefferson has active hands and quick feet to be an elite on-ball defender, gets into his opponent’s dribbling space and generates turnovers that lead to transition points, rebounds well for his size to push the pace of play, and gets up the court with good speed and body control. Jefferson has a tight handle on the ball, attacks downhill and into the defense, and is a creative finisher over size at the basket. Jefferson showed he can connect from the perimeter effectively enough to open up driving lanes, where he excelled at attacking the paint. Jefferson had 22 points and 18 points in his Day 1 games at the Camp and earned a spot in the Top 30 Game.
2025 6’3 DeMarco Johnson (Southern California Academy/CA)
Johnson is a shifty lead guard that can score in volumes and impacts the game on both ends at a high level. Johnson is a lockdown perimeter defender that uses his quick hands and long strides to stay in front of his opponent and cause havoc, which leads to turnovers and easy open court points. Johnson has crafty handles, solid moves to shake his defender, and score it with accuracy from all 3-levels. Johnson is a knockdown shooter from the 3-point line, has good lift on his jump shot, and is creative on finishes around the basket. Johnson has great touch on his floater and creates misdirection with the crossover to attack his opponent. Johnson had a huge game in the second session of play, where he went unconscious from beyond the arc with 8 threes and tied the top scoring output of the event for a single game with 40 points. Despite the growth of Johnson’s game, I am not sure what his role will be with a loaded squad at SCA, but he should be in the mix sooner than later.
2025 6’5 Caspian Jones (Saint Mary’s/Phoenix AZ)
Jones is a wing/guard that can light it up from beyond the arc or go at the rim for some powerful throwdowns. Jones was one of my personal favorites at the Camp, as I liked how he showcased his versatility as a scorer, showed his range with the 3-ball, but also used his size and physical build to enforce his way around the basket. Jones has quality handles, good moves to create off the dribble, the ability to stop and raise up over interior defenders from the mid-post, and the strength to finish through traffic. Jones does a nice job on the boards, can push the pace or has the vision to outlet and run the floor, or can take it coast to coast. He had multiple top event highlight plays over the 2-day camp and scored 34 points and 22 points on Day 1.
2026 6’7 Brayden Kyman (Santa Margarita/Rancho Santa Margarita CA)
Kyman is a wing/forward that has the court vision to be a playmaker and the offensive arsenal to score the ball in a variety of ways. Kyman, a Top 30 Game selectee, scored 20 points and 22 points in both games on Day 1 of the Frosh/Soph Camp. Kyman controls the boards, has the length to alter shots around the basket, displays the court vision to make plays from the top of the key to cutting teammates, and has great touch around the basket. Kyman has a smooth form on his shot, is accurate from the perimeter, and can light it up from the 3-point line. Kyman has enough handle and moves to create off the wing and quality decision-making when on the attack. High basketball IQ and the skills to play multiple positions on the offensive end of the court.
2025 6’3 Gregory Lawson (Davidson/Saginaw MI)
Lawson is a physical combination guard that showed he can score the ball off of tough shots or bully his way to the cup. Lawson made the longest trip of any player and made the most of his travels by being selected to the Top 30 Game. Lawson has a strong handle on the ball, does a great job of changing pace with the ball in hand to get his defender off balance, and is capable of scoring the ball from 3-levels. Lawson has the moves to create off the dribble, nice touch and lift on the mid-range jumper, and the strength to finish through contact at the basket. Lawson displayed lock-up perimeter defense with the agility to stay in front of his opponent and capable of ripping the ball from his man and scoring in the open court,
2025 6’7 Brannon Martinsen (Mater Dei/Santa Ana CA)
Martinsen is a wing/forward that impacts both ends of the court and can space the floor with the 3-ball accurately. Martinsen is solid on the boards, has a good handle to push the ball off the glass, and can take it coast to coast. Martinsen has good handles, moves to create off the dribble, good length to get by his defender, and good touch around the basket. Martinsen has a smooth shooting form and is accurate on perimeter shots from fifteen feet to the 3-point line extended. Martinsen had a 20-point opening game and was selected to the Top 30 Game.
2025 6’5 Dylan Shaw (Heritage Christian/Northridge CA)
Shaw showcased his point-forward abilities at the Frosh/Soph Camp, bringing the ball up the court routinely, with the court vision to make plays from the top of the key, and knocking down threes with accuracy. Shaw is a solid rebounder, as mentioned, has the handle to push the pace of play, and can create his own offense off the perimeter or in the post with good touch around the basket. Shaw is a solid rim protector and capable of defending on the perimeter and in the paint. Shaw had his signature game in the 2nd session of games, where he had 29 points and connected on 7 threes. Shaw earned Top 30 Game honors and will be a key piece for the Warriors this season.
2026 6’7 Tae Simmons (Heritage Christian/Northridge CA)
Simmons is a wing/forward that looks to punish the rim frequently and is a force around the basket. Simmons was one of the most dominant players at the Frosh/Soph Camp, he had games of 28 points and 32 points on Day 1 of the event, was listed as the second best performer at the Camp by Frank Burlison, and earned a spot in the Top 30 Game. Simmons controlled the rebounds, showed nice touch around the basket, is a quality rim protector with bounce, and has the strength to finish through contact at the basket. Simmons has enough touch to connect on shots from the perimeter, which opens up lanes for him to attack downhill. Simmons will have an impact for the Warriors this season and will be part of a dynamic young duo with sophomore Dillan Shaw.
2025 6’3 EJ Spillman (Pacifica Christian/Newport Beach CA)
Spillman is a big and physical lead guard that makes plays in transition and the half-court setting and is able to create his own offense. Spillman has a strong handle on the ball, keeps it on a string to survey the floor, and has the court vision combined with the strength to make tough passes in tight windows to open teammates. Spillman gets downhill with a head of steam, has the touch with the physicality to get buckets around the basket, and is efficient with the stop-and-pop mid-range shot. Spillman had multiple double-digit scoring games with countless assists and rebounds, showing his overall impact on the game and earning him a spot in the Top 30 Game. Spillman plays at his own pace and his decision-making with the ball was impressive to watch.
2025 6’2 Caleb Versher (St. Bernard/Playa del Rey CA)
Versher is a combination guard that can score it from 3-levels effectively, as well as make plays off the attack. Versher had multiple double-digit scoring games at the All-West Camp with his high of 20 points coming on Day 1, along with earning a spot in the Top 30 Game. Versher has a solid handle on the ball, shifty moves when creating off the dribble to create separation from his defender, and the body control to connect on tough perimeter shots. Versher has a solid frame, is a creative finisher around the basket, has nice touch on the floater, and is a knockdown 3-point shooter with range. Versher plays with good pace when attacking his opponent and gets to his shot spots with good lift on the jumper. Versher spaces the floor with his 3-point accuracy, which opens up lanes to attack off the dribble.
