By Dinos Trigonis, Nothing But Net Magazine Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
The 17th annual Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp was held at Cerritos College (Norwalk CA) on September 23-24 and featured approximately 200-plus top 2020 and 2021 players, along with a few talented 2022 ballers, from California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Illinois and Tennessee.
The depth of the talent present had media/scouts optimistic about the future of West Coast high school hoops and this platform gave talented young prospects a real opportunity to display their skills and future potential.
Former long-time NCAA & NBA assistant Dave Miller (recently an NBA analyst for the Lakers Time Warner Sports Network) opened the camp with an excellent fundamental skills session. Baller.tv live-streamed all games at the event and they are also now available for replay.
Media and scouts on hand included camp co-director Etop Udo-Ema (Fullcourt Press & Dunk News), Frank Burlison (BurlisononBasketball.com/McDonald’s All-American Game voter/NBPA Camp Selection Committee), Van Coleman (The Basketball Channel & Nothing But Net Magazine National Recruiting Analyst/McDonald’s All-American Game voter/NBPA Camp Selection Committee), Clark Francis (Hoop Scoop/McDonald’s All-American Game voter/ NBPA Camp Selection Committee), Eric Bossi (Rivals.com/Yahoo Sports/McDonald’s All-American Game voter), Ronnie Flores (GrassrootsHoops.net & BallisLife.com/Fab 50 National HS Team Rankings), John Stovall (ESPN.com), Joel Francisco, Devin Ugland & Aaron Burgin (PrepHoopsSoCal), Josh Gershon (Scouthoops.com), Matt Rodriguez (BallisLife.com), Chris “Pop” Popoola (PremierBall.com), John Schwer (Highlight Sports Productions), Alex Carmon (Beach City Hoops), Gregg Rosenberg (Arizona Varsity), Marcel Chappell (BallerVisions), Jerina Madayag (PremierBall.com), Ed Sandoval (MOSLive.com), OverTime and Nick Koza (Sportsamp.com).
As always, the camp’s top 60 players were selected by the media/scouts in attendance and were showcased in the two Cream of the Crop Games held at the conclusion of the event.
Former Cal stars Jamal Boykin and Patrick Christopher, who led the Golden Bears to the Pac-12 title in 2010, were on hand to coach the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game.
Jalen Green (currently Rival.com’s No. 1 in his national class) and Johnny Juzang were nearly unstoppable all camp long and took home overall camp MOP honors.
Last year, athletic and high-scoring combo-guard Josh Christopher scored 19 points (including three 3-pointers) in the Cream of the Crop Top 60 Game to lead all players in that contest.
This year, Christopher rose above them all in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game and scored a game-high 20 points and added four rebounds and two assists to lead the Black squad to a 112-85 win over the White squad.
The performance earned him a share of the game co-MVP honors, along with Evan Mobley, who chipped in with 19 points and two blocks. For a full-length replay of the Cream of Crop Top 30 Game, follow the link (click here).
In the Cream of the Crop Top 60 game, it was Tyree Campbell with 14 points and Judah Brown with 12 points leading the White squad over the Black unit, 89-84. For a full-length replay of Cream of the Crop Top 60 Game, follow the link (click here).
For highlights of the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game, via Ballislife.com, follow the link (click here). For highlights of the Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp Top Plays, via MosLive.com, follow the link (click here).
While this is a recap of the event, please keep in mind that this is a very early look at underclassmen prospects that have much room for future growth and all are “unfinished” products.
CREAM OF THE CROP TOP 30 SELECTIONS (alphabetical order)
Chibuzo Agbo, 6’6″, 2020, St. Augustine (San Diego, CA): Strong and productive hybrid forward with emerging perimeter skills, Agbo has the potential to be a top national recruit in his class. As Agbo’s mid-range game continues to become more accurate, it will make his ability to slash and finish even more effective. He will team with USC-bound Taeshon Cherry from the Class of 2018 to give high school coach Mike Haupt a lethal 1-2 punch this upcoming season. Follow the link (click here) for camp highlights.
Obinna Anyanwu, 6’6″, 2021, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, CA): Tough and confident forward can score from all areas within the half-court. Quick and strong off the bounce, Anyanwu can finish above the rim, as well as through contact. One of the nation’s top prospects in his class, he will be a prime-time Pac-12 Conference target. Scored 10 points in the Top 30 Game.
Devin Askew, 6’2”, 2021, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA): Having coached plenty of future NBA guards like DeMar DeRozan, Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Daniel Hamilton, Tyler Dorsey and Julyan Stone during my 25-year grassroots career, I have a pretty high standard when it comes to elite HS guards. Askew’s package of lead guard skills compares quite favorably to those six at the same stage of his early career. He has terrific ball skills, passing and court vision, also a very dangerous 3-point stroke which he needs very little time or space to get off. One of the top lead guards in the nation for his class, Askew had 11 points in the Top 30 Game, including three three’s. Follow the link (click here) for camp highlights.
Robby Beasley, 6’0″, 2020, Dublin (CA): Athletic combo-guard with legit 3-point range.
Christian Bento, 6’11”, 2021, Great Oak (Temecula, CA): Hardworking young center with nice length and motor is a factor on the glass. Skills are rapidly developing and showed flashes of being a nice finisher on the block here. Coleman thought Benton was a player with perhaps the best long-term ceiling at the camp.
Drake Booker, 6’2”, 2021, Durango (Las Vegas, NV): Confident wing scorer had quite a battle with talented Jaylen Clark and scored 32 points, including seven three’s in the match-up. Excellent at scoring off the pull-up dribble pop, Booker can also get to the cup off the bounce. One for West Coast schools to seriously track in his class.
Nimari Burnett, 6’3″, 2020, Prolific Prep (Napa, CA): Crafty and a jack-of-all-trades WG with very nice hops can get buckets in bunches. Burnett had 10 points and seven rebounds in the Top 30 Game. The Windy City native, who attended Morgan Park (IL) as a freshman, moved to Northern California this past summer.
Kennedy Chandler, 5’11”, 2021, Memphis Briarcrest (TN): Savvy young point has ability to penetrate defenses and is a pesky defender. Chandler chipped in with nine points in the Top 30 Game.
John Christofilis, 6’3″, 2020, O’Dea (Seattle, WA): Smart and heady WG with accuracy and range on perimeter shot is also an excellent student. Christofilis averaged 3.3 made three’s in three games here.
Josh Christopher, 6’3″, 2020, Mayfair (Lakewood, CA): Younger brother of Patrick Christopher finished the camp the way he started it… With a bang! Christopher’s 20 points with four three’s in the Top 30 Game earned him co-MVP honors. Explosive off-guard with a refined and accurate 3-point stroke has quickly earned 5-star status with national scouts. Christopher’s outstanding performance here scored him a last-minute invite to the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp held on October 8-9 in Colorado Springs (CO). He already been offered by Arizona, Oregon UCLA, USC, Cal, UNLV and UC-Santa Barbara. Follow the link (click here) for camp highlights.
Jaylen Clark, 6’5″, 2020, Centennial (Corona, CA): Athletic and nimble, Clark has the potential to be the finest WG that high school coach Josh Giles has produced. Clark has a knack for scoring to go along with a pogo-stick bounce. Excellent student had 10 points and two steals in the Top 30 Game.
Zaon Collins, 6’0″, 2021, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV): Pure point guard has excellent court instincts and impressive floor vision, as well as impressive ability to run a team. Cat-quick in transition, Collins has the knack of making the right play at the right time. Future high-major PG in the making had four assists in the Top 30 Game.
Isaiah Cottrell, 6’9″, 2021, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV): Rapidly developing and growing PF is active in the paint, also quickly becoming a legit low-post offensive threat. Very good student already has high-major schools recognizing his talent and potential including Stanford, Arizona, USC, UNLV, Wake Forest, Oklahoma, Illinois, Washington, LSU, Virginia Tech, St. John’s, Nebraska and Creighton, all of whom have offered.
Paris Dawson, 6’1″, 2021, Centennial (Corona, CA): High-scoring combo-guard has nice perimeter range as well as the ability to create his own shot. Dawson tied Johnny Juzang for the camp game-high of 36 points with seven three’s.
Brase Dottin, 6’5″, 2020, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, CA): Strong and assertive WF can finish through contact. Dottin was one of the top scorers at this year’s event, averaging 22.3 ppg with a high-camp-game of 26 points.
Jalen Green, 6’5″, 2020, San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, CA): Fantastic wing makes it look so easy on the offensive end. Nearly impossible to stop when he decides to attack the cup, Green has a smooth and polished style that has made him a legit contender for the nation’s No. 1 spot in his class and Rival.com’s Eric Bossi has him pegged right there at the moment. Tremendous talent, Green was named co-MVP of the camp for t he second year in a row. Had eight points, five rounds and three assists in the Top 30 Game. Arizona, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Villanova, Washington, UNLV, UConn and Cal have all offered and made him a huge priority in his class. Follow the link (click here) for camp highlights.
Jaden Hardy, 6’4″, 2021, Coronado (Henderson, NV): Great looking wing can put points on the board. The import from Detroit (MI) had 10 points in the Top 30 Game. Older brother Amauri Hardy is currently a freshman guard at UNLV.
Christian Howell, 6’4″, 2021, San Marcos (San Marcos, CA): Smooth lead guard with top-notch scoring ability and great long-term high-major potential.
Johnny Juzang, 6’6″, 2020, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, CA): Fresh off a 57-point explosion at the Pangos Best of SoCal Showcase earlier in the month, Juzang continued to score at a high clip here and led the camp in scoring, including an event-high scoring game of 36 points (tied with Paris Dawson). Juzang is one of the most dangerous scorers in his class and he can hurt you in a variety of ways, utilizing a nice build and athleticism to finish at the hoop, or extending defenses with a very accurate 3-point shot. Already on the radar of schools like UCLA, USC, Cal, Alabama, Oregon, Washington, Arizona State, Miami and UNLV, all of whom have offered. Older brother Christian Juzang plays currently at Harvard. Follow the link (click here) for camp highlights.
Jhalon Martinez, 6’10”, 2020, Vanden (Fairfield, CA): Big man with size and length to be an attractive post in the West Coast sophomore class. Just scratching surface of his immense potential.
Trevon Martin, 6’2″, 2020, Silverado (Las Vegas, NV): Athletic slashing scorer and tenacious defender has nice all-around skills.
Evan Mobley, 6’10”, 2020, Rancho Christian (Temecula, CA): Mobley was a major factor baseline-to-baseline all-weekend long, capping off his impressive effort with a 19 points and two blocks in the Top 30 Game, good for co-MVP honors with Josh Christopher. Extremely long and agile, Mobley is quickly developing into a formidable shot-blocker and rim-protector. He also is a factor on the offensive end and his silky-smooth perimeter shot gives him the potential of being a Robert Horry-type 3-point shooter. Very good student has Stanford, UCLA, USC, Arizona State and many others pegging him as a priority in his class. Mobley is the early leader to be the No. post prospect in his class on the West Coast. Follow the link (click here) for camp highlights.
Jordan Montgomery, 6’1″, 2020, Rancho Christian (Temecula, CA): Heady point guard makes plays and sound decisions. Very good student too.
Myles Phillips, 5’7″, 2021, Franklin (Seattle, WA): Speedy point guard has nice mid-range pull-up jump shot ability. Phillips has impressive court savvy and passing skills too.
Elijah Randall, 6’4″, 2020, San Marcos (San Marcos, CA): Well-built wing can get to hoop off the bounce and finish despite contact. Randall competes on every play and is a tough defender.
Marcus Reedy, 6’6″, 2021, Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, CA): Still relatively raw forward plays with energy and is active on the glass and the defensive end of the floor.
Noah Taitz, 6’3″, 2020, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV): He is already one of the premier scorers in the West and one of the most underrated prospects in the nation in his class. Taitz is a very deceptive athlete that is hard to stop off the bounce and he can hurt opponents with a smooth and dangerous stroke that extends way beyond the 3-point arc. Terrific student already has offers from Stanford, Washington, UNLV, Utah, BYU and Rice.
Dalen Terry, 6’6″, 2020, Corona del Sol (Tempe, AZ): National West Coast sleeper has not only grown several inches over the past year but has made very nice improvement in his skill set and feel for the game. Terry rebounds very well for his size and build as his game-high 11 boards in the Top 30 Game attests. Very intriguing long-term potential as a big lead guard.
Calvin Thomas, 5’7″, 2020, O’Dea (Seattle, WA): Quick PG is hard to contain off the bounce.
Luke Turner, 6’5″, 2021, Rancho Christian (Temecula, CA): Big wing with terrific 3-point stroke. Excellent student is dependable perimeter shooter to track in his class.
Kejani Wright, 6’7″, 2022, Windward (Los Angeles, CA): Very promising young forward will be a national name in 2022.
CREAM OF THE CROP TOP 60 SELECTIONS (alphabetical order)
Max Allen, 6’6″, 2022, Las Vegas (NV)
Jalin Anderson, 6’1″, 2020, Compass (Chandler, AZ)
Jonathan Braggs, 6’2″, 2021, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV)
Judah Brown, 6’6″, 2020, Pacifica Christian (Newport Beach, CA)
Jaden Byers, 5’11”, 2021, Corona Centennial (CA)
Tyree Campbell, 6’3″, 2020, Etiwanda (CA)
Josh Camper, 5’11”, 2020, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
Je’Lani Clark, 6’2″, 2020, Riordan (San Francisco, CA)
Frankie Collins, 6’0″, 2021, Clark (Las Vegas, NV)
Cory Curtis Jr., 6’3″, 2021, Coronado (Henderson, NV)
Kennedy Reece Dixon, 6’3″, 2021, Dorsey (Los Angeles, CA)
Ryan Evans, 6’3”, 2020, Santa Margarita (CA)
Luke Haupt, 6’6″, 2020, St. Augustine (San Diego, CA)
Tyrelle Hunt, 6’5″, 2020, Currie (Chicago, IL)
Rickie Isaacs, 6’0″, 2022, Las Vegas (NV)
DJ Jackson, 6’0″, 2020, Cajon (San Bernardino, CA)
Justin Kirkpatrick, 6’4″, 2020, Hesperia (CA)
Ramel Lloyd Jr., 6’4″, 2022, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA)
Will McClendon, 6’4″, 2021, Gorman (Las Vegas, NV)
Damion McDowell, 6’4″, 2021, Dorsey (Los Angeles, CA)
Christian Moore, 6’5″, 2022, John Burroughs (CA)
Troy Murphy, 6’2″, 2020, Rolling Hills Prep (Palos Verdes, CA)
Derrick Nettles Jr, 6’6″, 2021, Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, CA)
Fallou Niang, 6’9″, 2020, Tri-City Christian (Chandler, AZ)
Evan Oliver, 5’11”, 2020, Citrus Valley (Redlands, CA)
Jaden Phillips, 6’1″, 2020, Antioch (CA)
Brandon Porter, 5’0″, 2020, Roosevelt (Eastvale, CA)
Gabe Reichle, 6’1″, 2020, Wilsonville (OR)
Tai Rutledge, 6’5″, 2020, Crespi (Encino, CA)
Caden Starr, 6’5″, 2020, Santa Clarita Christian (Santa Clarita, CA)
Anthony Swift, 6’5, 2021, Durango (Las Vegas, NV)
Quincy Taylor, 6’2″, 2020, West Campus (Sacramento, CA)
Christopher Washington, 6’3″, 2021, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
CJ Woods, 6’4″, 2020, Brentwood (Los Angeles, CA)
PANGOS ALL-WEST FROSH/SOPH CAMP HONORABLE MENTION (alphabetical order)
Nati Asfaw, 6’5”, 2020, Del Sol (Las Vegas, NV)
Jordan Brown, 6’4”, 2020, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
Xavier Brown, 6’4”, 2020, Sheldon (Sacramento, CA)
Miles Ceballos, 6’2”, 2020, Crossroads (Santa Monica, CA)
Donavan Cox, 6’0”, 2021, Rancho Christian (Temecula, CA)
Bryson Crockett, 6’2”, 2020, West Linn (OR)
Savaugh Davis, 6’3”, 2020, Mission Bay (San Diego, CA)
Demetrius Edwards, 6’6”, 2020, Apollo (Glendale, AZ)
David Elliott, 5’10”, 2021, St. Genevieve (Panorama City, CA)
Ryan Engs, 6’0”, 2020, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, CA)
Kimo Ferrari, 5’11”, 2020, St. Augustine (San Diego, CA)
Benny Gealer, 5’10”, 2022, Halstrom Academy (CA)
Luke Guzman, 6’5”, 2020, Centennial (Corona, CA)
Keshawn Hall, 6’0”, 2020, Cheyenne (Las Vegas, NV)
Malakai Harris, 6’5”, 2020, Marysville (Marysville, CA)
Dontrell Hewitt, 6’2”, 2020, Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento, CA)
Larry Holmes, 6’3”, 2020, Arbor View (Las Vegas, NV)
Lee Hubbard, 5’9”, 2021, Riordan (San Francisco, CA)
Cam Kimble, 6’3”, 2021, Clark (Las Vegas, NV)
Jaylon Lee, 6’8”, 2020, Legacy (Las Vegas, NV)
Mason Machado, 6’4”, 2020, Centennial (Corona, CA)
Quincy McGriff, 6’3”, 2020, (Westchester, Los Angeles CA)
Michael Moss, 6’0”, 2020, St. Mary’s (Berkeley, CA)
Thomas Notarainni, 6’3”, 2021, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, CA)
Brandon Perez, 6’2”, 2022, Heritage Christian (Northridge, CA)
Felix Reeves, 6’0”, 2020, Desert Oasis (Las Vegas, NV)
Caden Starr, 6’5”, 2020, Santa Clarita Christian (Santa Clarita, CA)
Kobe Stroughter, 6’0”, 2021, El Dorado (Las Vegas, NV)
Jake Tawhiao, 6’3”, 2020, Mater Dei (Chula Vista, CA)
Milos Uzan, 5’10”, 2022, Las Vegas (NV)
Alex Wade, 5’9”, 2021, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, CA)
Martel Williams, 6’3”, 2020, Silverado (Las Vegas, NV)
Donovan Yap, 6’3”, 2020, Arbor View (Las Vegas, NV)
Editor’s note: The players directly above were not selected to the Cream of the Crop Games, but impressed scouts in attendance enough to be deserving as Camp Honorable Mention.
(Photos courtesy of Nick Koza with SportsAmp.com)
