Long Beach, CA – This past weekend, April 22nd – 24th, was the 2nd Spring NCAA Live Period and Southern California played host to six certified events. I was able to attend 3 of the 6 events this past weekend, but I was primarily at the Pangos Spring Live event, which was headquartered at McBride High School in Long Beach, California. This event featured teams from the age groups of 15u-17u and was structured in a showcase game format. Each team played 4 games over the 3-day period of the event and featured some impressive prospects from California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Canada. This article looks at 25 players that had standout performances, provides an evaluation of each player’s strengths and skills, and includes the player’s information. I was only in attendance for the first two days of the event and was not able to watch every team and player perform. These player evaluations are based on my own observations and players are listed alphabetically, as there is no rank order to this list. I begin with the impressive play of sophomore Ethan Atkinson.
2024 6’7 Ethan Atkinson (Farmington/UT) Team Kongo Black 16u:
Atkinson is a versatile point-forward that can run the offense and is knockdown from beyond the arc. Atkinson can score the ball effectively from all 3 levels, has a smooth stroke from fifteen feet to the 3-point line, has good handles to push the ball up the court, and displayed impressive court vision to make plays from the high post and on the perimeter. Atkinson is dominant on the boards, has the wingspan to alter shots in the paint, and moves well to switch off ball screens to defend guards. He plays the game with great confidence and does not get rattled when the game gets physical.
2023 5’10 Karsten Adeleye (Stockdale/CA) Hoop Phene Elite:
Adeleye is a strong and physical combination guard that can score from multiple spots on the floor. Adeleye has a strong handle on the ball, makes good use of the crossover to create separation from his defender, and is a crafty finisher at the rim over size. Adeleye has a smooth shot from the perimeter and when he starts heating up from the 3-point line his offensive game really opens up, as he has a nice stop and pop mid-range shot.
2022 6’8 Jacob Antchak (Kamloops Open/Canada) DIME Team 17u:
Antchak is a physical specimen that makes his presence felt in the paint on both ends. Antchak is dominant on the glass, provides second-chance points with offensive rebounds, alters shots around the basket, and has good back-to-the-basket moves to create scoring opportunities. He is effective from beyond the arc, which pulls bigs away from the basket and opens up driving lanes for himself and his teammates. Antchak has the skill to be a stretch four at the next level.
2023 6’8 Souleymane Barro (Layton Christian/ Academy/UT) Kongo Red 17u: Pictured
Barro is an elite athlete that truly impacts the game in various ways on both ends. See this link for my player evaluation on Barro from 2 weeks ago.
https://nbnmagazine.com/pangos-sweet-16-in-vegas-top-2023-performers/
2023 6’4 Eli Bradley (Bishop Gorman/NV) Belmont Shore Blue 17u:
Bradley is a strong-built guard/wing that has a smooth stroke from beyond the arc. Bradley has is effective from the perimeter, enough handle to create off the wing, the physicality to post up smaller guards and bully his way to the basket, and a strong finisher through contact at the rim. Bradley has good range on the 3-ball and is capable of connecting off the dribble or the catch and shoot.
2025 6’6 Alec Blair (De La Salle/CA) Team California 16u: Pictured
Blair is a lead guard that has great versatility on both ends of the court. Blair has nice handles, is poised with the ball in hand, has the size and IQ to run the offense in the half-court setting, rebounds well to push the ball in the open court, and has impressive court vision to find open teammates when attacking the defense. Blair has a smooth stroke from beyond the arc, uses his length and long first step to get by his defender, and finishes with creativity around the rim. Defensively, Blair is a highly effective shot-blocker, has the lateral quickness and footwork to defend multiple positions, and has good instincts to jump passing lanes and create turnovers. Blair can score it at a high clip from all 3 levels and is considered by most as the top freshman prospect in Northern California.
2025 6’6 Isaiah Carter (Golden Valley/CA) Fresno Wildcats Elite 15u:
Lengthy and rangy forward that is solid on the boards and emerging as an elite shot blocker. Carter has nice touch in the paint and is capable of making shots from the perimeter.
2023 6’4 Griffin Doughty (Weber/UT) Team Kongo Black 17u:
Doughty is an active shooting guard that stays on the move and can light it up from deep. Doughty has good handles and rebounds the ball well, which allows him to get the ball up the court in transition. He moves well off the ball, creates space for catch and shoot opportunities, and has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to his mid-range shot spots. Doughty has active hands on defense, the agility to guard the 1-3 spots effectively, plays with a great motor, and when he heats up from the 3-point line he is ready to launch from well behind the line.
2022 6’7 Brandon Enriquez (Shadow Ridge/NV) Hardwork Dedication 17u:
Enriquez is a lengthy and active stretch four that makes his presence felt around the basket on offense and defense. Enriquez has a nice touch on finishes around the basket, looks to play above the rim as often as possible, and has the touch on his perimeter shot to be effective from fifteen feet and beyond. Enriquez makes good decisions when setting on-ball screens, either diving to the rim or popping for catch and shoot opportunities. Enriquez is an impressive rim protector, as he uses his long wingspan and good footwork to get into the right position. He plays with great energy and a relentless motor.
2022 Jahwan Giles (Desert Valley Prep/NV) Hardwork Dedication 17u:
Point guard that has shifty handles, strong build to finish through contact at the basket, sees the court well to make plays, and has good hands on defense to create turnovers on the perimeter. Tough-minded defender that brings the intensity to both ends of the court.
2023 6’0 Yorgio Golesis (Skyline/UT) Kongo Red 17u:
Golesis is an elite lead guard that can score it from various spots on the court, has the court vision to make plays when on the attack, and brings a level of intensity to the court that is tough to match. See this link for my player evaluation on Golesis from 2 weeks ago. https://nbnmagazine.com/pangos-sweet-16-in-vegas-top-2023-performers/
2023 6’8 David Hansen (Magrath/Canada) DIME Team 17u:
Hansen is a long and lengthy wing/slasher that impacts the game in various ways and is a knockdown 3-point shooter. Hansen is solid on the glass, uses his long wingspan to alter shots in the paint and on the perimeter, and is tough to get by given his length and agility. Offensively, Hansen makes good use of the crossover to create separation from his defender, has enough handle to create off the dribble, and once on the attack, he uses his length to finish at the rim or find open teammates with the pass. Hansen is at his best when he is connecting from beyond the arc, as he has the height to shoot over any perimeter defender and the quickness to get by bigger defenders. There is a lot to like about the lengthy wing, as he is able to impact the game in numerous ways on both ends.
2023 6’3 Benjamin Herbert (Eschool23/Canada) DIME Team 17u: Pictured
Herbert is a talented combination guard that is effective with the ball, as well as playing off the ball. Herbert plays with good pace with the ball in hand, has enough moves to create off the dribble, and can finish through traffic at the basket. Herbert has nice touch on his floater, is efficient from the 3-point line, and has solid court vision to find open teammates when attacking the basket. A tough-minded player that gives relentless effort on the court and communicates well on both ends of the court.
2023 6’7 Sammy Ishimwe (Layton Christian/UT) Team Kongo Red 17u:
Ishimwe is a physical and skilled forward that can dominate the paint on both ends and has the ability to space the floor from the perimeter. Ishimwe is electrifying on the glass, is a quick leaper to collect offensive boards and putbacks, showed that he has enough handle to create his own offense off the dribble, and was efficient from the 3-point line. Defensively, Ishimwe has the athleticism and agility to defend post players and perimeter players, is an effective rim protector, and finishes with nice touch around the basket. He runs the floor well in the open court and gets himself into the right position to receive passes up the court. Very solid showing.
2024 6’3 Amani Johnson (Salesian Prep/CA) Team California 16u:
Johnson is a physical and skilled combination guard that can fill it up from deep. Johnson has good shift with the ball in hand to evade defenders, looks to attack downhill and get to the rim, and has the creativity and strength to finish through traffic. Johnson is pesky on defense and has strong hands to strip the ball from his opponent and create turnovers. Offensively, Johnson can score the ball effectively from all 3 levels, has a nice stop and pop mid-range shot, and is consistent from the 3-point line. He has the ability to clamp down on defense and the physicality to guard bigger players.
2022 6’1 Demond Johnson (Olympian/CA) San Diego Magic 17u:
Johnson is a physical lead guard that can score the ball in a variety of ways. Johnson has solid court vision to make plays when on the attack, the strength to finish through traffic at the basket, and is effective from fifteen feet and beyond with the shot. Skill and creativity to score the ball amongst the bigs.
2024 6’3 Varon Mitchell (Central of Fresno/CA) Fresno Wildcats Elite 16u:
Mitchell is a strong guard that can operate the offense and takes advantage of mismatches when smaller players are defending him. Mitchell has a strong handle on the ball, uses his frame to bully his way to the basket, and has a nice touch when finishing at the basket. Mitchell can stretch the floor from beyond the arc, which opens up driving lanes for him to attack. He is a good rebounder for his position and that allows him to push the ball in the open court where he looks most comfortable.
2024 6’6 Deacon Perry (Heritage Christian/CA) LA Rockfish 17u:
Perry is an undersized but effective forward with the skills and efficiency from beyond the arc to be a stretch four. Perry has good strength and length to control the glass, gets off the ground quickly for easy putback buckets, and has nice touch on his finishes around the rim. Perry is effective enough from the 3-point line to stretch the defense and has enough handle to attack the basket off the perimeter. Perry is a versatile defender capable of guarding the 2-4 positions and has active hands on defense to generate turnovers. Good feel for the game and plays with a high motor.
2024 6’ Caden Pinnick (Del Oro/CA) Team California 16u:
Pinnick is a physically gifted lead guard that makes plays for others and has the ability to create his own offense. Pinnick keeps the ball on a string, makes great use of the hesitation move to get his defender off-balance, has a great burst of speed off the dribble, and has the strength to finish through contact at the basket. Pinnick has a smooth stroke on his shot, can stop on a dime for the mid-range jumper, and is nearly automatic from the 3-point line. Pinnick has elite bounce, which allows him to rebound amongst taller players and push the tempo in the open court, where he has great court vision to find teammates up the court. Pinnick plays with grit and toughness but has a calm demeanor with the ball in hand.
2025 6’2 Abram Potts (San Joaquin Memorial/CA) Fresno Wildcats Elite 15u:
Potts is a combination guard that can score it from deep and is improving as a primary ball-handler. Potts has good handles, nice moves to create off the perimeter, has become a consistent threat from the 3-point line, and has good court vision to find open teammates when he is in control of the offense. Potts rebounds the ball well for his position, which allows him to push the ball up the court in transition. Potts had a 31-point performance and continues to develop his all-around skill set.
2024 6’1 Hunter Schenck (Weber/UT) Team Kongo Black 16u:
Schenck is a tough-minded combination guard that can light it up from beyond the arc. Schenck is a lock-up defender, has active hands to disrupt his opponents’ dribbling space, applies relentless pressure on the ball, and creates turnovers on the perimeter that lead to transition points. Offensively, Schenck has solid court vision to make plays when on the attack, has good handles to create off the dribble, and can score it from all 3 levels with efficiency. Schenck is a knockdown 3-point shooter that has limitless range, and does not hesitate to let it fly when he is on a hot streak.
2022 6’2 Daniel Smith (Churchill/Canada) DIME Team 17u:
Smith is a physical guard that controls the pace of play and can lock up on defense. Smith has strong, active hands on defense to create turnovers, good footwork to stay in front of his opponent, and rebounds well for his size. Smith has a strong handle on the ball, attacks downhill where he has the strength to finish in traffic, and has nice touch on his floater. Smith is a floor general that makes good decisions with the ball in hand and keeps pressure on the defense to make plays for open teammates.
2023 5’11 Tayshaun Tramel (Murray/UT) Team Kongo Red 17u:
Tramel is a shifty point guard that has the moves and handles to break down the opponent’s defense. Tramel has elite handles, creative moves when attacking off the dribble, a crafty finisher over taller players around the rim, and has solid court vision to find open teammates while operating with the ball in hand. Tramel can light it up from the 3-point line, which opens up the defense and allows him to get to his mid-range jump shot. Tramel is a bucket getter and has the ability to hit tough shots.
2024 6’7 Hugh Vandeweghe (Loyola/CA) LA Rockish 17u:
Vandeweghe is a lengthy shooting guard that can score it from various spots on the floor. Vandeweghe has fluid movement off the ball, has nice rhythm off the catch and shoot, the handles to put the ball on the deck and attack off the dribble, and showed enough court vision to find open teammates. He has a smooth stroke on his shot, is effective with the mid-range pull-up jumper, and is knockdown from the 3-point line. Vandeweghe is active on the boards, uses his wingspan to alter shots on the perimeter, and can push the ball up the court off the glass. Impressive prospect with the size to shoot over most perimeter defenders.
2023 6’2 Maurice Wright Jr. (Santa Clarita Christian/CA) Belmont Shore Blue 17u:
Wright is a shifty lead guard that has shown improvement in his efficiency from beyond the arc. Wright has crafty handles, the moves off the dribble to shake his defender, and the creativity to finish at the rim amongst taller players. Wright has good court vision to find open players when attacking off the dribble, has nice touch on his floater, and is effective with the mid-range jumper. Wright has really improved his overall efficiency from the 3-point line and displayed this over the 2nd Spring live period.
