Best of the West Shootout: 17u Standouts (Pt. 2)
The Pangos Best of the West Shootout was one of very few club basketball events to take place in Southern California due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The event featured some solid SoCal-based programs and individual talents at Ladera Sports Center…
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Continue ReadingThe Pangos Best of the West Shootout was one of very few club basketball events to take place in Southern California due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
The event featured some solid SoCal-based programs and individual talents at Ladera Sports Center in South Orange County. Below is my second set of standouts from the 17u level games I was able to get my eyes on. Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Yaru Harvey Yaru Harvey 6'3" | CG Sheldon | 2021 CA-S , 2021, Southern California Academy – I was a big fan of how Harvey ran the show for SCA with poise and a high basketball IQ. The 6-foot-3 Northern California-native rarely gets sped up under pressure, is always looking to advance the ball up the floor in transition and has great feel and vision out of high ball-screen action. In the half-court setting, Harvey showed a good first step and ability to break down defenders in isolation and get into the paint to play-make for teammates.
Chris Howell Chris Howell 6'6" | PG Torrey Pines | 2021 State #205 Nation CA-S , 2021, Coastal Elite Slayers – Howell’s impact is multi-faceted in every game he takes part in. The 6-foot-7 point guard has impeccable defensive timing and IQ, is a willing and highly-capable passer who consistently makes the simple, but correct basketball play. Howell’s pace and the way he values the basketball and each possession are some of the things that will make him a solid college basketball player at St. Mary’s.
Christian Johnson Christian Johnson 6'0" | PG Lynwood | 2021 State CA-S , 2021, Cali Rebels – Johnson has continually improved his game over the last few seasons, becoming a more reliable decision-maker and three-point shooter in the process. The 6-footer has done a nice job of adding in the distribution aspect of the game into his scoring mentality and balancing the two traits with each other to become a true combo guard. The Lynwood High product is one to track the rest of his senior year.
Everett May Everett May 6'5" | SF Los Alamitos | 2021 State CA-S , 2021, Veritas – Everyone in SoCal knows that May is one of the better three-point shooters in the region and we’ve been waiting to see him add some off the bounce skill to his smooth stroke. The 6-foot-6 wing showed some of that in this event, utilizing a shot fake to get into a one and two-dribble pull-up jumper. There were a couple of instances where May showed improved transition finishing ability, and, with his size and shooting ability, is another to track the rest of this season.
Wayne McKinney Wayne McKinney 5'10" | PG Coronado | 2021 State CA-S , 2021, Coastal Elite Slayers – McKinney has proven time and time again that he’s one of the top scoring guards in Southern California, so I made sure to take a closer look at the rest of his game throughout this event. In those viewings I saw flashes of high level playmaking for teammates. McKinney’s speed and strength allow him to get downhill out of ball-screen action and draw numerous help defenders which opened up drive-and-kick opportunities for teammates.