Pangos Premier-80: AZ upperclassmen standouts

Gregg Rosenberg November 5, 2020 @ 08:38 AM

On November 1st I attended Dinos Trigonis Pangos Premier-80 Showcase at AZ Compass Prep in Chandler, AZ. Exactly 80 players were on hand from around the country including some very good AZ players.   Here were some of the local upperclassmen that shined: 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="918959" first="Jamiya" last="Neal"] Hillcrest Prep -Not many had a better day than Neal. He made highlight after highlight and he also shot the ball well. He seems to get a little better in every viewing as he is getting more comfortable in the state. The Ohio native is impressive on both ends of the court with his speed, athleticism, passing and skill. [player_tooltip player_id="703810" first="Bailon" last="Black"] Ironwood -The Northern Colorado commit was decent his first game but incredible his second. He showed off his deep range and his big time passing skills. He understands how to change speeds and uses euros, hesitations, size and length to score near the cup. Him and White look primed getting the Eagles back to the 5A AIA finals. [player_tooltip player_id="703839" first="Elijah" last="Thomas"] Valley Vista -One of the top AIA players in the senior class that doesn’t have a D1 offer. He can score it multiple ways and defend. He can catch and shoot from the 3pt line, play above the rim in transition and he keeps improving his take to the cup. He can create his own offense and he is a weak side shot blocker. He can take the ball off the glass and push it. Look for him to be a mismatch problem all year for the Monsoon. [player_tooltip player_id="703835" first="JJ" last="White"] Ironwood -A strong scoring guard has a great frame, high IQ and real toughness. He is one of the better spot up shooters in the AIA and he proved in his two games played with 6-9 from 3pt line. He gets in a rhythm quickly and sets up before he receives the ball and fires away quickly. [player_tooltip player_id="932153" first="Chianti" last="Clay Jr"] Hillcrest Prep -A confident scoring PG loves the pick and roll game. He has a good burst to get passed his defenders and use the floater. He has deep volleyball line 3pt range and he has the ability to make tough shots in traffic.   2022 [player_tooltip player_id="932566" first="Dasean" last="Lecque"] Desert Vista -Arguably the top scorer in the AIA for this season. He makes everything look almost effortless. He creates his own shots almost at will with his tight handle and strength. He can pull-up off the dribble and shoot the 3. He made many plays for his teammates and keeps proving that he is one of the top scoring guards in the class locally and in the West Coast. [player_tooltip player_id="701265" first="Ahamed" last="Mohamed"] Apollo -A two-way shooting PG is one of the more consistent performers each event. His shot always looks good from the 3pt line and he can pull-up off the dribble from mid-range. He makes smart decisions with the ball and is extremely fast in the open court. He will defend you up the length up the court and pick your pocket. The floor general should have a monster season for the Hawks this season. His speed and skill will translate to the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="827006" first="Lareon" last="Ginnis"] South Mountain -One of the top on-ball defenders at the showcase and in the state. He made every ball handler very uncomfortable with his elite lateral quickness and truly bothered the top-tier other guards. He isn’t afraid to get right in their grills and rip them clean or just have them give the ball up. Offensively he likes getting into the lane and kicking it out to a shooter or dumping it off to big for the slam. [player_tooltip player_id="827027" first="Malcolm" last="Flaggs"] Compass Prep -A bigger wing shooter who can get to the cup with ball fakes and finish with his left or right hand. He is a sneaky good passer but he is lethal from the 3pt line. He can rattle off 3 after 3. [player_tooltip player_id="1006964" first="Terrence" last="Dixon"] Desert Vista (Pictured) -An explosive forward can throw it down with authority. He rim runs and he can face-up and shoot it. He blocks shots and rebounds at a high rate in and out of his area. This was a player who played sparingly on JV last year, but he can end up rising in the state as he grew a couple inches and is improving rapidly. The Thunder lost some size up front and Dixon can possibly be a breakout candidate for them.