Pangos Best of the West Shootout: Surprises

Photo: Nick Koza

Joel Francisco

March 30, 2022 @ 07:12 PM

Pangos Best of the West Shootout: Surprises LONG BEACH, Ca—The spring is in full gear now that the high school playoffs are finished and it was time to take a short drive up to McBride Middle School for the Pangos Best of the West Shootout directed by grassroots guru Dinos Trigonis. There were a plethora of fine performances that caught my eye including the following: 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1409409" first="Isaiah" last="Lewis"] (Pangos Select), 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="994006" first="Styles" last="Phipps"] (Belmont Shore), 2023 Will Smith (Belmont Shore Blue), 2025 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ej-vernon/">[player_tooltip player_id="1417368" first="EJ" last="Vernon"]</a> (21 Elite 16u), and 2024 Malick Diallo (Utah Mountain Stars. Isaiah Smith (Pangos AZ South / Flowing Wells) 2022, PG, 6-foot-2, 165 pounds Joel’s Take: Smith put together some solid performances for Pangos South. The smooth combo-guard pushed the ball well in transition, converted in the paint with either hand and exhibited a solid 1st step off the dribble while operating out of the triple threat. His ball skills and slashing ability are noted, but he needs to improve his jump shot. He has a bit of a hitch in his shot that needs to be tightened up to play at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="1409409" first="Isaiah" last="Lewis"] (Pangos Select / Taft) 2022, PG, 6-foot-3, 165 pounds Joel’s Take: Although standout junior [player_tooltip player_id="1222428" first="AJ" last="Johnson"] and high-flying junior [player_tooltip player_id="994940" first="Keyon" last="Kensie"] Jr get most of the notoriety out of Taft, Lewis showed that his game speaks volumes as well. The slick point guard dominated play at this event with his length and speed from the point guard position. He facilitated the offense by snapping passes to open teammates and he got to the rim whenever he wanted due to his quickness and finishing ability. His jump shot comes and goes, but the talent is there to play at the D 1 level with further improvements in his game. Zion Watt (21 Elite / Crossroads) 2024, G, 6-foot-4, 175 pounds Joel’s Take: At this stage, Watt could be considered a diamond in the rough. He has the ideal frame with long arms and it doesn’t look like he’s done growing. He showed solid ball skills in the open court and generally made sound decisions. He has the burst and bounce to get to the rim and his jump shot (knocked in a 3) appears to be on the come. Watt is definitely one to watch as he adds to his game and frame going forward. Terrence Hampton (21 Elite / Maranatha) 2023, F, 6-foot-7, 225 pounds Joel’s Take: The big-bodied Hampton doesn’t possess much bounce, but he has a versatile game. He carves out space well in the paint and displays good hands while rebounding—despite not having great bounce. In addition, he can step out and knock in the 17-foot jump shot and his stroke looks smooth. By tightening up his frame and improving his quickness and bounce, he could become a viable inside-out option.