Pangos All American Preview: Second Five
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West Coast grassroots luminary Dinos Trigonis got his Pangos All-American Camp season rolling a month early this year, hosting a so-called “preview” event in Lynwood, CA, one month before the main event in Las Vegas. The Pangos All-American Preview attracted…
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Continue ReadingWest Coast grassroots luminary Dinos Trigonis got his Pangos All-American Camp season rolling a month early this year, hosting a so-called “preview” event in Lynwood, CA, one month before the main event in Las Vegas.
The Pangos All-American Preview attracted a nice group of regional standouts and national sleepers hoping to snare some headlines – and possibly a berth into June’s camp.
In the end, a trio of Southern California guards – Harvard Westlake sophomores Robert Hinton Robert Hinton 6'4" | CG Harvard-Westlake | 2024 State #147 Nation CA-S Jr. and Trent Perry, and Donda Academy’s Seven Bahati – were named co-MVPS
I had a chance to attend both days of the camp. This is the second of several reports highlighting my standouts.
Seven Bahati, 6-5 2024 G/W, Donda Academy
The third co-MVP is the first player on my second team, largely because I felt he warmed up as the weekend went along, especially in the Top 30 game, when the top campers competed. Bahati is a gifted athlete and has a frame that screams “next level prospect” (elite length). He has solid slashing skills and has improved his jump shot to the point where it’s playable. But the area where he has to improve is consistently playing hard, as his motor vacillates depending on the competition.
Christopher Carter, 6-5 2022 W, Shadow Hills
Carter, one of the only unsigned seniors on hand at the camp, has the look and feel of a D1 transfer portal casualty. He’s a player whose length allows him to play much bigger than his listed height, and his motor is always running hot, as he’s active on the boards on both ends. But he’s more than just an energy guy: Carter has a solid perimeter shot with range out to the college three and can knock them down from the wing and baseline, and he’s an improved ball handler and slasher who can finish through contact – well above the rim.
Jeremiah Whitmore Jeremiah Whitmore 6'6" | PF Fountain Valley | 2023 CA-S , 6-7 2023 F, Fountain Valley
Whitmore played himself onto my second team with his effort and production in the Top 30 game. His team got embarrassed (114-73 before Dinos Trigonis reset the score the final 10 minutes), but he took to the attack, consistently getting to the basket off the wing and finishing with his dominant hand. He’s improving as a catch and shoot threat from the corners, and is a capable rebounder on both ends to boot. But give me anyone who competes even in the face of defeat any day.
Ariik Mawien Ariik Mawien 6'3" | SF Capistrano Valley Christian | 2023 State CA-S , 6-4 2023 G, Capistrano Valley Christian
Mawien was stellar throughout the camp, despite a pedestrian effort in the Top 30 game. A long, wiry, explosive wing type, Mawien scores it efficiently from three levels and has solid, tight handle on the wing. His functional athleticism in the half court on both offense and defense allows him to impact the game on both ends. Pepperdine appears to have gotten a big steal.
Steven Soland, 6-11 2024 C, Donda Academy
It was my first time seeing Soland, a NY native who plays on the Donda Academy prep team. He’s a rim-running big who gets off the ground quickly and finishes everything around the rim with authority. His agility allows him to challenge shots from the opposite block and evade block outs on the board. An intriguing wrinkle to his game is his ability to step out and hit shots from 15-17 feet with consistency.