Pangos Sweet 16 Saturday CA Standouts Pt. 2
This past weekend was the start of the July live period and there were several events held throughout Southern California. The MAP Sports Facility played host to Pangos Sweet 16 from July 8-10. The event featured teams from both Northern…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend was the start of the July live period and there were several events held throughout Southern California. The MAP Sports Facility played host to Pangos Sweet 16 from July 8-10. The event featured teams from both Northern and Southern California and from out of state as well. I was able to attend the event on Saturday July 9 and I focused on the CA teams. Here’s a look at some additional standouts I saw.
1. Deacon Toliver – Los Osos 2023/Belmont Shore
Toliver is an intriguing forward prospect. He can score but what stood out to me the most was his activity on the glass and his defense. He’s a strong rebounder who positions himself well and for the boards he doesn’t get outright, he can tap them to himself over opposing players. Defensively, he can move well on the perimeter and contest jumpers and he contests drives in the paint. Offensively he’s efficient around the rim; he’s patient and uses fakes to get the defense out of place.
2. Jordan Colbert – Buhach Colony 2024/Fresno Elite 16U
A dual sport athlete in football and basketball; Colbert uses his football frame to muscle his way inside and get easy buckets. He’s a bit undersized but he makes up for it with his strength. He can post up against smaller defenders. Good rebounder who uses his size while crashing the offensive glass. He stood out defensively too; he showed the ability to slide his feet well and cut off the ball-handler’s movement.
3. Mikah Ballew Mikah Ballew 6'6" | SF Valencia | 2023 State CA-S – Valencia 2023/BTI 17U
Ballew is a strong forward who had no problem playing around the rim and finishing strong inside through traffic. He was also able to draw contact and get himself to the free-throw line. He’s able to bring the ball up court and he has a decent handle for his size. Looked comfortable making plays off the dribble in the halfcourt and shooting the little midrange pull-up.
4. Esteban Mann – Orangewood Academy 2024/I-Can All-Stars
Mann was a workhorse on the glass. He’s tall and long and he does a good job boxing out and grabbing boards as well as keeping with the play even if he can’t quite get his hands on the ball. He’s a patient scorer; he draws fouls off fakes around the rim and gets to the free-throw line. He’s also able to put the ball on the floor and attack. He showed a solid ability to get to the middle of the court and hit the little pull-up jumper.