Pangos Best of SoCal: Freshman Emergences

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While we weren't able to take in the annual Pangos Best of SoCal Spring Showcase live and in person, Baller.TV was in the building and we watched back each of the six games. In this piece we take a closer look at some players who emerged as prospects to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1956485' first='Bryce' last='Williams'], 2026, Harvard-Westlake</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams is a traditional big man who used his freshman season at Harvard-Westlake to get reps up on the junior varsity level. The 6-foot-8 power forward/center has great hands, footwork and touch with either hand around the basket. Williams thrived on the offensive boards where his strength and physicality were too much for most defenders to handle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Joaquin Rigdon, 2026, Servite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rigdon is a crafty shot-maker and shot creator for himself and teammates off the bounce. The 6-foot-3 combo guard has good speed and quickness with the ball in his hands, changes direction without losing speed and can knock down three-point and mid-range jumpers off the dribble. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Jordan Ballard, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like Williams above who played on a loaded high school team, Ballard spent his freshman season getting tons of playing time on the Notre Dame varsity team. If his performance at the Best of SoCal Spring Showcase is any indication of his talent level he could see some key varsity minutes next season. The long, wiry lefty is a bouncy athlete who thrives in transition and has a chance to mold into a multi-positional defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Noa Edwards, 2026, Arcadia</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edwards is a super crafty and high IQ point guard whose game is certainly true to the position. The 6-foot-2 class of 2026 prospect looks to push the pace and get up and down in transition but does so in a controlled fashion all while looking to hit open teammates. Edwards showed a good burst of speed in the open court and got into the lane to collapse the defense at-will.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Steven Melina, 2026, Oak Park</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Melina has a really nice combination of size and skill-set for a shooting guard/wing prospect. Not only does the 6-foot-4 class of 2026 prospect have a well-built frame and strong downhill athleticism and finishing ability, but he can also score on the perimeter with a variety of dribble moves to create space to get his shot off. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->