Pangos Jr. AA Camp: The Guards

<p>LONG BEACH — The 14th annual Pangos Junior All-American Camp continued its tradition as one of the premier middle school exposure events in the country. The 2026 edition featured more than 140 players from 14 states and Canada for the two-day event. We were in attendance Sunday for the Best of the Best and Future Stars games and below are the guard prospects who stood out.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Aiden Johnson | 2030 | Hawthorne (CA)</h4>   <p>Johnson was one of the quickest guards with the ball in his hands in the 8th grade Future Stars game and it resulted in him pushing the pace in transition, getting paint touches and finishing craftily around the basket. The 5-foot-9 guard used his shiftiness and changes of speed and direction to keep defenders off-balance in half-court offense which allowed him to get by his defender and into the lane where he created for teammates. Johnson scored 12 points, dished out three assists and had three steals. </p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cameron Shepard | 2030 | Chatsworth (CA)</h4>   <p>Shepard was one of the most dynamic scorers and playmakers at the guard position in the Best of the Best game where he earned Co-MVP honors after scoring 15 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists. At 5-feet-10, Shepard blended an explosive scoring arsenal with high level feel, basketball IQ and playmaking ability on both ends of the floor. He was best in transition where he used his burst and speed with the ball to get to the rim and finished with savvy and confidence. Shepard also made a handful of impressive mid-range jumpers.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Freddie Forbes | 2030 | Garden Grove (CA)</h4>   <p>Forbes is one of the purest shooters in the 2030 class and when you add that to the fact that he carries a long, wiry 6-foot-3 frame, he is an intriguing long-term prospect. Forbes impressed with his deep range shooting consistency and his ability to attack closeouts and score at the rim in straight-line drive situations. His combination of size, fundamental shooting mechanics and fluid athleticism will allow him to impact the game quickly at the high school level. Forbes had 10 points on 4-for-9 from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range in the Best of the Best game.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Isaiah Peoples | 2030 | Lake Forest (CA)</h4>   <p>Peoples stood out with his ability to create in isolation situations. The 5-foot-11 combo guard used a wide variety of dribble moves and a quick first step to blow past his initial defender and get into the lane where he finished with either hand around the basket. Peoples also stretched the floor to the three-point line off the catch and finished with nine points on an efficient 4-for-6 from the field.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Nyah Garite | 2030 | Seal Beach (CA)</h4>   <p>Garite brought a pass-first approach to the 8th grade Future Stars game and really made it a point to kick the ball ahead to teammates in transition, deliver accurate drive-and-kick passes to open shooters and dropped off a couple of tight interior passes to big men for easy looks at the rim. The 5-foot-10 point guard made smart decisions in transition, stayed poised and attacked when pressured and didn't force any bad shots. He only scored one bucket but impacted the game with four rebounds, three assists and a high basketball IQ.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Omar Muhammad | 2030 | Fresno (CA)</h4>   <p>Muhammad won Co-MVP honors of the entire camp and it was easy to see why he's such a highly-regarded 8th grade prospect who local high schools in the Fresno area will be battling to get. The 6-foot-3 combo guard possesses every physical and athletic tool you look for in a long-term prospect and is one of the most explosive vertical athletes in his class. In addition to those tools, Muhammad brings a ton of skill to the floor with his ability to create for himself in isolation at all three levels of the floor. He's a savvy ball handler with a quick-twitch first step and ability to close on the rim in a hurry and finish through or above contact. Muhammad scored 23 points on 8-for-12 from the field in the Best of the Best game.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Tyson Aycox | 2030 | Gardena (CA)</h4>   <p>Aycox was one of the best transition attackers we watched in the Best of the Best game. The 5-foot-11 point guard combined his open court speed with shiftiness, footwork and savvy finishing ability around the rim to put pressure on the defense in fast break situations. Aycox showed an impressive pop of vertical athleticism to go along with body control in the air that allowed him to contort his body and nullify shot blockers. Aycox finished with eight points in the Best of the Best game.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2886527' first='Yakai' last='Craig'] | 2030 | Lake Forest (CA)</h4>   <p>Craig's combination of smooth ball handling, a measured approach to his off-bounce creating and ability to score from all three levels of the floor made him one of the most effective guards in the Best of the Best game. The 6-foot point guard earned Co-MVP honors of the top all-star game after scoring 15 points (3-for-5 from three) with four assists. Craig's high IQ shot selection, ability to get teammates involved and advanced feel for the game will translate well to the high school level.</p>   <p></p>

LONG BEACH — The 14th annual Pangos Junior All-American Camp continued its tradition as one of the premier middle school exposure events in the country. The 2026 edition featured more than 140 players from 14 states and Canada for the two-day event. We were in attendance Sunday for the Best of the Best and Future Stars games and below are the guard prospects who stood out.