Best of the West Shootout: 17u/16u Standouts (Pt. 5)

<p>The Pangos Best of the West Shootout was one of very few club basketball events to take place in Southern California due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.</p> <p>The event featured some solid SoCal-based programs and individual talents at Ladera Sports Center in South Orange County. Below is my second set of standouts from the 17u/16u level games I was able to get my eyes on. Below is part five of the standout players from this event.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="747094" first="DJ" last="Allen"]</strong>, 2021, St. Anthony: Allen missed most of last season due to injury, but looked back to full health in this event. The 6-foot-7 swingman has a long, wiry frame with a smooth smoothing stroke and range to the three-point line. The senior has intriguing stretch four ability at the next level.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="970255" first="Alpha" last="Chibambe"]</strong>, 2022, Ocean City: One of the better transition athletes in SoCal regardless of class continues to show that he’s adding skill to his game. The 6-foot-5 wing finishes through contact and above the rim on the break, but is becoming a respectable three-point shooter and guy who can create shots for himself off the bounce.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="992478" first="Jazz" last="Gardner"]</strong>, 2023, Belmont Shore: Gardner is one of the region’s top 2023 prospects because of his versatility at 6-feet-10. Gardner can score inside and out with touch with both hands around the basket and the ability to stretch the floor to three-point range. The sophomore big man is mobile in transition and has the ball skills and footwork to execute ball screen and dribble hand off action.</p> <p><strong>Evan Record</strong>, 2022, Coastal Elite Slayers: Record is a small, but crafty guard who uses his speed and quick first step to get into the paint, draw defenders and kick to open teammates. The 5-foot-9 junior moves well without the ball and knocks down three-pointers with deep and consistent range.</p> <p><strong>Jake Simon</strong>, 2022, Ocean City: Simon is a guy out of San Juan Hills high school in Orange County who I wasn’t too familiar with, but he made an impression in this event. The 6-foot-5 forward plays with a high motor, rebounds the defensive glass in and out of his area and welcomes physicality when finishing in the painted area. Simon is a good vertical athlete who attacks the rim aggressively.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="970271" first="Kaih" last="Williams"]</strong>, 2022, St. Anthony: Williams is an intriguing scoring guard who will have an increased offensive role for the Saints this season. The 6-foot-1 junior has a deep scoring arsenal complete with a smooth catch-and-shoot three-point shot, a soft-touch floater and the ability to get by defenders and into the paint in isolation situations.</p>