CARSON, Ca. – Time, through the passing of college seasons and NBA Drafts, will ultimately provide a more accurate appraisal.
But the 13th Pangos All-American High School Camp, which wrapped up mid-Sunday afternoon at Cal State Dominguez Hills, appeared to be one of the better ones produced and directed by event founder Dinos Trigonis of the Belmont Shore Basketball Club.
The approximately 110 players who participated in the three-day event included a healthy portion of quality prospects from all regions of the United States – most notably the East Coast and, of course, Southern California.
Camp co-“Most Outstanding Players” were chosen in a survey by Trigonis of the many regional and national scouts and media-types in attendance: Rawle Alkins (New York City Christ the King) and Mustapha Heron (Waterbury, CT, Sacred Heart).
Interestingly enough, Alkins and Heron are teammates on the adidas-fronted New York City Rens.
Trigonis selected freshman-to-be Cameron Stanley (Encino, CA) as the MOP in the Top 60 Cream of the Crop game, with Trae Young (Norman, OK, North) and Mohammed Bamba (Westtown, PA), of the “Gray” team, and Taurean Thompson (Jersey City St. Anthony) of the “Blue” squad dividing MOP honors for the Top 30 contest.
As impressive as the 6-foot-4, 215-pound and left-handed Heron was for the “Duke” squad during the four camp games he played on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday morning, in my opinion Alkins (6-4, 220) was the clear-cut best player, regardless of size, position or class standing, at the event.
In his four camp games for “UCLA”, he averaged a camp’s-best 22.3 points per games with his totals improving each game – 17, 18, 26 and 28.
In Sunday morning’s game he was five of 8 on 3s. Overall he shot 34 of 54 from the field for 63 percent.
He was limited to just the first half of the Top 30 Cream of the Crop Sunday afternoon (he had to depart for LAX to catch a 4 p.m. PT flight home).
But he still had enough on-court time to score what proved to be a “Gray” team-high 15 points (seven of 11 from the field, including a 3) with four rebounds and two blocks of Heron shots.
Heron scored 26, six, 25 and eight points in his four camp games (16.3) while hitting 23 of 44 from the field (52.2 percent).
The Gray prevailed over the “Blue”, 94-87, also in part because point guard-deluxe Young had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists while Class of 2017 centers Mohammed Bamba and Brandon McCoy combined to produced 26 points and 15 rebounds.
Heron had 20 points and five rebounds and Taurean Thompson 16 points and six rebounds for the Blue, respectively.
My choices for the Top 20 Players in Camp
(Note: based upon consistency-of-excellence over three days, not “college” or “NBA” potential)
Class of 2016
Rawle Alkins (6-4/NYC Christ the King)
Tyree Crump (6-2/Bainbridge, GA, Bainbridge)
Terrance Ferguson (6-6/Dallas Prime Prep)
Mustapha Heron (6-4/Waterbury, CT, Sacred Heart)
T.J. Leaf (6-9/El Cajon, CA, Foothills Christian)
Cameron McGriff (6-6/Grand Prairie, TX, Grand Prairie)
Javin Montgomery-Delauier (6-9/Charlottesville, VA, St. Anne-Belfield)
Shamorie Ponds (6-1/Brooklyn Jefferson)
Myles Powell (6-2/Trenton, NJ, Catholic)
Omari Spellman (6-8/Granby, MA, MacDuffie School)
Taurean Thompson (6-9/Jersey City St. Anthony)
Class of 2017
Mohammed Bamba (6-10/Westtown, PA, Westtown)
Ira Lee (6-8/Chatsworth, CA, Sierra Canyon)
Billy Preston (6-8/Dallas Prime Prep)
Ethan Thompson (6-4/Torrance, CA, Bishop Montgomery)
Xavier Tillman (6-7/Grand Rapids, MI, Forest Hills Central)
Isaiah Washington (6-0/Bronx, NY, St. Raymond’s)
Trae Young (6-1/Norman, OK, North)
Classes of 2018-19
Spencer Freedman (2018/6-0/Santa Monica, CA, Santa Monica)
Cassius Stanley (2019/6-4/Encino, CA/May attend Studio City, CA, Harvard-Westlake)
*Others selected to the Top 30 Cream of the Crop include: Bryce Aiken (2016/5-9/Elizabeth, NJ, Patrick School); Galen Alexander (2017/6-6/Breaux Bridge, LA, Beaux Bridge); Sam Cunliffe (2016/6-6/Seattle Rainier Beach); Mario Kegler (2016/6-7/Jacksonville, FL, Arlington Country Day); M.J. Cage (2016/6-9/Santa Ana, CA, Mater Dei); De’Ron Davis (2016/6-9/Aurora, CO, Overland); Barrett Benson (2016/6-9/Hinsdale, IL, South); Lamar Peters (2016/6-1/New Orleans Landry-Walker); Vance Jackson (2016/6-8/Bellflower, CA, St. John Bosco); Brandon McCoy (2017/6-11/San Diego Morse).
*FYI: Injuries to De’Aaron Fox (2016/6-3/Cypress, TX, Cypress Lakes); Nate Morris (2016/6-9/Lancaster, TX, Lancaster); Theo John (2017/6-9/Champlin, MN, Champlin Park); De’Riante Jenkins (2016/West Oaks, FL, West Oaks) kept them from completing the camp, as did USA Basketball obligations for P.J. Washington (2017/6-7/Henderson, NV, Findlay Prep).
