THOROFARE, NJ – The Pangos All-East Frosh-Soph Camp was wrapped up on the afternoon of Oct. 25 at the RiverWinds Center with its Top 30 All-Star Game culled from the 200 or so players who competed in the two day event.
And, although several players were outstanding in the final contest, it was just as noteworthy for the guys that didn’t play in it as it was for those that did perform in the game that was won by the squad wearing white jerseys, 125-116.
For example:
*Three freshmen from the Team Rio travel program, Scotty Lewis, Cole Anthony and Bryan Antoine, were locks to play in the Top 30 Game after superb efforts on Saturday.
But they didn’t return for Sunday’s action because they were scheduled to compete with their Team Rio teammates in a tournament being held in New York City.
From my perspective, Lewis was the easily the best player and prospect in the camp and would have been a no-brainer selection as the camp’s Most Outstanding Player had he taken part in Sunday’s activities.
*Two post players, freshman Precious Achiuwa and sophomore Boubacar Diakite, would have been strong candidates for Camp MOP with Lewis out of contention after dominant efforts during both games each played on Saturday and the two more they competed in Sunday morning.
But each had to head for home before the Top 30 affair tipped so I dropped them from my MOP “ballot” as well.
That left a half-dozen or so viable MOP candidates from my perspective – and all of this stuff falls into that category, by the way.
But after he scored 14 points to go with a game-high nine rebounds in the Top 30 Game, my choice became 6-foot-6, 230-pound (or so) freshman Eric Dixon, who attends Abington High in the Philadelphia suburb of the same name.
The left hander pretty much had his way – as a scorer and rebounder – in the lane and along the baseline through his four camp games. And it was much of the same deal in Sunday’s final game, as well.
Sophomore guard Tyree Pickron scored 17 points (while hitting four 3s) to go with four rebounds and four assists to bag Top 30 co-MOP for the winning squad with another sophomore guard, Casey Caruso (12 points and four assists), sharing that honor for his effort for the team wearing black jerseys.
In the Top 60 contest, the white jersey-wearing crew rallied from a 16-point deficit early in the second half to prevail, 115-100.
A couple of sophomores separated by 12 inches or so and about 100 pounds in stature and weight, point guard Markquis Nowell (for the winning squad) and center Mamadou Docoure (17 points and seven rebounds), shared MOP honors in that game.
My complete camp honors:
*Most Outstanding Top 30 Game Performers: Tyree Pickron 6-2 (Warminster, PA/Archbishop Wood) and Casey Caruso 5-11 (Camp Hill, PA/Camp Hill).
*Most Outstanding Top 60 Game Performers: Markquis Nowell 5-9 (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) and Mamadou Doucoure 6-9 (Centerreach, NY/Our Savior New American).
*Most Outstanding Camp Player: Eric Dixon 6-6 (Abington, PA/Abington). Runner-up: Marcus Littles 6-9 (Bryn Athyn, PA/Academy of the New Church).
*Most Outstanding Camp Freshman: Eric Dixon 6-6 (Abington, PA/Abington). Runner-up: Joe Touissant 6-9 (The Bronx, NY/Cardinal Hayes).
*Most Outstanding Camp Sophomore: Marcus Littles 6-9 (Bryn Athyn, PA/Academy of the New Church). Runner-Up: Ajiri Johnson 6-8 (Drexel, PA/Bonner).
*The Top 25 players in camp (based upon performance when I watched them play, not just “college potential”):
TOP 10 SOPHOMORES
*Casey Caruso 5-11 (Camp Hill, PA/Camp Hill)
*Boubacar Diakite 6-7 (Centerreach, NY/Our Savior New American)
*Tony Goodwin 6-6 (Bethesda, MD/Walter Johnson)
*Andre Hyatt 6-5 (White Plains, NY/Archbishop Stepnac)
*Ajiri Johnson 6-8 (Drexel Hill, PA/Bonner)
*Marcus Littles 6-9 (Bryn Athyn, PA, Academy of the New Church)
*Demetrius Mims 6-5 (Baltimore/Poly)
*Tyree Pickron 6-2 (Warminster, PA/Archbishop Wood)
*Chauncey Sterling 6-1 (Jersey City, NY/St. Anthony)
*Ethan Wright 6-2 (Newton, MA/Newton)
Next Five: D’Marco Baucum 6-6 (Arlington, VA/Bishop O’Connell); Robert Heath 6-2 (Abington, PA/Abington); Jalen Lecque 6-1 (Scanlan, NY/Scanlan); Noah Locke 6-2 (Owens Mills, MD/McDonough School); Omar Silverio 6-1 (The Bronx/St. Raymond’s)
TOP 10 FRESHMEN
*Cole Anthony 6-2 (Queens, NY/Archbishop Molloy)
*Bryan Antoine 6-5 (Tinton Falls, NJ/Ranney)
*Precious Achiuwa 6-7 (The Bronx/Out Savior of Lutheran)
*Jack Cavanaugh 6-3 (Sparta, NJ/Pope John XXII)
*Eric Dixon 6-6 (Abington, PA/Abington)
*Scotty Lewis 6-4 (Tinton Falls, NJ/Ranney)
*Marvin Price 6-4 (Hyattsville, MD/DeMatha)
*Gavin Thompson 5-9 (Seymour, TN/The King’s Academy)
*Joe Touissant 6-0 (The Bronx/Cardinal Hayes)
*Jalen Williams 6-0 (Summerville, SC/Pinewood Prep)
