Pangos All-American Camp Day 1

[Halldan1]

Pangos All-American Camp Day 1: Mustapha Heron dominates; Terrance Ferguson shows glimpses of greatness

Scott Phillips

May 30, 2015, 2:31 PM EDT

Scott Phillips/NBC Sports

CARSON, CA. — The annual Pangos All-American Camp tipped off on Friday night as some of the nation’s top prospects took the floor at Cal State Dominguez in one of the top events of early summer. Four-star Class of 2016 guard Mustapha Heron stole the show while three-star 2016 big man Nate Morris impressed. Five-star shooting guard Terrance Ferguson also showed some signs of greatness to end the opening night’s session.

Mustapha Heron puts on a show

Four-star Class of 2016 guard Mustapha Heron was the best player I saw during the opening night of Pangos as the native of Connecticut was simply unstoppable with the ball in his hands. A left-handed power guard, the 6-foot-5 Heron went for 26 points and scored in nearly every way possible in transition.

Although the former Pitt commit is still a reliable jumper away from reaching truly elite status, if he’s got a full head of steam going to the rim, he’s likely going to score or draw the foul. Some big men on the opposing team found out about Heron’s strength the hard way when he simply went through them at the rim for a couple of tough and-1 finishes.

Also an adept passer in the open floor, Heron will look to take his official visits this fall after he cuts his list in late summer. Heron told NBCSports.com that Kentucky, Mississippi State, Texas and UCLA are coming at him hard and he recently went on an unofficial visit to St John's to check out the Red Storm under new head coach Chris Mullin.

Nate Morris impresses in the opening game

Three-star 2016 center Nate Morris is a blue-collar big man who works hard to stay active around the basket on both ends of the floor. Morris is known for cleaning the glass and making hustle plays, but the 6-foot-10 native of Dallas opened some eyes on Friday night by showcasing some skill on the block.

Showing improved footwork, Morris dropped in a good-looking face-up jumper, had a hook on the block with his right hand and generally looked more confident as a scorer.

Already entertaining scholarship offers from Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Kansas State, Morris told NBCSports.com that he would like to see Oklahoma State at some point when he takes official visits in the future.

Terrance Ferguson shows glimpses of greatness

Watching five-star Class of 2016 wing Terrance Ferguson play can be a joy and painfully frustrating all within the same half. The 6-foot-6 native of Dallas is as athletically gifted as any wing in the country, but he’s prone to lapses of inconsistent play after making a highlight-reel dunk or a strong defensive stand.

Still, there are things that Ferguson does on the floor that very few people on Earth can accomplish — specifically his aerial assault of the rim on lobs and transition dunks. Also a solid 3-point shooter, Ferguson needs to flesh out his middle game if he wants to be a complete offensive weapon but he has a ton of tools to work with going forward.

Ferguson also showed a good IQ for the game by initiating some high ball screens with his big men and making good decisions out of those plays. He was patient finding big men in the post who had mismatches and also found some weak-side shooters once the defense collapsed to stop his drive.

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisville and Texas were the schools Ferguson mentioned to NBCSports.com that are among the current picture and he has yet to cut down a list or set any visits.

 

[Halldan1]

Pangos All-American Camp Day 2: 2017 guards emerge, Rawle Alkins, Taurean Thompson give updates

Scott Phillips

May 31, 2015, 10:15 AM EDT

Ethan Thompson (Scott Phillips/NBCSports.com)

CARSON, CA. — The Pangos All-American Camp continued on Saturday as gameplay heated up and some more top performers emerged. Class of 2017 guards Ethan Thompson and Isaiah Washington both performed at a high level while New York native and guard Rawle Alkins showed why he’s one of the best players in the Class of 2016. In the nightcap, 2016 big man Taurean Thompson showed why many at Pangos have been praising his game throughout the weekend.

Ethan Thompson and Isaiah Washington play inspired ball

The Class of 2017 had some high-level guard play during the early session of Saturday as California native Ethan Thompson and New York native Isaiah Washington both put together complete efforts.

The 6-foot-2 Thompson, the son of Oregon State assistant coach Stephen Thompson, shot the ball very well and scored the ball from all three levels, including a feathery touch from the 3-point line. For Thompson, his jump shot is effortless and you get the feeling that the ball is going in every time he releases it.

Although his dad is an assistant coach and his brother, Class of 2015 guard Stephen Thompson Jr., are both apart of the Oregon State basketball program, Ethan is not necessarily a lock to join them in the future. The Beavers have offered Ethan a scholarship, but he plans on keeping his options open. Thompson told NBCSports.com that Cal State Fullerton has offered while Cal, Stanford and Clemson are showing interest.

“I’m still trying to stay open and look for other schools to go to,” Thompson said. “Just because my dad and my brother are going there, they’re not forcing me to go there. I’m still staying open.”

On the opposing side, the 6-foot-0 Washington impressed as a floor leader and he made savvy passes, tough shots from multiple levels and also had some good hesitation dribble moves. The product of St. Raymond's has a tremendous feel for the game and he’s tough to defend in the open floor, using good footwork and spin moves to get to the basket even though he’s a bit undersized.

Minnesota and Providence have offered Washington scholarships in the early going and high-major programs looking for a feisty floor leader in July should definitely take a look.

Rawle Alkins remains a high-major priority in the 2016 class

Class of 2016 guard Rawle Alkins is already regarded as a four-star prospect and the New York native played in attack mode on Saturday in an ugly, camp-style game. The game he was involved in was an up-and-down transition contest with minimal defense, but Alkins also scored in the halfcourt during the rare chances the game slowed down, using a deceptive first step to score going left or right.

Kentucky, Miami and Texas recently offered Alkins after the April live evaluation period and he’s going to be one of the most sought-after guards in the country this summer.

Alkins has a perimeter jumper that is still a work-in-progress and if he can improve that enough to be a consistent option, he’s going to be nearly impossible to contain off-the-bounce because his ability to finish around the hoop is very good.

Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, N.C. State and Villanova have all kept in touch with Alkins as well and all have offered, he told NBCSports.com. The 6-foot-4 Alkins is the No. 26 overall prospect in the Class of 2016 and he’ll travel to Italy next week as part of the United States group that will play in the adidas Eurocamp.

Taurean Thompson continues a strong camp

One of the most consistent threats during the Pangos All-American Camp has been Class of 2016 big man Taurean Thompson. The 6-foot-10 Thompson was solid during the Nike EYBL this spring with the New Jersey Playaz and he’s had a really good camp as a rebounder, shot blocker and post scorer.

Thompson has scored the ball in a variety of ways, including face-ups and moves around the basket and he’s made a lot of energy plays and come up with rebounds in traffic. The big man told NBCSports.com that Arizona, Xavier, Oklahoma, Rutgers, SETON HALL, St. Joseph’s, Old Dominion, Richmond and Rice have offered scholarships and he’s focused on playing this summer before taking any future visits.

If Thompson continues playing with this type of effort on both ends of the floor, he’s going to have a lot of college coaches following his play in July.

 

[Halldan1]

Five observations from the Pangos All-American Camp
Scott Phillips

Jun 2, 2015, 5:30 PM EDT

Scott Phillips/NBC Sports

CARSON, CA. — The Pangos All-American Camp is once again in the books and this year’s annual showcase featured a deep camp roster with some of the best players in the country. A couple of Class of 2016 shooting guards are making a strong push towards All-American status as we enter the summer while the 2017 class showed it has a lot of big men who could be national recruits.

1. Mustapha Heron and Rawle Alkins position themselves for a big summer

In the Class of 2016, shooting guards Mustapha Heron and Rawle Alkins have already positioned themselves as national recruits with a chance to become future All-Americans. Both bruising East coast guards had outstanding showings at the Pangos All-American Camp and they were the two best players during the weekend.

The 6-foot-5 Heron showed an ability to score going to the hoop almost any possession he wanted and he also showed that he can create for others with the pass. While his jumper and going right (using his off-hand) are both still a work-in-progress, Heron showed that he’s more confident going to those moves than he was last summer. He’s put himself in prime position to potentially be a five-star recruit with All-American honors this spring if he continues to play like this.

As for Alkins, he was a bit more inconsistent than Heron, but the New York native had peaks that were as good as anyone at the camp. With a deceptive first step and a lot of power going to the rim, the 6-foot-4 Alkins is very difficult to stop going to the basket and he had his way at Pangos in the camp’s up-and-down style of play. Much like Heron, the jumper is still a work in progress, but Alkins is crafty scoring the ball inside of 15 feet and he isn’t afraid to finish with either hand.

2. The Class of 2017 will have a lot of big men with national-level recruitments

The Class of 2017 already has some star power among big men as DeAndre Ayton sits clearly in the pole position. Other five-star big men like Zach Brown, Wendell Carter and Jeremiah Tilmon also had some good spring showings playing up an age level in the Nike EYBL.

Although Heron and Alkins were the two best players at the Pangos All-American Camp, the two best long-term prospects might be New York-native Mohammed Bamba and San Diego-native Brandon McCoy. The 6-foot-10 Bamba has been playing 16U basketball this spring since the PSA Cardinals already have Omari Spellman and Kassoum Yakwe playing on the 17U team, but Bamba a big-time prospect with mobility, an emerging skill level and a lot of desirable physical tools. Bamba made a few moves during camp that had the place buzzing and he’s beginning to put the ball on the floor a little bit, which helps him use his quickness for his size in the post.

McCoy, who is originally from Chicago, showed flashes of strong play this spring in the Nike EYBL playing up with Cal Supreme and he’s pushing 7-feet tall and already weighs 230 pounds. Despite his size, McCoy moves incredibly well for a young big man and is at his best running the floor and making plays. The added strength has also given McCoy more of an edge on the interior and he’s getting more consistency as a rebounder and post defender.

3. Javin DeLaurier and Taurean Thompson make a big statement

Two big men in the Class of 2016 that have put themselves in position for a big summer include Virginia native Javin DeLaurier and New Jersey native Taurean Thompson. After seeing both players do good things this spring on the grassroots circuit, both big men had tremendous Pangos camps and should hear from a lot of high-major programs this summer.

DeLaurier has already been bumped into the top 50 in the 2016 class for Rivals this week with LaGerald Vick’s move out of the class and onto the Kansas roster for next season. During Pangos, DeLaurier outworked every other player on the floor and ran rim-to-rim as hard as any player on every single possession. Rebounding the ball at a high rate, DeLaurier also showed a bit of a face-up game and defended a bit as a weak-side rim protector.

While DeLaurier rebounded the ball well, Thompson was arguably the camp’s top glass man, as he snatched away numerous rebounds in traffic and finished plays around the rim. Thompson also showed an improving face-up game that included a smooth jumper out to 17 feet.

Expect both DeLaurier and Thompson to receive a lot of high-major attention this summer when they hit the July live evaluation period.

4. Terrance Ferguson needs to be more consistent

There is no question that five-star Class of 2016 wing Terrance Ferguson is an elite prospect and one of the best in his class. But now is the time for Ferguson to showcase more consistency after an up-and-down showing at Pangos All-American Camp. Ferguson is regarded as the No. 5 overall prospect in Rivals’ Class of 2016 rankings and if you’re going to be that high in the rankings, you have to bring it every game.

Ferguson is an exceptional athlete with good range on his jumper, but he disappeared for too many stretches of time during camp play. It’s admirable that Ferguson was playing through some injuries during a camp that isn’t a live-period event, but his so-so outings also happened this spring on the Under Armour circuit. Ferguson played on a very talented MWA Elite squad — so he didn’t have to carry big scoring numbers — but he shot 37 percent from the field, 55 percent from the free-throw line and 34 percent from 3-point range over the 12-game league schedule. If he wants to remain a top-five prospect, those numbers have to improve across the board.

That being said, there is no doubting that Ferguson has the physical tools to remain an elite prospect going forward. He’s still a likely All-American with his best basketball ahead of him.

5. Some new 2017 names emerge

The Pangos All-American Camp is often a good setting to see some new players who flew a bit under-the-radar this spring. The Class of 2017 had some new names emerge that high-major schools should look out for this summer. New York native Isaiah Washington had a strong camp going toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the country. The 6-foot-0 point guard is crafty with the ball in his hands and gets to the rim using a variety of moves, including spins, hesitation moves and quick bursts that leave his defender off-balance.

Connecticut native Walter Whyte emerged out of nowhere to be one of the better young guards in the camp. His jumper is a tad inconsistent, but the 6-foot-5 guard scored the ball at all three levels and played solid, fundamental basketball in a camp that can sometimes produce some bad basketball.

 

[Vegas pj]

Sixth Observation - As long as a certain head coach, whose name I shall not mention, remains at a small Catholic University in NJ (name cannot be mentioned for privacy reasons), talented players at Pangos will not be mentioned in connection with said University.