Pangos Spring Live – under-the-radar prospects
Last week’s Pangos Spring Live was one of two live-period events in Southern California that Prep Hoops’ SoCal team attended. Headquartered out of Cerritos College, some of the better independent 15u-17u teams were in attendance, and one EYBL Team, Team Why Not.
There were a number of prospects that are known commodities, but several players not necessarily on coaches or scouting radars had some good moments. Here are a few of their names:
Pangos Spring Live – Under-the-radar prospects
2019 3Ball PG Caleb Whalen is a crafty pass-first point guard who elevates his teammatesCaleb Whalen, 2019 6-0 PG, 3Ball 17u
Whalen was one of the craftier point guards at the event, and was the catalyst in San Luis Obispo-based program’s surprising performance against Team Why Not’s 16u team. He was able to break guards down off the dribble, split double teams and find seams in the defense almost at will. Once in the paint, he delivered pinpoint passes to his hot-shooting teammates. The Arroyo Grande point guard was also capable of finishing plays on his own with an array of floaters, contorting layups around contact. He’ll be one to monitor during the July live periods.
Chase Webb, 6-5 2019 WF, Coastal Premier 17u
Webb doesn’t have ideal measurements (short wingspan, fair athleticism) but makes up for it with an assertive scoring mindset and an excellent motor. Webb is a knockdown shooter from the perimeter when his feet are set and is in rhythm. He moves well without the ball, making assertive cuts and dives to the basket, where teammates can catch him in stride for easy scores. He doesn’t possess great quickness of the dribble, but drives hard to the rim in the halfcourt and scores through contact. Defensively, Webb is vocal, talking teammates through screens and calling out help defense for on-ball defenders. Division 3 schools would be wise to recruit.
Gage Gomez, 2020 6-3 SG, 3Ball 17u
Gomez quickly became a favorite of the scouts on hand due to his excellent feel and knockdown shooting. The lefty has a compact, quick release, and can get his shot off over longer defenders. Gomez also showed some craftiness off the bounce, despite not being the fleetest of foot. He needs to improve his handle with his off hand and improve his ball skills against pressure, but only a sophomore, Gomez will be another SLO-area guard to track in July.
Snookey Wigington, 2020 5-8 PG, Rockfish Navy
The diminutive point guard carved up Coastal 17u Premier’s defense, using changes of speed, hesitation dribbles and ball fakes to open up driving lanes. He did an excellent job finding open teammates on the perimeter in drive-and-kick, and deftly ran the pick and roll to create scores for himself and others. The only thing that slowed him down was a second half injury. The Taft point guard was also tough on defense, using his quick feet to cut off drives and quick hands to create steals from ball handlers.
Jalai O’Keith, 2020 6-5 WF, Cali Fire 16u
O’Keith is a prospect that passes the eye test with his long arms and athletic frame. His skill level is catching up. Playing largely on the ball for his club team, he showed flashes of playmaking ability in the pick and roll and strong straight-line drives to the basket. He has a tendency to settle for too many threes of the step-back variety, rather than attacking the basket, where he is at his best. If he can continue to improve his overall feel, he has a chance to be a sleeper recruit in coming years.
Jaxson Schultz, 2020 6-3 G, Gamepoint 16u Black
Schultz is one of those guards that scorers love to play with, because he is all about passing the ball. The long, crafty combo guard has good size and excellent feel and plays with great pace. He not only makes the correct read in drive-and-kick and pick-and-roll, he delivers the right pass, whether it be a chest pass to open shooters or a bounce pass to the roll man. Schultz showed at times that he can score it himself and has a decent shot off the catch. Calling his own number more from time to time will make him even tougher to cover.
Donovan Cox, 2021 6-0 G, Gamepoint 16u Black
A freshman playing 16u, Cox more than held his own this weekend. A deadly shooter with deep range, Cox gets his feet set and has a crisp, quick release. He also does a good job using shot fakes to step into midrange shots as defenders fly by. In transition, he sprints hard to open spaces behind the arc and has his hands shot ready. Additionally, Cox showed he can also direct the break himself, scoring on some tough drives through contact in the halfcourt and in transition.