All-West Frosh/Soph Camp: Best Passers
The annual Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph camp featured more than 200 prospects from states all across the Western United States.
The camp featured a strong mix of point guards, scoring guards, wing scorers and big men. This piece dives in to the best pure passers from the two-day event at Westminster High.
Isael Silva, Jesuit
It’s rare to find a true point guard in the current climate of high school basketball, but Silva is as good as it gets when it comes defining that term. The 6-foot-2 sophomore has a throwback, euro-style feel to his game, which is most evident by the methodical way he picks apart defenses with high IQ decision-making and precision passing. Silva has every pass in the book and can complete them with accuracy and timing.
Chris Howell, San Marcos
Howell was mistaken by some media members as a two-guard or wing, but he is every bit a point guard. His lanky 6-foot-6 frame allows him to see over defenses and smaller defenders, but it’s his anticipation that sets him apart. Howell, a sophomore, see’s the game one or two steps ahead of most others and makes the simple, yet effective passes.
Six-foot-6 Chris Howell is every bit the point guard as his shorter counterparts.Richard Isaacs, Jr., Coronado (NV)
Isaacs showed off his scoring chops for much of this particular event, but he still showed flashes of the dynamic playmaking that makes him such a joy to watch. The 6-foot-1 point guard is lightning quick, but never sped up, and blows past defenders into the paint where he draws in help defense and finds open teammates. Isaacs, a freshman, is one of the better baseline passers around, meaning his baseline drives many times result in accurate hammer passes to 3-point shooters in the corner or pocket bounces to big men.
Zaon Collins, Bishop Gorman (NV)
Collins is another ultra-talented Vegas-area point guard who is all about setting the table. The 6-footer plays with a sleek pace and an unafraid attitude. He’s both fast and quick, changes speeds and direction on a dime, and always has his eyes up in transition. One of the best attributes of Collins’ game is that he doesn’t over-handle the basketball. Collins, a sophomore, understands the concepts of moving the ball ahead in transition and passing to the wing and screening away in the half-court.
Jason Hart II, Dorsey
Hart is what I like to call an ‘identifier.’ The freshman quickly diagnoses the look, pace, and feel of a game and knows what his team needs from him. He can push the tempo in transition or slow it down and take defenses to task in the half-court. Hart isn’t flashy in his dimes by any means, but efficiency and timing, not flash, are the characteristics of a good passer.
Wilhelm Breidenbach, Mater Dei
Why not reward a big man who can dish it? The 6-foot-8 Breidenbach is such a threat to score on the block, he draws double teams regularly, and the sophomore doesn’t force many offensive actions through that extra defender, but rather skips the ball to an open shooter on the weak-side. Breidenbach is also an impressive trail passer, quickly swinging it from one side to another to get the defense moving.