All West Live Standouts, part 2
My second of two reports from Dinos Trigonis’ All West Live and Pangos 32 events highlights several additional standouts: Best defender Patrick Johnson, 6-2 2021 G, Compton/ LA Rockfish 17u Event: All West Live Two weeks earlier, we noted…
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Continue ReadingMy second of two reports from Dinos Trigonis’ All West Live and Pangos 32 events highlights several additional standouts:
Best defender
Patrick Johnson, 6-2 2021 G, Compton/ LA Rockfish 17u
Event: All West Live
Two weeks earlier, we noted Johnson’s attention to detail and commitment to defense in a showcase setting where defense often takes a holiday. He was at it again Sunday, stripping players of the ball and playing the passing lanes for additional steals. A wire-thin combo guard prospect, Johnson shows flashes of high-level playmaking out of pick-and-roll and scoring from three levels. Consistency and added strength are the next steps in his development.
Spivey Word, 6-1 2022 G, Damien/ Elev8 Hoops Platinum
Event: Pangos 32
An explosive athlete, Word also proved to be a on-ball menace in his team’s blowout win. Very few players sit in a stance, slide their feet aggressively and take away driving lanes, and pick ball handlers pockets like him. Add in a pair of explosive dunks and plays in transition, and it was a good showing for the Damien standout.
Craftiest
David Black, 5-10 2021 PG, Bloomington/ Triple Threat Bruins
Event: Pangos 32
Black proved to be a blur to stay in front of in his game against Players Play. He uses hesitation dribbles, change of direction and change of pace to get into the lane, and he is a very crafty finisher around the basket. Additionally, Black made highlight-reel passes when he drew helpside defense from his dribble penetration. Some colleges might be standoffish due to his size and narrow frame, but Black is worth a look at the NAIA level. He’s as tough as they come.
Wyatt Miller, 5-9 2023 G, San Marcos (SB)/ Dream Chaser 16u
Event: Pangos 32
Every time you looked up, Miller was knocking down a deep three off the dribble. Miller plays with the ball on a string, and uses his crossover dribble to create space on the perimeter to get off his jump shot. A player out of Santa Barbara to monitor. Also a standout lacrosse athlete.
Jacks of All Trades
Chol Deng Chol Deng 6'4" | SF Fairmont Prep | 2022 State CA-S , 6-5 2022 W, Fairmont Prep/ So-Cal All Stars
Event: Pangos 32
Deng does a little bit of everything: he can knock down corner threes, attack closeouts and finish at the rim, rebound in traffic on both ends and defend on the post and perimeter. His handle gets shaky after two dribbles, and he can be a little upright when attacking off the dribble, but the raw tools are there to be a D1 wing prospect.
Lejuan Watts, 6-5 2022 F, Bullard/ EBO
Event: Pangos 32, All West Live
Watts is a big, physical utility forward who has a nose for the basketball. He gets into the paint off the bounce and finishes through contact. An unselfish passer, he advances the ball in transition with crisp outlets and moves ball and body in the half court to get to his spots. Watts also is a force on the boards, using his big frame to effectively box out bigger defenders and gets off the ground to collect boards in and out of his area. He’s one of those undersized power forwards whose ball skills make him a major mismatch.
The future
Che’ Brogan, 6-3 2026 G, Orangewood Academy/ So-Cal All Stars
Event: Pangos 32
The long armed, gangly point guard prospect has a command and leadership intangibles that you don’t see in most seniors. He directed his team’s offense, made some high level passes and showed scrappiness on the boards and on defense. We’ll be hearing a lot from him.
Ashton McCullough, 6-3 2025 G, Team Inland
Event: Pangos 32
McCullough came into the game against So-Cal All Stars and immediately provided a spark with his scoring ability off the dribble and from deep. He even made a big defensive play that gave Inland a chance at winning a game they trailed almost its entirety.
Other names:
2022 G Myles Che and 2021 G Myles Phillips had solid showings in the All West Live event. Che, a 6-2, crafty scoring guard and Phillips, an athletic 5-11 point guard, took turns attacking their opponents off the bounce.
2023 G Varick Lewis Varick Lewis 6'4" | SG Monterey Trail | 2023 CA-S is one of the more polished scorers in his class that I’ve seen. He scored it from every level and showed nice burst in the open court and in the halfcourt.
The battle between 6-5 2023 F Kaleb Carter and 5-11 2023 F Pe’a Misaalefua was one of the more unique ones in the Pangos 32. Trapped in non-ideal basketball bodies, their skill level and intensity are hard to match.