Pangos Best of SoCal Spring Showcase: 2019 Standouts
Long Beach, Ca. — Pangos founder Dinos Trigonis held his annual Best of SoCal Spring Showcase Saturday, bringing together some of the area’s top talent for a head-to-head feature game atmosphere at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.
The participants ranged from the classes of 2019 to 2022 with four showcase games played on the afternoon, below are the standouts from the class of 2019.
Braelee Albert, Brentwood
No matter what the setting is, you can count on Albert to bring his hard hat. The 6-foot-5 forward, who helped lead Brentwood to the CIF-SS Division 2AA championship this past season, is one of the better offensive and defensive rebounders in the area. Albert outworks everyone on the offensive glass to get his side second chance opportunities and is one of the more fundamental players when it comes to blocking out when a shot goes up.
Kaveon Batiste, Westchester
Batiste is one of those guys who keeps getting better each time he takes the floor. The 6-foot-7 forward throws his weight around well, especially when it comes to high ball-screen game. Batiste sprints to set picks, remains stationary until he feels a body, then dives hard to the front of the rim where he can catch and finish with power.
Kevin Bethel, Westchester
What stands out most about Bethel is the pace in which he plays. The 6-foot point guard is always in control, surveying the floor in transition and picking defenses apart with changes of speed and dribble moves in the half-court setting. Bethel doesn’t over-handle, gets off the ball, and puts the ball in teammates’ hands where they can make a play.
Bishop Montgomery PG Gianni Hunt had his playmaking abilities on full-display at the Pangos Best of SoCal Spring Showcase.Gianni Hunt, Bishop Montgomery
Hunt was the most dynamic guard prospect in the building on the day. The high motor, physical left-handed point guard showed his explosive playmaking ability in transition – both in setting others up and creating for himself – and put defenders on skates in isolation situations in half-court situations. The 6-foot-3 Bishop Montgomery product made countless plays on the defensive end, as well.
Chris James, St. John Bosco
James is still one of the more underrated guards in all of Southern California. He plays with great pace, a high basketball IQ, and has the ability to play both guard positions due to his understanding of how to move without the ball. James, who caught a lob pass and threw down a two-handed dunk over a defender, will continue to open eyes of Division I colleges with his improved leaping ability and aggressiveness.
Robert McRae, Fairfax
McRae is one of the more versatile defenders in the area. He takes pride in the fact that he can guard 1-5 on the high school level due to his length, athleticism, lateral speed, strength and just pure dedication to that side of the ball. It was good to see McRae’s offensive game coming along, though, as he looked much more smooth and confident with his ball handling and mid-range jump shot.