Looking Back – Pangos San Diego Showcase

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to take in a daylong offering of top-notch basketball action at Canyon Crest Academy. Ryan Silver’s Pangos Program rolled into town with it’s San Diego Showcase, which pitted some of San Diego’s top players against a number of top players from the Los Angeles area.

The showcase gave a number of onlookers a glimpse into both the immediate and long-term future of Southern California hoops, with the elementary and middle schoolers taking the court during a four-hour morning session, and the high-school kids dominating the PM frame.

A number of players stood out to me, none more than DeAndre Ayton (Balboa Prep/ Monarch Academy) who is widely considered the top 2017 prospect in the nation, and for good reason. At 6’10” and super long, he has all of the metrics you would see in a player that has NBA potential written all over him. The wiry big has explosive athleticism and great timing on the defensive end, where he is an elite rim protector at a young age. Offensively, he possesses solid perimeter skills and the ability to beat his man off the dribble, but he will ultimately have to develop an advanced post game to unlock his seemingly limitless potential.

The 2017 class was also well represented at the wing and guard position, as Richard Polanco and Christian Popoola Jr. acquitted themselves quite nicely versus the older competition. Polanco, a 6’7″ forward who recently transferred to San Diego Army-Navy Academy from the Dominican Republic, has elite length and is an advanced ball handler. Popoola, son of the eponymous former UNLV standout, is a silky smooth lead guard who, at 6’2″, has great size for the point position, not to mention advanced creativity with the ball and a solid mid-range jump shot. Both of these players have “national prospect” written all over them.

Southern California’s 2016 class is widely considered the strongest assemblage of talent the region has seen in nearly a decade. The rising sophomores on hand did nothing to change that notion. Justin Moore, Eric Monroe and Jerome Sherman II, a trio of San Diego lead guards, each had solid showings. Moore at 6’3″ is a long, athletic lead guard with tremendous vision and slashing ability. Monroe is a pure point guard who at 6′ has an extremely high hoops IQ and solid touch from the perimeter. Sherman, a young 2016 prospect, has some great bounce and, like his counterparts, is a solid playmaker who is equally adept at calling his own number as he is setting up his teammates. Michael Pelaiz (superior ball handler) and Lamarr Crouch (athletic scoring guard) were also 2016 guard standouts. On the wing, Bruce Edwards, Riley Schaefer and Justin Davis also had solid moments at the showcase. Edwards, an athletic 6’3″ two-guard type had some strong drives to the basket and was able to stick the mid-range jumper. Schaefer, a 6’4″ guard/forward, was stroking from the perimeter, and showed off his high IQ with several no-look assists. Davis, a 6’5″ wing, has a beastly frame, and has the potential to be a lockdown defender at multiple positions.

I’ll check back in later with some standouts from the 2014 and 2015 classes!