Many times in an individual showcase camp for elite talent, the play can be less than inspiring or sloppier than talent scouts or NBA personnel would hope to see. But the 2024 edition of the Pangos All-American Camp certainly didn't have that problem. The games were well-played, and most importantly, were ultra competitive from the first ones on Sunday through the final top all-star game on Tuesday afternoon.

For the first time in the event's history, there was a team championship game prior to the Cream of the Crop All-Star Games to reward winning basketball. Illinois representing the Big 10 Conference and took on Notre Dame representing the Atlantic Coast Conference both went 3-0 during regular camp games to qualify for the championship. ?The Illini then came up with a 86-73 come-from-behind-victory to finish 4-0.

Leading the way for the camp's best team with his steady play was 6-foot-3 2025 guard Jerry Easter of La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Also netting 15 points for his team was 6-foot-5 2025 Jermaine O'Neal Jr. of Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas). Turning heads with his play on the interior was 6-foot-10 2025 Badara Diakite of South Kent Prep (Conn.). He finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

Notre Dame held a 43-41 lead at halftime but couldn't sustain it, as Illinois out-rebounded the Irish (39-37)and were credited with more assists (20-15). Joshua Lewis, a 6-foot-7 2025 forward from Blake (Tampa, Fla.) chosen for the Cream of the Crop Top 60 Game, led Notre Dame with 20 points. It should also be noted that when Brayden Burries, the 6-foot-5 2025 from Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) and Notre Dame's top overall player, was out of the game, his team consistently gave up leads. Burries was the unifying force with his unselfish passing and overpowering finishes and rebounding. Burries' plus/minus likely was off the charts throughout the camp and he showed why he could successfully play on or off the ball at the next level.

Burries was arguably the best all-around player at the camp, with the only difference between he and Easter was the latter's efficiency from the field. Easter was credited as shooting 7-of-8 from the field in the championship game (plus his team got the win), while Burries was 4-of-10. In the Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star Game designed for the camp's top performers among 110 participants from 31 different states, Easter was 6-of-7 from the field (good for 15 points), while Burries was 2-of-7 (good for 10 points). Easter was just super efficient all weekend long with his controlled game, change of pace and high percentage shot attempts. He let the game come to him and has that knack for keeping defenders just a bit left or right when he attacks or on his release point. Easter has been a well known commodity on the circuit since middle school, but feels playing in a balanced attack at La Lumiere in the scholastic setting durning his junior season helped him coming into Pangos Camp.

"I came in with the mindset to go out, play and compete," Love said. "It definitely helped me get better to play with guys like Chuck Love and Jalen Haralson and in six months (playing EYBL Scholastic) I got alot better. I just love the game and I just want to have fun and at the same time be a leader."

Love and Burries actually played on the same team in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game and their Red-clad team came out on top over the Blue jersey-wearing unit, 114-106, in a competitive game. The Blue team actually led by 12 points in the first half and at halftime, 56-50. The game was tied 90-90 with six minutes remaining before the Red team took control behind some nifty passes from Burries, some steady play-making from Easter and a big 3-pointer down the stretch from the team's leading scorer, 6-foot-5 2025 wing Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.). Yessoufou was pulling the trigger on his open looks all camp long and finished the final game with 20 points. Yessoufou made 3-of-7 three-pointers and all of his five free throws, including two clutch ones in the game's waning moments.

Seven-foot center Xavion Staton of Sierra Vista (Las Vegas, Nev.) continued his defensive dominance and helped the Red team to victory with five blocked shots. Also playing well was Kayden Edwards, a 6-foot-2 2025 southpaw guard from Duncanville (Texas) who made 4-of-7 three-pointers and had 12 points, and Dylan Mingo, a 6-foot-5 2026 point guard from Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.), who finished with 10 points. Also making positive final impression were O'Neal Jr. and steady Devin Brown, a 6-foot-7 2025 from Milwaukee Academy of Science (Wis.).

The Blue team built its first half lead behind the hot shooting of 6-foot-6 2026 shooting guard Jacob Lanier of Maumelle (Ark.). Lanier played within himself throughout the event and didn't force much, and in the all-star game when he was open on the outside, he let it fly. Lanier made all six of his 3-point attempts and finished with 20 points. He definitely showed why he should be near the top of any credible 2026 national rankings.

Meleek Thomas, a 6-foot-5 2025 guard from Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.), was the Blue Team's leading scorer with 22 points. After arriving from Western Pennsylvania on Monday, Thomas put his stamp on each game he played and evaluated the level of competition and competitiveness in the camp with his energy and presence. Thomas came into the event with the mindset to dominate, and outside of a few rushed shots, did just that. He was rewarded for his efforts by being named 2024 Pangos Camp Most Outstanding Player.

"I came in wanting to be vocal and be a leader," said Thomas, who has already been an All-American Elite team selection twice in his Lincoln Park career with a season to go. "Coming from a winning high school program plays a part, but it's also about me individually wanting to win at every event I play in and be the best."

The one player we were most vocal about deserving a Top 30 roster spot was 6-foot-7 2025 Chuck Love III, Easter's teammate at La Lumiere. He went out and proved his worth as the top performer in the Top 60 game. Love made a variety of mid-range pull-ups and deep shots to finish with a game-high 25 points in his Blue Team's 103-99 victory

Point guard Jalen Reese, a 6-foot 2025 from Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) also played well for the winning Blue team. Another standout was 6-foot-6 2026 Herly Brutus of Umatilla (Fla.).

For the Red Team, both Kelvin Odih, a 6-foot-5 2025 from South Kent Prep (Conn.), and Amari Allen, a 6-foot-7 2025 from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), stood out. Both finished with 12 points.

We always like to point out a few top performers who were not chosen for either all-star game. The best of a deep lot this year were arguably one big and one wing. The big was 6-foot-10 2025 Jayden Everett of Chapin (El Paso, Texas) and the wing was 6-foot-6 2025 Jaden Vance of Bella Vista Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.).

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs

2024: Meleek Thomas, Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.) 6-4 SG
2023: (co): Flory Bidunga, Kokomo (Ind.) 6-9 PF
2023: (co): Cameron Scott, Lexington (S.C.) 6-6 SF
2022: Xavier Booker, Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-11 PF
2021: Jalen Duren, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10 C
2020: Jabari Smith, Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) 6-10 PF (Festival)
2019 (co): Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 G
2019 (co): Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 C
2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmerman, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: CJ Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post Competitive Pangos Camp Ends With Bang! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The 2023 Pangos All-American Camp, the 21st edition of the top-notch summer individual showcase event annually held in Las Vegas, grew on veteran scouts and media-types over its two and a half days of competition. Over the past 20 years, camp director Dinos Trigonis has spoiled scouts with his talent assembly line, so initially it was easy to focus on some of the elite players that were unable to attend because of commitments to international events taking place in the same time frame in a compacted summer grassroots calendar. When it was all said and done, however, there was plenty of depth present and many players who rose to the occasion.

Since 2018, the Pangos Camp has been event certified for NBA scouts to evaluate and the 27 teams that sent representatives this year had to take positive note on the sheer amount of quality shooters at the event. And it wasn't just your normal two-guards and combo guards doing the best work from the perimeter; it was a wide range of players who displayed marksmanship from the perimeter, including one who was named co-Most Outstanding Player of the event.

That particular player was 6-foot-6 rising senior (2024) Cam Scott, a sleek wing who had a unique combination of skill, shooting ability and a projectable frame that will only make him a better prospect as it continues to fill out. Scott, a Ballislife Underclass All-American at Lexington (S.C.) this past high school season, was as good end-to-end and as light on his feet as any Pangos Camper in recent memory. Similar to former St. John's standout and New York City high school legend Felipe Lopez, Scott's feet look like they barely hit the hardwood when he's in transition or looking to attack. Combine that with his knock down shooting and it's easy to see why he netted the camp's second most overall points (99) and was its third leading scorer (24.8 ppg). Scott closed out by making 4-of-7 3-pointers, 6-of-9 shots from the field, good for 16 points plus five assists, in the Black jersey team's 167-131 victory over the Blue jersey-clad club in the Top 30 Cream of the Crop Game.

Scott has plenty of college suitors and recently visited Oregon.?

"I had good people (teammates) around me and they trusted my abilities," Scott said at the conclusion of camp. "My mindset was to come in and do what I do best and be consistent to show the country where I was at."

He was far from the only standout shooter who performed well in the game designated for the camp's top overall performers. The camp's scoring leader (32.0 ppg) was also named team MVP for the Blue team. That was 6-foot-5 2024 guard Vyctorius Miller of AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), who started the camp with a bang and also closed strong. Miller was efficiently knocking down shots from all three levels and showing good discipline in his selection and play-making. In the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game, he had 22 points (on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range and 9-of-13 from the field) and added five rebounds and three assists. Just before the all-star selections were made, Miller's shooting was the difference in his final camp game, as he knocked down a deep, game-winning perimeter shot on the left wing with six seconds remaining over the out-stretched arms of 6-foot-9 2024 power forward Flory Bidunga of Kokomo (Ind.).

In addition to Miller, the standout shooting for the Blue club was done by 5-foot-11 2024 point guard Rob Wright of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), who canned 3-of-6 3-pointers and 9-of-12 field goals good for a team-high 23 points, 6-foot-4 2024 shooting guard Jalil Bethea of Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia, Pa.), who made 2-of-3 3-pointers and had 12 points, and 6-foot-4 2024 point guard Trent Perry of Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), who made 2-of-4 3-pointers and had 11 points.

Wright joined Miller as team MVP for the Blue jersey-wearing club in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game.

In addition to Scott, deep range shooters who brought out the heavy artillery for the victorious Black team included 6-foot-8 forward Ryan Jones of The Rock School (Gainesville, Fla.), who made 4-of-6 3-pointers and had 14 points, 6-foot-3 2024 shooting guard Mercy Miller of Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), who made 2-of-3 3-pointers and had 17 points, 6-foot 2024 point guard Ahmad Nowell of Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.), who made 3-of-4 3-pointers and 8-of-10 field goals for a team-high 19 points along with a team-high eight assists, 6-foot-1 2024 point guard Tahaad Pettiford of Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.), who canned 3-of-6 3-pointers and had 13 points, 6-foot-6 2024 small forward Rakease Passmore of Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.), who made 4-of-6 3-pointers and had 16 points and 6-foot-4 2024 point guard Labaron Philon of Baker (Mobile, Ala.), who knocked down 3-of-4 3-pointers and had 13 points.

Nowell and Houston-bound Mercy Miller, Vyctorius' cousin and the son of Rap Mogul Master P, were named team MVPs for the winning Black jersey-wearing club.

It was only fitting Wright was given an MVP award because from the point guard position he was easily the most dominant player and would have been a worthy Most Outstanding Player choice. Wright found creases and lanes better than any player in attendance and with his feel, explosiveness in tight spaces around the key and two steps ahead vision was playing the position as if he came down from the college level to put on a demonstration for the campers. This was in addition to his toughness and prowess as a scorer with terrific lower body strength who knows how to use his leverage against taller players.

"I may not be as athletic of some of the guys here, but I know how to use my body and strength to my advantage," said, Wright, who will play his senior season in the NIBC at Montverde Academy after a terrific junior year at Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.). "I really like to play to win and it's just another step to close out the summer strong by winning Peach Jam."

The Baylor Bears are not only getting a talented point guard who knows the game, they are also getting one who produces on winning teams. Wright is one of talented trio of guards who has led Team Final to a 15-1 won-loss mark on the spring Nike EYBL 17U circuit. Wright would like nothing more than to win Peach Jam and then help Montverde Academy to the NIBC title in 2023-24.

"We lost the second game on the first session before we knew who we were as a team," Wright said.

One team that will look to knock off Team Final in North Augusta, S.C.,July 6-9, is Cordova, Tenn.-based Team Thad, which includes not only includes knock-down shooters Passmore and Philon, but three more players who made the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game and have helped the travel ball club to a 11-3 EYBL mark. Those players are 6-foot-5 Jasper Johnson of Woodford County (Versailles, Ky.), a dynamic point guard in the rising junior (2025) class, 6-foot-4 2024 shooting guard Larry Johnson of SoCal Academy (Valencia, Calif.) via West Virginia and 6-foot-7 2024 forward Derrion Reid of Grovetown (Ga.), yet another capable deep-range shooter.

Joining Scott as camp co-Most Outstanding Player was Bidunga, the camp's most dominant post player by a fairly wide margin. Bidunga was the most outstanding player at last fall's Pangos All-American Festival in Southern California and used that as a springboard to a fine performance in Las Vegas to become the second consecutive Indiana big man to earn Pangos Camp MOP honors following Michigan St-bound Xavier Booker of Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.). Bidunga was able to join an illustrious list of MOPs with his intensity, improved skill level and approach. Bidunga set the tone early in each game and made defenders feel him with punishing finishes and big blocks. For some veteran observers, his traditional game makes him a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type prospect, while other scouts feel he's just scratching the surface of his potential on the offensive end. Either way, Bidunga's impact is undeniable and his work ethic and team-oriented nature will make some P5 D1 school very lucky in 2024-25.

According to 247Sports.com, Budinga has visited Auburn, Florida, Kansas and Michigan and will look to make his college choice in the fall with Cincinnati also expected to vie for his services. He would like nothing more to cap off next season with an Indiana state title after leading Kokomo to a runner-up finish in Class 4A behind FAB 50 No. 4 Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.), not to mention another title at the Pangos All-American Festival in September.

"Last year's Pangos Festival for sure gave more more confidence coming into the camp," Bidunga said. "I'm ready for another MVP performance; We're for sure thinking about state after we came so close to it."

There were many players perhaps deserving of a spot in the Top 30 Game and Trigonis challenged Top 60 Game participants to take advantage by playing hard and performing well. Three players took heed the most and earned Top 60 game MVP honors.

Jase Richardson, a 6-foot-3 2024 point guard from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), and Styles Phipps, a 6-foot-2 2024 point guard from St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.), netted 25 and 23 points, respectively, for the Blue team in its 124-105 victory over the Black club. Richardson was explosive around the basket and made some nifty passes, although he was credited with only one assist because teammates couldn't handle his pin-point passes. In fact, three nifty dimes were ruined on consecutive possessions. Both players shot 10-of-13 from the field and Phipps, who was recently offered by Boston College, has long been arguably the most crafty point guard in the 2024 class and one of its strongest rebounders from the lead guard position. He played with confidence on both ends and continued to demonstrate his prowess pushing the ball off the glass to facilitate or score with power finishes.

Earning MVP for the Black club was Arizona-bound Jamari Phillips, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.). Phillips can be streaky, but he was on target for most of the camp and finished strong with a team-high 18-point performance on 4-of-7 shooting from long range and 7-of-11 overall from the field.

Other Top 60 Game standouts who were initially considered for the Top 30 Game by the selection committee included San Diego State-bound, 6-foot-6 wing Taj Degourville of Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.), Washington State-bound, 6-foot-2 2024 point guard Adam Njie of Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.), 6-foot-4 2025 guard Alexander Lloyd of Westminster Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and 7-foot-1 2024 center Khaman Maker of Trinity International (Las Vegas, Nev.).

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs
2023: (co): Flory Bidunga, Kokomo (Ind.) 6-9 PF
2023: (co): Cameron Scott, Lexington (S.C.) 6-6 SF
2022: Xavier Booker, Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-11 PF
2021: Jalen Duren, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10 C
2020: Jabari Smith, Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) 6-10 PF (Festival)
2019 (co): Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 G
2019 (co): Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 C
2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmerman, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: CJ Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C

Ronnie Flores is the National Grassroots Editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post Pangos All-American Camp: Shooters Steal Show appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami,Fla.) 6-9 F Soph.
The son of 1999 second five Elite Team All-American Carlos Boozer of Juneau-Douglas (Juneau, Alaska), he's the fourth non-senior national player of the year and the first ever tenth-grader. In two high school seasons, Boozer has led Columbus to back-to-back FHSAA Class 7A state titles and two a pair of final FAB 50 national rankings. To view the full Mr. Basketball USA release, the Mr. Basketball Tracker voting results, and comments from Boozer, CLICK HERE.

For all-time Mr. Basketball USA honorees dating back to 1954-55, CLICK HERE

2023 National Junior of the Year: Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas) 6-5 G
This highly-regarded wing had lofty individual and team expectations in the preseason and he more than lived up to them, leading the Wildcats to the UIL Class 6A state crown with a game-high 29 points and eight rebounds in a 55-44 victory over FAB 50 ranked Beaumont United. For the season, Johnson led Lake Highlands to a 34-3 record and No. 8 FAB 50 ranking with only one in-state loss by averaging 21.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.7 spg. Johnson shot 53 percent (272-513) from the field, 42 percent (84-201) from 3-point range and 91 percent (177-194) from the line.

The Dallas Morning News Player of the Year is the top-ranked 2024 player by many recruiting services and received the most votes of any junior in the Mr. Basketball Player of the Year Tracker with 24 points on five ballots. He is Texas’ first honoree in this class ever (going back to 1966-67) and only the second underclass pick from the Lone Star State in any class, joining Charles Bassey?(St. Anthony, San Antonio, Texas) for freshman in 2016.

For all-time Junior Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1966-67, CLICK HERE

2022 National Sophomore of the Year: Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-9 F

Obviously with Boozer earning Mr. Basketball USA Honors, he's also the choice among tenth-graders. Cameron’s twin brother Cayden, a 6-foot-5 guard, also had a terrific season for the No. 6 team in the FAB 50, averaging 15.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.3 apg and 2.0 apg. Boozer has a chance to be the first-ever three-time National Player of the Year selection. Only three players have ever been two-time honorees (in both their junior and senior seasons): Jerry Lucas?of Middletown, Ohio (1957-58), Lew Alcindor of Power Memorial of New York (1964-65) and LeBron James?of St.-Vincent-St. Mary of Akron, Ohio (2002-03). All three of those players were first five All-Americans as sophomores.

Boozer is the first honoree from Florida for this honor since RJ Barrett of Montverde Academy in 2016-17. The next season, Barrett re-classified up and earned Mr. Basketball USA Honors as a senior when he led the Eagles to the 2017-18 FAB 50 national title. The 2025 class is considered the best since the 2020 class and there's a handful of candidates that would have been excellent choices among this year's tenth-grade crop, including forward Cooper Flagg of FAB 50 No. 2 Montverde Academy, forward Koa Peat of FAB 50 No. 22 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Meleek Thomas?of FAB 50 No. 50 Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.). In many years, any of that trio would have been cinch choices.

For all-time Sophomore Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1967-68, CLICK HERE

2023 National Freshman of the Year: Caleb Gaskins, Holy Trinity Episcopal (Melbourne, Fla.) 6-7 F

There were plenty of top candidates to consider, as this class already has a tremendous reputation and a group of players that were productive at a high level during the 2022-23 season. We decided to go with one of the best all-around talents with plenty of experience. While age can be wide-ranging with elite freshmen, this 14-year old already has experience at USA Basketball events and played varsity basketball for the Tigers as an eighth-grader. After averaging 10.8 ppg in his first varsity season, Gaskins stepped up to average 17.9 ppg and 9.6 rpg while shooting 61 percent from the field.

The All Space Coast Player of the Year by Florida Today, Gaskins scored in double figures 26 of 28 games and finished the season with 17 double-doubles. On top of his numbers, Gaskins draws raves reviews for his terrific frame, patience, IQ and feel. Gaskins is the second consecutive honoree in this class, following Cameron Boozer and is the third honoree from the Sunshine State, the first being Brandon Knight of Pine Crest (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) in 2007.

For all-time Freshman Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, CLICK HERE

2023 National Senior of the Year: Isaiah Collier, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-2 PG

This is a special category whenever the Mr. Basketball USA selection is a non-senior and needless to say it doesn't happen often. Collier was the second leading vote-getter in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker with 76 points overall (Boozer had 84 points), including five second-place votes.

Collier closed out his senior season strong, netting 22 points and seven assists in the GHSA Class AAAAAAA title game, as Wheeler won a third title in four seasons. Against national level competition, the Wildcats finished 27-7 and No. 20 in the FAB 50 while this powerful and explosive guard averaged 19.6 ppg (58.7% FG, 33.3% 3FG, 79% FT), 5.1 rpg. 6.8 apg and 2.3 spg.

Collier was part of all three state title-winning teams and Wheeler went 102-23 in his four years on the varsity team. Collier, who is part of a USC recruiting class that includes LeBron James Jr., had a game-high 25 points in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

The previous Senior Player of the Year honorees were Carmelo Anthony of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in 2002, powerful center Wes Unseld of Seneca (Louisville, Ky.) in 1964 and talented Tony Jackson of Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in 1957.

2023 National Coach of the Year: Pat Clatchey, Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.)

This Maryland power won its eleventh Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) regular season title under the direction of this coaching veteran who just completed his 31st season at his alma mater. Before the 1980 graduate arrived, Mt. St. Joseph had never won the BCL tournament tile dating back to 1972. He was 20 when hired as the school's freshman coach, was a college assistant (UMBC) for three seasons and in private scouting for a year before taking over the program in 1992 at age 29.

This season, the Gaels went 38-4 and advanced to the MIAA Conference A title game, losing to cross-town BCL rival St. Francis Academy of Baltimore. The win total tied a school and BCL single-season record and it could have been broken had Mt. St. Joseph played in the Alhambra Catholic Invitational. The Gaels did capture their second consecutive BCL tourney title with a 59-50 win over St. Maria Goretti, as Amani Hansberry (17 points, 21 rebounds) captured BCL tournament MVP honors for the second consecutive season.

Mt. St. Joseph finished No. 27 in the FAB 50, as Clatchey has now led the program to nine BCL tourney titles, all since 2003. He is now 792-245 in his career and has logged 29 consecutive winning seasons. To give an idea of the strength of the teams the Gaels play on a nightly basis, the eight BCL programs were 105-40 against non-BCL programs.

Clatchey is now the fourth honoree from Maryland, joining legendary coaches Morgan Wootten of DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) in 1998, Bob Wade of Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) in 1983 and Mark Amatucci of Calvert Hall (Baltimore, Md.) in 1982.

For all-time National Coach of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, CLICK HERE

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post 2022-23 National Underclass POYs appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: ??| Ballislife Podcast Network (YouTube)?| ITP Episode 133 (Spotify) | ?ITP Episode 133 (YouTube)?| Pangos: Yves Missi, Oh Yes!?| 2022 Pangos Camp Top 60 Player Rankings |?Ballislife Player Profiles?

The 2022 Pangos Camp wrapped up on June 7 with the camp's top players selected to either the Cream of the Crop Top 60 or Top 30 game. There weren't many surprise selections and at the end of the camp, fast-rising Xavier Booker, a 6-foot-11 2023 forward from Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) joined the likes of James Harden, John Wall, and Harrison Barnes as Pangos Camp Most Outstanding Player. It wasn't a difficult call, as Booker showed why he's the fastest-rising prospect in the national Class of 2023 with his size, skill level and fluidity.

Leading a strong contingent from the class of 2024 was 6-foot-6 wing guard Ian Jackson of Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.), the 2021-22 National Sophomore of the Year. Jackson was efficient all weekend long and displayed a package of skill, confidence, outside shooting, athleticism and IQ rarely seen in a high school player, much less an underclass prospect. Jackson was one of 25 underclassmen selected to either the Top 30 or 60 Cream of the Crop All-Star Games.

Jackson and 6-foot-1 2024?D.J. Thomas of Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) were two of the 12 selected to the Top 30 game reserved for the camp's top performers. Unfortunately, that game won't go down as one of the better played all-star games in the 20-year history of the camp, but fortunately ITP co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Ani Umana were able to interview Thomas and two other Top 30 selections: Arizona-bound 6-foot-4 2023?K.J. Lewis of Chapin (El Paso, Texas) and 6-foot-4 2023?Marvel Allen of Montverde Academy (Fla.).

On ITP Episode 133, the ITP crew got the camp trio's hot takes on their camp individual and team camp performances, their experience at the event, areas of improvement and goals for the 2022-23 season and beyond (SEE FULL ITP EPISODE 133 BELOW).

Ron and Ani also break down top performances, their breakout campers and recap the top individual players on the pod. The fellas also break down their top five camp performers (CLICK HERE to see Ron's Top 60 Player Rankings) and the performance of the often talked-about and followed 6-foot-3 2023?Mikey Williams of San Ysidro (Calif.).

The MVPs of the Top 30 game were 6-foot-4 2023 guard Tru Washington of Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.) and camp veteran Baye Fall, a 6-foot-11 center from Accelerated Schools (Denver, Col.). A standout at last year's camp, Fall was rated by both Flores and Umana as a top 5 player at this year's camp.

The Cream of the Crop Top 60 game was a much better contest and emerging as the top performer was 6-foot-4 2023 big guard Wesley Yates III of Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas).?Yates was the consensus top choice as the player most deserving of a Top 30 game selection and his play made a statement louder than any words could ever about the situation. He led his Red Team to a 123-110 victory by hitting six 3-pointers, including four in a row where it looked like he took the shot from further each time, en route to a game-high 26 points. Yates threw some terrific passes during the came, finished strongly in the paint and his presence made a lasting impact at this camp. A terrific student to boot, Yates has major interest from Gonzaga, Stanford and Houston, while some insiders feel the Cougars will be hard to beat out.

Others who made a positive impression in the Top 60 game include Isaiah Abraham, a 6-foot-6 2024 from Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), Kaden Cooper, a 6-foot-5 2023 from The Skill Factory (Atlanta, Ga.), Brandon Williams, a 6-foot-8 2023 from Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), K.J. Windham, a 6-foot-1 2023 from Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Assane Diop, a 6-foot-10 2023 from Putnam Science Academy (Putnam, Conn.). Diop joined Yates as game MVP.

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs
2022: Xavier Booker, Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-11 PF
2021: Jalen Duren, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10 C
2020: Jabari Smith, Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) 6-10 PF (Festival)
2019 (co): Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 G
2019 (co): Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 C
2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmerman, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: CJ Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C

RELATED: ?| Ballislife Podcast Network (YouTube)?| ITP Episode 133 (Spotify) | ?ITP Episode 133 (YouTube)?| Pangos: Yves Missi, Oh Yes!?| 2022 Pangos Camp Top 60 Player Rankings |?Ballislife Player Profiles?

The post In The Paint: Pangos Camp Breakdown! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Duren Leads Power-Packed Pangos Camp

In a three-day camp setting, sometimes players get a bit worn out by the last day, or the pecking order is establish and they don't feel so comfortable on their camp team. When physical abilities are fairly even among campers, mental and physical endurance takes over and becomes a separator

At the 2021 edition of the Pangos All-American Camp, it was refreshing to see the campers stay focused and all three camp games on the last session Tuesday morning all went down to the wire. In one of the matchups, 6-foot-4 2022 Collin Chandler of Farmington (Utah) hit a deep range 3-pointer from the left wing to give his North Carolina team a 56-53 victory over the Jalen Duren-led Duke team.

In that game, there weren't many 3-point shots, but Chandler hit two of them and then had nine points (including one 3-pointer) in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 all-star game reserved for the camp's best performers. Chandler also converted two of the most acrobatic lay-ups of the entire event in that all-star game and showed why he should be rated much higher than he currently is by the leading national recruiting services. Most recruiting gurus feel he'll eventually make a commitment to Utah.

On the opposite court in that first morning game, there were 3-point shots raining down from all over, and most of them were knocked down by 6-foot-7 2022 Alex Karaban of New Hampton School (Hampton, N.H.). He was stroking on Saturday night and had a big game on Sunday morning, knocking down seven 3-pointers (in 9 attempts) en route to a 31-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist performance for his Virginia club versus Florida State. Ironically, Karaban dished off to teammate Roddy Gayle Jr., a 6-foot-5 2022 prospect from Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) for a 3-pointer that gave Virginia a 86-83 sudden death overtime win.

Another knock 'em down shooter who upped his stock at the camp was 6-foot-5 2022 Oziyah Sellers of Southern California Academy (Valencia, Calif.). Sellers is a terrific spot up shooter, but has improved in putting it on the deck for pull-ups or creating for others. Even though he missed the first night of camp, he quickly made up for it with his long range shooting exhibition. Sellers, who is an above average athlete, averaged 24.7 ppg in three games and is now high on the board across most Pac-12 programs.

There were players who used one of the two all-star games to leave a lasting impression or atone for moments of struggle in the camp games. One of those players was 6-foot-7 2022 Jordan Walsh of Faith Family Academy (Cedar Hill, Texas). His perimeter shooting wasn't on point during camp games, but he was active and had one of the best noses for the ball on the offensive glass among all campers. Walsh settled down as the camp wore on and closed strong, hitting 3-of-4 3-pointers and finishing with 15 points for the wining Red team (130-99 over the Blue team).

Turning in a MVP performance for the Red team was 6-foot-11 Baye Fall of Lutheran (Denver, Col.), who gets our nod as the top 2023 prospect in attendance. In our eyes, he's right there with 6-foot-3 guard DJ Wagner of Camden (Camden, N.J.), who wasn't in attendance, as the top national prospect among juniors-to-be. Fall doesn't take bad shots, he is a NBA-level shot-blocker with good instinct, has a quality motor and is unselfish in nature. He scored a game-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds. His relentlessness and nose for the ball separates him from any underclass post prospect in the nation.

Not too far behind Fall and Wagner in the 2023 rankings is fast-rising Javonte Taylor of Kenwood Academy (Chicago, Ill.). He copped MVP honors for the Blue team with 15 points. Taylor has a deep tool box and just needs to work on his consistency from deep and working the offensive glass 100 percent of the time to reach his full potential.

Taylor's Blue team was hurt by top 10 camp performers Adem Bona of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and Grady Dick of Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.) needing to take care of travel priorities before the end of the game.

Six-foot-9 2022 Ernest Udeh of FAB 50 ranked Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) was one of the final selections to the top all-star game and made terrific use of the opportunity, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals for the winning Red club. Since the conclusion of camp, he's been offered by George Washington and Stanford has shown an increased interest for this fine student-athlete.

Of course, many players could have been picked for either all-star game and the one who solidified his selection in the Top 60 game the most was 6-foot-5 2022 Jevin Sullivan of North Polk (Alleman, Iowa). He was one of the camp's best corner shooters and he knocked down a couple of 3-pointers in the first half of the Top 60 game, which fittingly came down to the wire. Sullivan tied the game at 87-87 on a contested offensive putback at the regulation buzzer.

After Blue club teammate Austin Nunez of Wagner (San Antonio, Texas) attempted to win the game with a 3-pointer, it was another offensive rebound putback, this one by 6-foot-7 2022 Jaylen Thompson of Southern California Academy (Valencia, Calif.), that gave the Blue team a 89-87 sudden death victory. We say it was only fitting because Thompson might have been the most deserving player left off the Top 30 roster. The scoring wing ended up with a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds.

The player that got the most mileage out of his Top 60 all-star game selection was 6-foot-9 2022 Dillon Mitchell of Bishop McLaughin (Spring Hill, Fla.). The athletic lefty reminds us of former Michigan St. standout and 2000 NCAA champ Morris Peterson with his ability as a scoring slasher and with his activity level. He was named Blue team most valuable player with 14 points and six rebounds.

The Red team MVP was nimble 6-foot-10 2022 Reed Bailey of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.). His versatility was on display when scored 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field to go along with five rebounds.

Amongst the players who didn't get picked for the Top 60 game and were most impactful included 6-foot-3 2022 Avery Brown of Northfield Mt. Herman (Gill, Mass.), 6-foot-6 2023 Scotty Middleton of Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.), 6-foot-7 2022 Jasen Green of Millard North (Omaha, Neb.), 6-foot-1 2024 Elliot Cadeau of Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) and 6-foot-6 2022 Justyn Fernandez of Virginia Episcopal (Lynchburg, Va.).

Brown was the best on-ball defender we evaluated. Middleton, who came to the camp the second day, is oozing with potential and upside. Versatility is the name of his game. Green was solid and showed the ability to knock down shots with a solid face up game. Cadeau is one of the best sophomores-to-be (2024) in the country and has a polished floor game. Fernandez can really chase the ball and attack the rim or set it up for teammates. He also plays under control and is hardly ever sped up.

Cadeau is a candidate for 2020-21 National Freshman of the Year honors, as is Fall among sophomores and Duren among juniors. Look for the announce of the national underclass players of the year next week.

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs

2020: Jalen Duren, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10 C
2019 (co): Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 G
2019 (co): Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 C
2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmerman, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: CJ Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post Pangos Camp: Stars Finish Strong! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Cade Cunningham, Isa Silva Bring HEAT!

Norwalk, Calif. -- It wasn't hard to pick the top standouts at this year's Pangos All-American Camp. The high-end elites, which numbered in the range from seven to a dozen, played well from start to finish and the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game was no exception.

The most highly-anticipated matchups were the point guard duel between 5-foot-9 Zion Harmon of Bella Vista Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) and 6-foot-3 Isa Silva of Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.) and the big guard showdown between Cade Cunningham of Montverde Academy and Scottie Barnes of University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Harmon didn't disappoint with his long range shooting combined with his usual explosive ball-handling and play-making for teammates. Just as in camp games, Harmon proved to be impossible to keep in front of for defenders, as they simply had to give him room or get blown by. When he was left with space, his deep jumper was on, and he was still able to get in the lane even though no defender dared to press up on him. Harmon finished with 12 points and three assists in his Blue Team's 124-117 victory over the Red Team in the top all-star game.

Silva brings a different set of problems for defenders with his combination of plus size as a play-maker, craftiness, defensive smarts and body size, and ability to make teammates better because they want to play with him. He's not quite as quick or flashy as Harmon, but he also turns the ball over a bit less with equal shooting range. Silva finished the top all-star game with six point and four assists. Silva finished the camp averaging 5.25 apg while Harmon averaged 5.0 apg.

Isael “ Isa “ Silva DROPPIN’ DIMES!! ?? @isilv3 @Compton_Magic @PangosAACamp
? @cazzieballislife (IG) pic.twitter.com/pVq3QDx01X

— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) June 2, 2019

The camp leader is assists was Barnes (5.5 apg), and it's no surprise his team won the Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star game, as one of the nation's top senior-to-be players used his swiss army knife skill set to simply will his team to victory. Although he finished the all-star game with three points and four assists, Barnes used his "point-forward" mentality to make an impact on the game by setting the tone with vocal leadership, glass work that led to impactful outlet passes and with impactful defensive plays both inside and on the perimeter. Barnes does need to develop the mechanics of his outside shot, but not only did he lead the camp in assists, he was No. 2 in rebounds (6.5 rpg).

Cunningham's team didn't get the win, but it was the only "L" for the talented Texan all weekend long. Cunningham did his best to keep his Red squad in the game by competing until the very end, and when it was all said and done he finished with one of the game's best stat lines: 11 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Cunningham performance in the all-star game helped him bag Pangos Camp co-Most Outstanding Player honors along with 7-foot Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). Cunningham becomes the first Texas native to cop MOP honors at Pangos Camp since 2004, when prep-to-pro C.J Miles of Skyline (Dallas) earned top billing.

Unfortunately Mobley did not play in the Cream of the Crop game to nurse an injury, but even if he had and dominated inside, Cunningham was still a deserving honoree. Mobley was the best overall big man in a camp full of talented inside players and has done nothing so far this spring and summer to relinquish the title of nation's top overall 2020 prospect.

If it wasn't Harmon, then the top junior-to-be (2021) performer was 6-foot-6 wing Terrence Clarke of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.). Clarke has the size, wiggle, and play-making ability to stick at the game's highest level with normal development and used the wide-open setting of this camp to showcase his vast talent. Not only is Clarke a tremendous long-term prospect, his performance in the top all-star game (team-high 16 points, six assists) put him in the conversation for MOP honors. He was right there in terms of performance, despite a few moments of over-handling and forced drives, and was named Red Team Most Valuable Player.

Paulo Banchero, Tari Eason Rise Up

Joining Clarke as Top 30 game MVP was the Blue team's Paolo Banchero, a skilled 6-foot-10 post player from O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.). Banchero led the winning club with 18 points and joins the short list that includes Silva, Clarke, Harmon, and 6-foot-5 Aminu Mohammed of Greenwood Laboratory (Springfield, Mo.), who had nine points, for the title of top 2021 performer at this year's camp. Banchero didn't have big scoring outings in each game playing on a camp team with ball-dominant guards, but he hit some clutch shots, including a 3-pointer to send a camp game into overtime, and let the game come to him instead of forcing action. He's equally effective with his back to the basket or facing up and keeping defenders honest with a pick-and-pop jumper.

Tari Eason, a 6-foot-8 forward who helped Federal Way (Wash.) become a FAB 50 ranked high school team last winter, wasn't one of the first names called when discussing the worthy candidates for the top all-star game. Eason quickly proved he belong, as his active and efficient play led to 17 points and 10 rebounds. Eason was terrific in his camp game on Sunday and didn't try to do anything he wasn't capable of, excelling by rim-running, crashing the glass and being in correct position on both ends of the floor. Other Blue Team standouts that were more of the "no-brainer" variety were 6-foot-6 shooting guard Moses Moody of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) with 16 points and 10 rebounds and 6-foot-6 combo guard Dalen Terry of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), who finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Of the more traditional big men, one who stood out for the Red Team was 6-foot-9 Moussa Cisse of Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) with 12 points and five rebounds. Another 2021 big who made an impact was the Blue Team's Mousa Diabete of DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) with 12 points and six rebounds. Day'Ron Sharpe, a 6-foot-10 muscle man out of FAB 50 ranked South Central (Winterville, N.C.) also made his presence felt with his no-nonense approach, as he finished with 10 points for the winning Blue club.

Kaluma, Wideman Prove Point

While the likes of Moody, Terry and the obvious half dozen or so top performers were no-brainers, some quality prospects saw their bubble burst. A few players who yours truly felt were the most glaring omissions for the top all-star game were 6-foot-7 forward Arthur Kaluma, a 2021 prospect from Universal Academy (Irving, Texas), and 6-foot-5 Malachi Wideman, a Florida St.-bound wing guard from Riverview (Sarasota, Fla.).

Kaluma uses his body well to create space and score in a variety of ways with efficiency and not alot of flash. Kaluma, who can face and attack from various angles on the floor, finished with 14 points in the Cream of the Crop Top 60 Game. It came as no surprise Wideman played well, too, as he utilizes a strong first step to finish around the basket or create opportunities for others by drawing the defense because of his explosive driving ability. Wideman can use some polish on offense, but there were plenty in the top game who could too who weren't nearly as explosive or gave the consistent effort this talented Floridian did. Wiseman finished with 10 points.

Leading the way in the scoring column in the second all-star game was 6-foot-6 2020 wing MarJon Beauchamp of Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) and 6-foot-1 2021 point guard Rahsool Diggins of Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.). Both players finished the game with 19 points and also played better as the camp wore on after slow starts.

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs

2019: Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 G
2019: Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 C
2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmermann, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Jerry-Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: C.J. Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post Stars SHOW OUT at '19 Pangos Camp! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Meet The Future of Basketball! Pangos All American Camp Mixtape! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Norwalk, Calif. -- This year's Pangos All-American Camp was a coming out party for many of the nation's talented underclassmen. There were talented seniors-to-be among the 115 campers who descended on Cerritos College for the three-day instructional and showcase camp with a new twist, but the juniors-to-be (2020 prospects) stole the show and, collectively, created the most buzz at the event.

For the first time in the event's history, NBA scouts were cleared to evaluate and having a plethora of talented underclassmen was a positive for them.

"It was good to evaluate new players and not just the same top 30 players that we've seen many times," said one NBA scout who attended and who shall remain anonymous.

Joining representatives from 22 NBA franchises was a throng of national media outlets and when it was all said and done, the underclass player who put his imprint on every camp game he played, along with being arguably the most consistent performer throughout, is our choice for best event performer. His name is Anthony Edwards, and the 6-foot-5 2020 wing forward from Holy Spirit Prep in Atlanta put his stamp on the nation's top independent showcase camp with his scoring ability, power around the rim and explosive first step in the half court game. The muscular Edwards tied with 6-foot-2 2019 point guard Tyson Etienne of Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) for the camp's scoring title (17.3 ppg over four games) and was one of the most efficient players in terms of getting his points within the flow of the game and not forcing too many shots or overhanding (the latter which is problematic in a majority of grassroots camp settings). Edwards shot 56.3 percent from the field on 48 attempts.

With his explosiveness and strength, Edwards' dominance reminded us of Mustapha Heron's MOP worthy performance at the 2015 Pangos All-American Camp. Although Edwards wasn't named Most Outstanding Player as Heron (Auburn/St. John's) was, he was the one player who turned the most heads among those who came into camp without a huge national rep and was universally respected by his peers for his dominant performance. Edwards had been offered by Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Mississippi State and you can bet the "Blue Bloods" will be offering before long.

While Edwards has a long way before he's seriously on the NBA Draft radar, that is not the case for 6-foot-11 Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). The 2020 prospect was likely the most intriguing player for NBA scouts because of his incredible size, length, coordination and upside. Mobley has long been considered one of the best prospects in his class nationally, but he's finally coming into his own as a player because of the increased strength in his lower body, which has led to better balance, timing and agility, not to mention increased confidence. It has also helped Mobley that growing pains he endured during his freshman season have decreased, which has led to him becoming arguably the most intriguing prospect in the 2020 national class.

"It's becoming very easy to maintain my stamina because my body is getting stronger," Mobley said. "I used to pace myself, but I can now do what I want to do out on the court. It makes the game easier to see. On fast breaks, I can see the rotations better."

Mobley had two of the most eye-popping plays of the camp, where he threw down a follow-up dunk and another where he finished an "AND1" follow up during the Top 30 Cream of the Crop Game at the Camp's conclusion. Now that he's healthy and getting his legs under him, the rim truly does seem like a nerf hoop on Mobley's finishes.

The next aspect of the game for Mobley to work on is consistency on the glass and using that quick leaping ability to rebound out of his area. Mobley averaged 5.75 rpg to rank fifth overall in camp. The rebounding leader at 10 per game was Charles Bassey, the 2019 post prospect from Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.). Bassey was eighth in scoring (14 ppg) and was easily one of the most productive players throughout the three-day event. Bassey has bulked up considerably and perhaps even lost some of the perimeter ability that made him such an intriguing prospect when he was named www.ebooksnet.com National Freshman of the Year in 2015-16.

After his freshman campaign, the hype surrounding Bassey was incredible and it would be hard for him, or any other prospect, to live up to such lofty expectations. Still, the combination of size, power, production and motor made Bassey one of the best players at this event and a top three prospect in the national 2019 class. It remains to be seen if the other top big men in the 2019 class (Vernon Carey, James Wiseman) can clearly wrestle the mantle of No. 1 prospect from him based on on-court production.

Pangos Camp founder and director Dinos Trigonis named Bassey Most Outstanding Player. With the selection, Bassey becomes the first-ever two-time event MOP. It's quite an accomplishment considering the standouts who've attended the camp multiple times over the years.

Pangos Stat Stuffers

Jaden Springer, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Rocky River (Mint Hill, N.C.), was third in the camp in scoring at 17 ppg and just edged Mobley for highest field goal percentage at 74.4 percent to 74.2 percent. Springer is another one of the 2020 prospects that helped his national profile over the three-day event.

Another 2020 prospect who played well at the camp, 6-foot-4 shooting guard Josh Christopher from Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.), led the camp in assists at 7 per game. A couple of true lead guards from the 2019 class, 6-foot-3 Gianni Hunt of Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) and 6-foot Pierre Crockwell from Garfield (Seattle, Wash.), were tied for second in assists at 6.5 per game. Hunt has successfully bounced back from an injury-plagued high school junior season and Crockwell had a 13-assist game and was pointed out by some of his peers as a guard they had trouble staying in front of.

Coming in second in the rebounding department behind Bassey was 6-foot-10 2019 power forward Drew Timme of Pearce (Richardson, Texas) at 8.75 per game. Mobley's older brother Isaiah Mobley, a 6-foot-9 2019 power forward already committed to USC, was third at 8 rebounds per.

There were 14 outings where an individual scored 20 plus points in a single game, led by the 27-point effort of 5-foot-11 point guard Sharife Cooper from McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.). Shooting guard Jarod Lucas, a 6-foot-3 2019 prospect out of Los Altos (Hacienda Heights, Calif.), got red hot from the outside and had a 25-point game. Cade Cunningham, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard of out Bowie (Arlington, Texas), had a 24-point game.

Besides Edwards, Evan Mobley, Springer, Christopher, and Cunningham, other 2020 prospects that did nothing by help their reputations and national standing at this camp include 6-foot-7 small forward Scottie Barnes of University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), 6-foot-11 center N'Faly Dante from Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.), 6-foot-10 power forward Xavier Foster from Oskaloosa Community (Oskaloosa, Iowa) and 6-foot-6 small forward Brandon Boston from Norcross (Norcross, Ga.).

Cream of the Crop Top 30 Highlights

Isaiah Mobley led Team Harden (White) to a 108-102 victory over Team Westbrook (White) in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 all-star game, which is usually reserved for the camp's best performers as selected by veteran media in attendance and rubber-stamped by Trigonis. The USC commit led five teammates in double figures with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. He also had some key plays and baskets during the line shift in which the White team opened up a double-digit lead.

After trailing 62-46 at halftime, the Blue team made a spirited comeback led by the all-around gamesmanship of Barnes and enthusiastic bench support. Barnes only scored two points (on a vicious crossover dribble drive finish), but played hellacious defense and dished out a game-high seven assists, grabbed four rebounds and had two steals. Barnes is an intense and versatile defender with an ideal NBA-type body to defend the three-point line and the ultra-athletic wings in today's game. The Blue Team got within a couple of possessions late, but couldn't get over the hump.

Tre Mann, a 6-foot-3 2019 point guard out of The Villages School (The Villages, FL), led the Blue Team with 16 points, including 4-of-6 3-pointers. Jake Kyman, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Santa Margarita (Rancho SM, Calif.) and a UCLA commit, nailed 3-of-3 3-pointers from the White Team, including a couple late to fend off the Blue Team rally.

Mobley and Barnes were name team MVPs in the top all-star game.

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs

2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmermann, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood) 6-5 SG
2005: Jerry-Davon Jefferson, Lynwood 6-8 WF
2004: C.J. Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield 7-0 C

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post 2018 Pangos All-American Camp LOADED with Underclassmen! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The 2017-18 All-American Elite Team, now published for the 24th consecutive season and on the www.ebooksnet.com platform for the fourth time, includes 46 of the nation’s best seniors, led by Mr. Basketball USA R.J. Barrett of FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.).

Sixteen seniors and four juniors, including National Junior of the Year Vernon Carey Jr. of FAB 50 No. 2 University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), headline the 20-player overall first team.

A 30-player second team includes 30 additional seniors. It has been determined no juniors, sophomores or freshmen will supplant any of the seniors of the second team although underclassmen are indeed eligible. Barrett, last year’s National Sophomore Player of the Year, re-classified to the 2018 class.

In the 24 seasons of publishing annual All-American teams (we have retroactive teams dating back to the 1954-55 season), no freshman has ever made the first team. Last year’s national junior of the year, Marvin Bagley III of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), made the second team as a freshman in 2014-15 while at Corona Del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.). He left for college after his junior season at Sierra Canyon and is expected to be a high lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft after one season at Duke.

The class player of the year among tenth-graders on this year’s Underclass All-American team is 6-foot-3 guard Jalen Suggs of Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.). Last season, he was the first-ever underclass player of the year (dating back to the 1969-70 season) from the state of Minnesota and has been a varsity player since seventh grade. Suggs has led Minnehaha Academy to consecutive Class AA state titles. Our class player of the year among ninth-graders is center Michael Foster Jr. of Washington (Milwaukee, Wis.). The 6-foot-9 post player who is already committed to Arizona St. is the first-ever underclass player of the year from Wisconsin, which has two players on this year’s 10-man freshman All-American team.

Our national coach of the year is Josh Luedtke of Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.). He guided the Junior Jays to the NSAA Class A state crown with a 56-46 win over Bellevue West. It was the third state crown for Luedtke, whose program finished No. 46 in the final FAB 50 National Team rankings with a 26-1 mark. In 2015, the Junior Jays won the Class A crown and finished No. 49 in the FAB 50 at 27-2. In both seasons, Creighton Prep avenged its losses. The program won its first state crown under Luedtke’s leadership in 2008-09.

This performance-based All-American team is selected by National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes this All-American team more reflective of players who made state championship runs. This honors squad has been chosen in its current format since the 1994-95 season and is powered by www.ebooksnet.com for the fourth consecutive season. This team is chosen regardless of class and is not exclusive or preferential for seniors named to the Ballislife All-American Game. To check out who has played in the Ballislife All-American Game the past eight years, please visit ballislifeallamerican.com. To view archived All-American teams published under this format, please visit GrassrootsHoops.net.

2017-18 All-American First Team

First Five

G — Foster Loyer, Clarkston (Mich.) 6-0 Sr.
One of the most highly-honored players ever from the state of Michigan, Loyer was a cinch choice for A.P. State Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball honors. As a junior, he led Clarkston to its first-ever state title whole scoring 29 points in the state title game and was even better this season. Loyer tallied 27 ppg, 4 rpg, 7 apg, and 3 spg for a team that won another Class A title with a 26-1 record and finished No. 25 in the FAB 50 rankings. In this year’s state semifinals, he netted 42 points and came back with 40 in the state title game, making 13-of-22 3-point shots and 17-of-18 from the free throw line. Loyer also put together a string of 199 consecutive made free throws during his career. Clarkston had a 95-6 record over his four years and Loyer was named all-state in each season.

G — R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 Sr.
Moves up from the fourth team to the highest individual honor a player can receive as this season’s Mr. Basketball USA honoree after leading Montverde Academy to a wire-to-wire FAB 50 No. 1 finish. Last season, he was the only tenth-grader on the All-American first team and was named national sophomore of the year before reclassifying up. The left-handed power guard was Montverde Academy’s leading scorer in each of his three seasons with the Eagles, including 22 ppg in 2016-17 and 28.7 ppg for this year’s unbeaten club that won 15 games against FAB 50 or previously ranked foes. Barrett led the Eagles to their fourth mythical FAB 50 national title by averaging 26.7 ppg in three wins at GEICO Nationals and is the third foreign-born national player of the year in the past six seasons, joining NBA players Andrew Wiggins (2013) and Ben Simmons (2015).

G — Romeo Langford, New Albany (New Albany, Ind.) 6-4 Sr.
Indiana’s favorite son since Damon Bailey, Langford finished his prep career with 3,002 points, No. 4 on the all-time state list. Bailey, the 1990 Mr. Basketball USA choice, is No. 1 with 3,134 points. Langford led New Albany to a Class 4A state crown as a sophomore and this past season it took a miracle shot to knock the team off in the state semifinals. For the season, Langford averaged 35.5 ppg and led New Albany to a 25-2 record and No. 28 FAB 50 ranking. The Hoosier State rejoiced when Langford decided to attend Indiana University.

F — Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) 6-7 Sr.
Moves up from the second five after another successful season from a team and individual perspective despite missing nine games because of various injuries. As a junior, Williamson averaged 36.8 points and 13 rebounds per game and netted 51 points in a state title game victory. As a senior in 2017-18, Williamson led Spartanburg to a third consecutive SCISA Class 2A state title, as SDS went 20-8 and was regionally-ranked. Of those eight losses, the Duke recruit missed five of those games. For the season, he averaged 36.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.4 bpg and 3.6 spg while shooting 78 percent from the field. A national celebrity and arguably the most viral player of the mixtape generation, the Duke-bound Williamson finished his career with 3,202 points (32.0 ppg), 1,131 rebounds (11.3 rpg), 304 steals (3.0 spg) and 293 blocks (2.9 bpg).

F — Vernon Carey Jr., University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-9 Jr.
Had a breakout junior campaign for the Sharks, leading them to the FHSAA Class 5A state crown with dominant performances. University School went 35-2 and finished No. 2 in the FAB 50, avenging its loss to No. 3 Oak Hill Academy with Carey going for 29 points while making 13-of-19 shots from the field. The son of a former NFL lineman, Carey averaged 20.3 ppg and made 27-of-42 shots from the field in three GEICO Nationals game, as University lost in the final to No. 1 Montverde Academy. Against stiff overall competition, Carey averaged 26.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 4 bpg while edging second teamer Nassir Little for Florida Mr. Basketball honors.

Second Five

G — Darius Garland, Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) 6-0 Sr.
With Garland at the helm, Brentwood Academy won a record-tying four consecutive TSSAA Division II-AA state crowns. After averaging 23 ppg and leading his team to a 30-2 mark as a junior, Garland stepped up to average 28.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 4.2 apg to lead the Eagles to a 25-5 record against a national schedule and a No. 34 FAB 50 ranking. One of the best pure point guards in the country, the Vanderbilt-bound Garland dished out 11 assists at the McDonald’s All-American Game. He also participated at the Jordan Brand Classic and was a three-time Mr. Basketball recipient for his classification.

G — Javonte Smart, Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-4 Sr.
One of the most highly-honored players in recent Louisiana lore, Smart earned Gatorade State Player of the Year and LSWA Mr. Basketball honors for the third consecutive season. After earning Class 5A MVP honors as a freshman, Smart led the Hornets to Division I state titles the past two seasons and was state tourney MVP twice. Smart has experience playing point guard for USA Basketball, but this season took on a big scoring role and had to play inside a majority of the time with spectacular results. He averaged 32.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg, and 5.9 apg for a 30-5 club. Smart scored 15 points and hit three 3-pointers in the Jordan Brand Classic and went for 21 points in the Ballislife All-American Game.

F — Emmitt Williams, Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 6-6 Sr.
More known for his football exploits as a youth, this late bloomer turned into one of the most explosive players in the country after starring at Lehigh Senior (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) as a freshman. He averaged 15.3 ppg and 11.2 rpg in ninth-grade and last season was one of the best players on a IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) team that finished 26-2 and No. 8 in the FAB 50. As a senior, Williams averaged 15.5 ppg and 11.3 rpg, for a team that won the FHSAA Class 9A state crown. Although the numbers seem modest, Oak Ridge had plenty of talent at its disposal and Williams’ team finished No. 8 in the FAB 50 against a tough schedule. Williams had 18 points and 11 rebounds against fellow LSU commit and second five selection Naz Reid, a record 44 points at the Jordan Brand Classic and turned in another MVP performance at the Ballislife All-American Game (31 points, 12 rebounds.).

F — Nassir Little, Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.) 6-7 Sr.
Similar to Mitchell Robinson last season, Little used the post-season all-star circuit to catapult his All-American standing and he’s now considered the No. 2 prospect in the national 2018 class by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com. He was Team MVP at the McDonald’s All-American Game after scoring a game-high 28 points and grabbing five rebounds. He was also MVP at the Jordan Brand Classic after turning in a 24-point, 6-rebound performance. A Florida Mr. Basketball finalist along with Emmitt Williams, he came in No. 6 in the Mr. Basketball USA voting after leading OCP to its second consecutive Class 3A state crown. Bound for North Carolina, Little finished with senior season averages of 21.7 ppg and 9.2 rpg.

F — Naz Reid, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-10 Sr.
One of the biggest and most powerful post players in the country, Reid put it all together as a senior to lead Roselle Catholic to a championship campaign. Against a rugged in-state and national schedule, Reid averaged 16.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 6.5 apg, and 2.5 bpg for a team that finished 29-4 and No 14 in the FAB 50. Reid tries to incorporate some of Magic Johnson in his game and doesn’t mind going out on the perimeter, but when motivated he’s a dominant force on the block. Luckily for Lions’ fans, Reid was on his game all season long, as Roselle Catholic won the NJ TOC title while Reid was named NJ.com Player of the Year. For his career, Reid won three section titles and was part of two state and TOC title-winning clubs. The LSU recruit had 15 points and 11 rebounds (game-high) at the McDonald’s All-American Game and a team-high 23 points at the Ballislife All-American Game.

Third Five

G — Tre Jones, Apple Valley (Minn.) 6-2 Sr.
Although Apple Valley’s season ended in heart-breaking fashion in the Class 4A state finals, it doesn’t diminish from the individual success Jones had this season and the past five years. Similar to Jordan Brown, Darius Garland, Romeo Langford, and Foster Loyer, Jones moves up from the 2016-17 second team after averaging 22.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists for a 26-5 team. Jones joins his older Tyus as a state Mr. Basketball selection and All-American, which Tyus achieved in both 2013 and 2014 (second five). Jones, who like his older brother will play for Duke, led Apple Valley to two state titles and even played on the varsity as an eighth-grader while leading Apple Valley to a 143-13 mark in those five seasons.

G — Coby White, Greenfield (Wilson, N.C.) 6-3 Sr.
Netted the most career points of any player from the basketball-rich state of North Carolina (NCHSAA or NCISAA), breaking the NCHSAA record of former Eastern Alamance (Mebane, N.C.) standout JamesOn Curry (3,307). Although, NCISAA players can begin playing varsity ball in seventh grade, White only needed four seasons to amass his point total of 3,573. As a senior, White led Greenfield to the NCISAA Class 1A state final while averaging 30.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 9.1 apg. This year’s A.P. State Player of the Year, White is also a two-time Gatorade State POY. This North Carolina recruit played in the Jordan, McDonalds, and Ballislife All-American Games with his best performance being a 21-point, 5-rebound performance at the Jordan Brand Classic.

F — Keldon Johnson, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-6 Sr.
The emotional and statistical leader for one of the best teams in the country, Johnson led Oak Hill Academy to a 44-2 season and No. 3 FAB 50 ranking. One of the best practice players ever to play for long-time Oak Hill coach Steve Smith, Johnson averaged 22.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, and 4.1 apg while supplying excellent defense. Those defensive abilities were evident in the McDonald’s All-American Game, where Johnson scored eight points and had three assists. Johnson is headed to Kentucky.

F — Jalen Smith, Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 6-10 Sr.
One of the most highly-honored frontcourt players in the country, Smith led a regionally-ranked 35-4 club by averaging 23 points, 12.5 rebounds and three blocks per game. Blessed with tremendous length and shot blocking ability, this four-year standout led Mt. St. Joseph to 120 wins and four titles in the competitive Baltimore Catholic League. Not only was he a two-time BCL Player of the Year, he was also named Maryland Player of the Year by Gatorade twice in addition to being the Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. This Maryland recruit scored 2,122 career points and had 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in the Jordan Brand Classic.

C — Jordan Brown, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-11 Sr.
After three successful seasons at Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.), Brown continued his development at the academy-type program in California’s Napa Valley. The son of a former NBA Draftee, Brown averaged 21.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.8 bpg for one of the top academy teams in the country. He was a two-time all-state pick at Woodcreek, including last season when he averaged 26.3 ppg and 15.8 rpg while leading his team to the NorCal Open Division title. Brown also won a Gold Medal with Team USA at the 2016 FIBA 17U World Championship and was a McDonald’s All-American. Brown, who chose Nevada as the final elite player to make his college decision, had 26 points and eight rebounds in that national all-star game.

Fourth Five

G — Andrew Nembhard, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-4 Sr.
With the Eagles possibly fielding their best team in the Kevin Boyle era, we chose to place a second Montverde Academy player on our elite first team. That player is Nembhard, who recovered from a serious stomach ailment suffered near the end of his 2016-17 campaign to earn All-American acclaim. Similar to fellow Canadian and teammate R.J. Barrett, Nembhard re-classified to the 2018 class and made the most of his final high school season, running point guard duties while averaging 14 ppg, 4 rpg and 8 apg for the nation’s top-ranked team. Nembhard, who is from Vaughn, Ontario and will attend Florida, averaged 10.7 ppg and 8.3 apg in three victories at GEICO Nationals. He also had nine points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals at the Jordan Brand Classic.

G — Quentin Grimes, College Park (The Woodlands, Texas) 6-5 Sr.
After the Cavaliers failed to make the playoffs in his first two seasons, Grimes’ stellar play changed the team’s fortunes the past two years. One of the country’s best scoring guards, he averaged 29.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game as a senior as College Park went 21-13 and won its first District Title in the Grimes era. Bound for Kansas, Grimes had a 50-point outing and was a relatively easy player of the year choice by the Houston Chronicle. Grimes closed his high school career with 14 points in the McDonald’s All-American Game and 15 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the Jordan Brand Classic.

F — Onyeka Okongwu, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-9 Jr.
After a somewhat slow start to his junior campaign, Chino Hills struggled to adjust to the new offensive system of its third coach in three years, Okongwu became a dominant force once the Huskies figured out they would perform best with him as the focal point. He put forth stellar individual performances down the stretch, including a 38-point, 16-rebound, 5-block performance in a section title game victory. The Big O also had a 37-point, 17-rebound, 9-dunk performance in the playoffs and closed out the season with 27 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in the CIF D1 state title game win. Okongwu averaged 28 ppg, 12 rpg and 4 bpg for a 26-11 team that won its final 11 games and the recent USC commit was named Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball.

F — James Wiseman, Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-11 Jr.
It was a tough decision for the final spots of the elite first team, but we went with this talented junior big man who missed six games because of an eligibility ruling over senior guard and teammate Alex Lomax (14.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 7.0 apg) and Class AAA Mr. Basketball Tyler Harris. Wiseman, netted a team-leading 18.5 ppg to go along with 8.2 rpg and 2.8 bpg for a 31-3 team that finished No. 4 in the FAB 50. Wiseman performed favorably against the other big men on East’s schedule and will be a serious Mr. Basketball USA candidate next season. Wiseman has committed to Memphis, where he’ll play for his high school coach this season at East: local legend Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.

C — Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 Jr.
After earning National Freshman of the Year honors two seasons ago, Bassey has maintained his status as one of the nation’s top big men regardless of class. The powerful and nimble big man averaged 19.3 ppg, 11.4 rpg and 2.9 apg competing for an academy-type club that played most of its games on the Grind Session, which consisted of 32 core teams where basketball development is a major focus. Bassey has also starred in grassroots and international play, including 13 points and a game-high 16 rebounds in the World Select Team’s 89-76 victory over Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit.

2017-18 All-American Second Team

G — James Akinjo, Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) 6-0 Sr.
F — Jamal Bey, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-7 Sr.
F — Rechon “Leaky” Black, Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) 6-7 Sr.
C — Bol Bol, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 7-1 Sr.
F — Matt Bradley, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-3 Sr.
C — Moses Brown, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 7-1 Sr.
G — Ayo Dosunmu, Morgan Park (Chicago) 6-4 Sr.
G — Devon Dotson, Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-2 Sr.
G — Dane Goodwin, Upper Arlington (Columbus, Ohio) 6-5 Sr.
G — Mason Harrell, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) 5-8 Sr.
F — Jermaine Harris, Rock Creek Christian Academy (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 6-8 Sr.
G — Tyler Harris, Cordova (Memphis, Tenn.) 5-9 Sr.
F — Jaylen Hoard, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 6-9 Sr.
F — Talen Horton-Tucker, Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Brandon Johns, East Lansing (Mich.) 6-8 Sr.
F — Gerald Liddell, Steele (Cibolo, Texas) 6-7 Sr.
G — Alex Lomax, East Memphis (Memphis, Tenn.) 5-11 Sr.
G — Jordan McCabe, Kaukauna (Wis.) 5-10 Sr.
G — Mac McClung, Gate City (Va.) 6-2 Sr.
F — David McCormack, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-9 Sr.
F — E.J. Montgomery, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-10 Sr.
F — Landers Nolley, Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.) 6-7 Sr.
F — Daniel Oturu, Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) 6-10 Sr.
F — Kevin Porter, Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 6-5 Sr.
G — Immanuel Quickley, John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 6-3 Sr.
G — Jahvon Quinerly, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) 6-2 Sr.
F — Reggie Perry, Thomasville (Ga.) 6-8 Sr.
F — Cameron Reddish, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-7 Sr.
G — Joe Wieskamp, Muscatine (Iowa) 6-6 Sr.
F — Robert Woodard, Columbus (Miss.) 6-6 Sr.

National Coach of the Year: Josh Luedtke, Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.)

Related: 2017-18 Underclass All-American Team | 2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA: R.J. Barrett

Note: ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post 2017-18 High School All-American Team Announced! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Four juniors named to the 24th Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 65 elite players selected to the 2017-18 Underclass All-American team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Forward Vernon Carey Jr. of FAB 50 No. 2 University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), this year’s National Junior of the Year, was named to the overall All-American first team. Carey was a first five selection, the first junior since DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) in 2015-16 to be considered among the nation’s five best players.

Three junior big men were honored as fourth five selections: recent USC pledge and Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball Onyeka Okongwu of Chino Hills (Calif.), James Wiseman, the leading scorer for FAB 50 No. 4 Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.), and Charles Bassey of Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.), the national freshman of the year in 2015-16.

No sophomore or freshman was named to the overall first team. The only sophomore to earn first five honors in the last 24 years under the current selection format is NBA superstar LeBron James while at St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) in 2000-01.

The four All-Americans and 61 other underclass honorees all had standout campaigns for their respective high school teams, while others are sure to emerge this summer as bona fide 2017-18 All-America candidates. Nearly every summer on the grassroots circuit, well-known players are eclipsed by lesser-known commodities.

It’s a yearly ritual for some underclass All-Americans to change programs and each year, more players are classifying up in order to speed up the recruiting process or join a class that will be more advantageous to their development.

Two talented sophomore All-Americans from Arizona, Kyree Walker of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Nico Mannion of Class 6A state champ Pinnacle (Phoenix, Ariz.) are expected to join the 2019 class. Junior All-American Ashton Hagans of Newton (Covington, Ga.) has pledged to Kentucky and is expected to join the Wildcats in 2018-19. Another junior who has talked about potentially re-classifying is Jalen Lecque of Christ School (Arden, N.C.).

Expect player movement and some more reclassification as the summer rolls on.

This performance-based squad is selected by National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Underclass All-American Team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

Our national coach of the year is Josh Luedtke of Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.).

Juniors to Watch (2019)

F — Precious Achiuwa, St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) 6-9
G — Bryan Antoine, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-3
G — Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2
F — Armando Bacot, Trinity Episcopal (Richmond, Va.) 6-10
C — Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10
F — Vernon Carey Jr., University (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-9
F — Eric Dixon, Abington (Pa.) 6-7
G — Joe Girard III, Glens Falls (N.Y.) 6-1
G — Brycen Goodine, St. Andrew’s (Barrington, R.I.) 6-4
G — Ashton Hagans, Newton (Covington, Ga.) 6-4
G — Jaelen House, Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-1
F — Matt Hurt, John Marshall (Rochester, Minn.) 6-9
F — D.J. Jeffries, Olive Branch (Miss.) 6-7
G — Rylon Jones, Olympus (Salt Lake City, Utah) 6-0
G — Jalen Lecque, Christ School (Arden, N.C.) 6-4
G — Scottie Lewis, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-5
G — E.J. Liddell, Belleville West (Ill.) 6-7
G — Tyrese Maxey, South Garland (South Garland, Texas) 6-3
F — Jaden McDaniels, Federal Way (Federal Way, Wash.) 6-8
G — Justin Moore, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-4
F — Wendell Moore Jr., Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) 6-6
C — Onyeka Okongwu, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-9
G — Isaac Okoro, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 6-5
F — Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 6-8
F — Isaiah Stewart, La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 6-8
G — Marcus Tsohonis, Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 6-5
F — Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 6-8
F — Anton Watson, Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.) 6-7
F — James Wiseman, Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-11
F — Romeo Weems, New Haven (Mich.) 6-6

2018 National Junior of the Year: Vernon Carey Jr.
Wasn’t a difficult choice over three talented other big men who also were named to the overall All-American team, as Carey had the best combination of team success and individual production. The son of former Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Vernon Carey, Junior used a nice combination of size and agility to dominate foes inside. Against a rugged schedule, Carey averaged 26.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 4 bpg for the No. 2 team in the FAB 50. For his efforts, Carey was named Florida’s Mr. Basketball over a strong in-state class of senior candidates. Carey is the first junior honoree from Florida since Austin Rivers of Winter Park and Brandon Knight of Ft. Lauderdale Pine Crest were honored in 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Sophomores to Watch (2020)

G — Adrian Baldwin, St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.) 5-11
F — Scottie Barnes, University (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-7
F — Brandon Boston, Norcross (Ga.) 6-3
F — Greg Brown III, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) 6-7
F — Jaemyn Brakefield, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.V.) 6-8
G — Josh Christopher, Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-4
G — Sharife Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 5-10
G — Cade Cunningham, Bowie (Arlington, Texas) 6-5
F — N’Faly Dante, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.) 6-11
C — Hunter Dickinson, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-11
G — Lynn Greer III, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-3
G — Jalen Green, San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.) 6-4
G — R.J. Hampton, Little Elm (Texas) 6-5
F — Jalen Johnson, Sun Prairie (Wis.) 6-7
F — Keon Johnson, The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.) 6-5
G — Nico Mannion, Pinnacle (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-2
C — Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0
G — Moses Moody, North Little Rock (Little Rock, Ark.) 6-5
G — Jeremy Roach, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-2
G — Jaden Springer, Rocky River (Mint Hill, N.C.) 6-3
F — Julian Strawther, Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) 6-7
G — Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 6-3
F — Isaiah Todd, Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 6-9
F — Kyree Walker, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-5
F — Terrence Williams, Gonzaga (Washington, D. C.) 6-6

2018 National Sophomore of the Year: Jalen Suggs
Last year’s top player among freshman, Suggs is again the honoree in his class as he edges an impressive group of candidates in what is shaping up as a strong class. A smooth ball-handler who can facilitate and score, Suggs became more of a physical player this season on the boards and on defense in leading the Redhawks to a second consecutive Class 2A state crown. After first starring on the varsity as a seventh-grader, Suggs averaged 17.5 ppg as an eighth-grader and 21.5 ppg last season as a ninth-grader. This past season on a more balanced offensive team, the Grid-Hoop standout averaged 16.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 4.5 apg and 3.4 spg for a 28-4 team that didn’t play home games because of a tragic school explosion right before the school year started. Suggs had 27 points, five rebounds and eight assists in the state title game and 19 points and 14 rebounds in a victory over third five All-American Tre Jones and 4A finalist Apple Valley. Jones was named first five A.P. all-state along with three others honored on one of our All-American teams and is Minnesota’s first tenth-grade honoree dating back to the 1974-1975 season.

Freshmen to Watch (2021)

F — Patrick Baldwin Jr., Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 6-8
F — Terrence Clarke, The Rivers School (Weston, Mass.) 6-5
C — Michael Foster Jr., Washington (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-9
G — Adrian Griffin Jr., Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-4
G — Jaden Hardy, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 6-4
G — Zion Harmon, Adair County (Columbia, Ky.) 5-10
G — Meechie Johnson, Garfield Heights (Ohio) 5-11
F — Aminu Mohammed, Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) 6-5
F — Trey Patterson, Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 6-7
G — Daeshon Ruffin, Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 5-9

2018 National Freshman of the Year: Michael Foster Jr.
Last season there was a fantastic group of guards and this year there is yet more high-scoring ninth-graders. The most talented front-court players who had big impacts on their respective team, however, both played within a short drive of each other. Foster has been a well-known commodity in Milwaukee for many years and the region added Patrick Baldwin Jr. when his father took the UW-Milwaukee job. The choice came down to those two, and we go with Foster based on his statistical output and team success. After skipping eighth-grade to enroll at Washington, Foster averaged 19.1 ppg, 11.7 rpg and 2.5 bpg for a team that advanced to the WIAA D2 state title game. Baldwin, who is more of a traditional wing forward, was nearly as successful, averaging 16.0 ppg and 5.4 rpg for a team that advanced to the WIAA D1 semifinals. Foster, who has drawn some caparison to former Milwaukee Hamilton standout and 2014 third five All-American Kevon Looney and had already committed to Arizona St., is the first ever ninth-grade honoree from the state dating back to the 1976-1977 season.

National Coach of the Year: Josh Luedtke, Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.)

Related: 2017-18 All-American Elite Team | 2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA: R.J. Barrett

Note: ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post 2017-18 Underclass All-American Team Announced! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The two most prominent factors when it comes to honoring individual players for their high school basketball accolades are production and winning. That clearly is reflected in the results of the final 2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

R.J. Barrett, a 6-foot-7 senior guard, led Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) to its fourth FAB 50 mythical national title in six seasons. The Eagles finished unbeaten at 36-0 and recorded their first-ever wire-to-wire No. 1 finish with the Ontario, Canada native leading every step of the way.

A couple of off-season happenings shaped this season's national player of the year race. The would-be top returning vote-getter in the final 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, 6-foot-10 Marvin Bagley of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), decided to join the 2017 recruiting class and enroll at Duke. Last season's National Junior of the Year finished as the No. 3 vote-getter and this season was the ACC Player of the Year and is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Barrett followed in Bagley's footsteps and also re-classified, joining the 2018 class after earning National Sophomore of the Year honors and being the only tenth-grader to earn first team honors (fourth five) on our 2016-17 All-American Elite Team. Barrett didn't receive much national player of the year recognition as a sophomore (tied for 19th place), but things changed in July 2017 after he led Canada to the FIBA 19U World Cup title in Cairo, Egypt. Barrett was the leading scorer (21.6 ppg) in the event and recorded 38 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in a 99-87 semifinal win over Team USA.

Barrett's big summer was reflected in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker balloting. Every single scout on the 10-man tacker panel (see below) had him as their leading candidate or No. 2 for 2017-18 national player of the year honors. He received six first-place votes and finished with 96 points, five more than forward Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.), who was technically the highest returning vote-getter (No. 5 overall) from 2016-17 after Bagley left early for college. Williamson's 89 points included three first-place votes, five second-place votes, a third-place vote and a fifth-place vote.

All throughout this past season, Barrett wanted to prove he was the best player in the country and to put himself alongside the other Montverde Academy greats who have played for Kevin Boyle. In order to do that, Barrett felt Montverde Academy needed to win GEICO Nationals and the mythical national title. He accomplished that goal, as the Eagles did not lose a game while he averaged 28.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, and 4.4 apg. Barrett averaged 26.7 ppg in the three games at GEICO Nationals, including 25 points and 15 rebounds in the 76-58 championship game victory over No. 2 University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).

In the final balloting for 2017-18, Barrett strengthened his candidacy over Williamson, as those two spectacular players remained the only Mr. Basketball USA candidates to appear on each ballot. Even after production at major holiday tournaments, showcases and various state playoff tournaments around the country changed positioning among other candidates, it did not alter the panel's evaluation of Barrett and Williamson very much.

Barrett was the No. 1 vote-getter on all but one of the panelist's ballots, finishing with 98 overall points, seven more than Williamson. The Spartanburg Day sensation recorded eight second-place votes, while again garnering one third-place and one fifth-place vote. As a senior, Williamso led Spartanburg Day to a third consecutive SCISA Class 2A state title, as SDS went 20-8. For the season, he averaged 36.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.4 bpg and 3.6 spg, while shooting 78 percent from the field. Of those eight losses for Spartanburg Day, Zion missed five of those games. Williamson's foot was in a boot for a short period of time this season and he did have some lingering injuries that affected his candidacy, but it was more likely a case that Barrett was just that spectacular and productive for the No. 1 ranked team in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

"Barrett, based on his individual performances and Montverde's unbeaten record, is an easy choice as No. 1," said panel member Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com. "Williamson, my choice as best player/"prospect" in the 2018 class, is No. 2."

As in the preseason, only Barrett and Williamson appeared on all ten ballots. Both are headed to Duke, where they will be joined by Cam Reddish of Westttown School (West Chester, Pa.) for the 2018-19 season. Reddish, the only other player to receive a No. 1 vote in the preseason, finished in fifth place in the final balloting with 50 points on seven ballots, including five third-place votes.

Reddish was the No. 3 vote-getter in the preseason, but jumping up in the final balloting to that position was junior power forward Vernon Carey of FAB 50 No. 2 University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). He had a spectacular campaign, leading the Sharks to a state crown and a runner-up finish at GEICO Nationals, and received one second-place vote and three third-place votes while appearing on nine ballots. The only other candidate to appear on nine ballots was Romeo Langford, who scored 3,002 career points for FAB 50 No. 28 New Albany (New Albany, Ind.).

Charles Bassey, a 6-foot-10 junior at Aspire Basketball Academy (Louisville, Ky.) who was the National Freshman of the Year in 2015-16, got the first-place vote that denied Barrett a perfect score. For the season, the big man averaged 19.3 ppg, 11.4 rpg and 3.0 bpg.

It will be interesting to see how this spring and summer's travel ball circuit affects the candidacy of Carey and Bassey heading into next season. As we saw a year ago, alot can change once the high school season is complete.

In all, 28 candidates earned recognition as a national player of the year candidate in the final, expanded tracker.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total. Preseason tracker results are also listed ("Prev.").

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	R.J. Barrett (10)	Montverde Academy (FL)	9	0	1	0	98
2	2	Zion Williamson (10)	Spartanburg Day (SC)	0	8	1	0	86
3	7	Vernon Carey (9)	University School (FL)	0	1	3	1	56
4	4	Romeo Langford (9)	New Albany (IN)	0	1	1	3	51
5	3	Cameron Reddish (7)	Westtown School (PA)	0	0	5	1	50
6	9T	Nasir Little (6)	Orlando Christian Prep (FL)	0	0	0	1	32
7T	6	Charles Bassey (5)	Aspire Academy (KY)	1	0	0	0	23
7T	11	Keldon Johnson (5)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	0	23
9	9T	Tre Jones (5)	Apple Valley (MN)	0	0	0	1	19
10	NR	Emmitt Williams (5)	Oak Ridge (FL)	0	0	0	1	16
11	5	Bol Bol (3)	Findlay Prep (NV)	0	0	0	0	12
12T	NR	Onyeka Okongwu (3)	Chino Hills (CA)	0	0	0	1	11
12T	12T	Foster Loyer (2)	Clarkston (MI)	0	0	0	1	11
14T	15T	Jordan Brown (2)	Prolific Prep (CA)	0	0	0	0	7
14T	8	Darius Garland (2)	Brentwood Academy (TN)	0	0	0	0	7
14T	NR	James Wiseman (2)	Memphis East (TN)	0	0	0	0	7
17T	17	Scottie Lewis (2)	Ranney School (NJ)	0	0	0	0	6
17T	NR	Jalen Green (1)	San Joaquin Memorial (CA)	0	0	0	0	6
17T	NR	Nico Mannion (1)	Pinnacle (AZ)	0	0	0	0	6
20	14	Cole Anthony (2)	Archbishop Malloy (NY)	0	0	0	0	5
21T	NR	Jalen Smith (2)	Mt. St. Joseph (MD)	0	0	0	0	4
21T	NR	Ashton Hagans (1)	Newton (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
21T	NR	E.J. Montgomery (1)	Wheeler (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
24	NR	Cassius Stanley (1)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	0	0	0	2
25T	NR	Devin Dotson (1)	Providence Day (NC)	0	0	0	0	1
25T	NR	Bryce Hamilton (1)	Pasadena (CA)	0	0	0	0	1
25T	NR	Talen Horton-Tucker (1)	Simeon (IL)	0	0	0	0	1
25T	NR	Colby White (1)	Greenfield (NC)	0	0	0	0	1

2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, TheBasketballChannel.net VP of Content
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Clark Francis, Hoop Scoop Editor & Publisher
Bob Gibbons, All-Star Sports
Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com Director of Scouting
Scott Phillips, NBC Sports National College Basketball Writer
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

About Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in the previous tracker.

The post R.J. Barrett TOPS Final POY Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Can The WORLDS' BEST Defeat TEAM USA?! Hoop Summit Day 1 Highlights! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Aspire Academy over Hillcrest Prep 74-55

---------------------------------

Follow Us On Social!

---------------------------------

INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2jZYaAj

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2jWBBdE

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2kTRHW5

--------------------------------------------------

The post Kyree Walker Puts Up a FIGHT Against Charles Bassey at Grind Session National Tournament!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Cerritos, Calif. -- The 15th annual Pangos All-American Camp had a similar theme to many of its predecessors: it served as a coming-out-party for some of the nation's top talent in the rising senior class and as a platform for elite players to see where they stack up against their peers from around the country.

It was clear the event didn't necessarily have the top-end star power as some of the recent Pangos Camps, but many players considered in the top 30-100 range nationally of the still unsettled Class of 2018 had the opportunity to make their mark and plenty took advantage of the situation.

Players such as power forward and Arkansas commit Reggie Perry of Thomasville (Thomasville, Ga.), 6-foot-6 small forward Jules Bernard of Windward (Los Angeles), 6-foot-2 point guard Devon Dotson of Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.), shooting guard Anfernee Simons of Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.) and center Bryan Penn-Johnson of Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) upped their stock with national recruiters at the camp.

Perry was one of the many talented power forwards in attendance (it was the position with the most talent) and he shined with his combination of power scoring and perimeter shooting. He also is a strong shot blocker finished up the camp with nine points and four steals in the Pangos Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star Game (which was live streamed by Ballislife on Facebook Live). Bernard, a smooth lefty, had multiple 25-point plus games and displayed improved three-level attack from previous camps we've seen him play at. Dotson, an underclass All-American in 2016-17, has excellent open court speed and changes direction well. He is a complete guard and a competitor who plays winning basketball. Simons, who has committed to Louisville, was the top overall combo guard in attendance. He is aggressive offensively and made positive plays on both ends of the floor all weekend long.

With the lack of Top 5, Mr. Basketball USA-type talents in attendance among 2018s (7-foot Bol Bol of Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Calif. played in less than half of the camp games), two juniors-to-be were named this year's most outstanding players: power forward Charles Bassey of St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) and point guard Cole Anthony (Archbishop Malloy, Queens, N.Y.).

Bassey, the 2015-16 National Freshman of the Year who used last year's Pangos Camp as his national coming out party, was better this time around and the top overall front-court performer among a loaded crop of big men. He is explosive finishing around the cup and continues to improve his footwork and overall skill set. Bassey wasn't out played in any matchup and helped his camp team to a 4-0 record. He also played well in leading Team Westbrook to a 103-91 win over Team Harden. He finished the Cream of the Cop Top 30 game with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Shooting guard Luther Muhammad of Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) also hit double-figures with 10 points (to go along with four assists and three rebounds) as did Anthony, who scored a team-high 15 points. Anthony was arguably the most explosive point guard in attendance and is one of the most gifted offensively regardless of class. Nobody could stay in front of him (or didn't attempt to for fear of being a viral mixtape victim) and he was efficient getting in the key and finishing with both hands. The son of former UNLV and NBA point guard Greg Anthony (who hails from Rancho High in Las Vegas and was in attendance) becomes the first underclass guard ever named MOP in the 15-year history of the camp. As co-MOP with Bassey, the duo join eventual 2014 Mr. Basketball USA Cliff Alexander (Curie of Chicago, Kansas and NBA) as the only juniors-to-be ever named Pangos Camp MVP. Alexander earned top honors in 2012 (see list below).

Anthony's high school teammate at Archbishop Malloy -- 7-foot-1 junior-to-be Moses Brown -- led Team Harden with 17 points. Another one of the camp's top post players, 6-foot-10 Kofi Cockburn of Christ the King (Queens, N.Y.) hit double figures (10) in a losing effort, as did Bernard (10).

Pangos Camp Fast-Risers

Among the players who didn't have big national reputations who really helped their cause over the weekend were 6-foot-4 combo guard Will Richardson of Liberty County (Hinesville, Ga.), 5-foot-11 point guard Joe Toussaint of Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.), 6-foot-3 combo guard Logan Johnson of St. Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), and 6-foot-3 shooting guard Trey Doomes of Allatoona (Acworth, Ga.).

Richardson, who recently went on an unofficial visit to USC, is a left-handed player who can run a team and really shoot the ball. Richardson was also the guard most under control throughout the camp in terms of making the right reads, avoiding the urge to over penetrate or rely on the spectacular play and being positive when things didn't go his way. After leading his small school to a state championship game, he now has much of the SEC recruiting him and look for him to shoot up in all the respectable national player rankings.

Perhaps outside of Anthony, no guard consistently got in the key and made positive plays as much as Toussaint. A tough customer, Toussaint drew raves from evaluators in attendance and consistently had some of the highest assists totals. He dished out a game-high six assists in the Cream of the Crop Top 60 game. Doomes is a bouncy wing who was efficient in terms of his shot selection while Johnson got better as the camp wore on. He comes from a high school environment that is very system-oriented, but once Johnson understood the individualistic nature of this camp environment, he was one of the most efficient and productive players. He's the younger brother of former Fresno St. and current Miami Heat standout Tyler Johnson and will likely see his recruitment soar to a much higher level than his brother's ever did as the summer rolls along.

Cream of the Crop Top 60 Highlights

Team Jennings rolled to a 121-92 victory over Team DeRozan, as 6-foot-3 junior-to-be Tre Mann of Villages School (The Villages, Fla.) and 6-foot-4 junior-to-be P.J. Fuller of FAB 50 National Champion Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) netted a game-high 20 points for the victors. Mann made 3-of-4 3-pointers, while Fuller did not miss a shot from the field (8-of-8).

For Team DeRozan, Arkansas commit Ethan Henderson, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Parkview (Little Rock, Ark.), led the way with 14 points. Doomes added 13 and 6-foot-5 shooting guard Bryce Willis played well according to trusted scouts in attendance. He finished with 12 points, including 3-of-4 3-pointers.

Johnson finished with 16 points and gets our vote along with Toussaint and 5-foot-10 point guard Tyler Harris of Cordova (Memphis, Tenn.) as the most deserving players who could have been selected for the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game. Johnson was particularly impressive throughout the camp to a number of respected scouts, including at least two who felt he was the most efficient overall guard throughout the three day camp.

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs

2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (c0): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (c0): Trevon Duval, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-2 PG
2016 (c0): Michael Porter Jr., Nathan Hale (Seattle) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014: Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood) 6-5 SG
2005: Jerry-Davon Jefferson, Lynwood 6-8 WF
2004: C.J. Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield 7-0 C

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post All American Players GOING AT Each Other! 1 on 1 Battles ALL Game! Pangos AA Top 25 Full Highlights appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Related: 2016-17 All-American Elite Team | 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA: Michael Porter Jr.

Seven juniors and one special sophomore named to the 23rd Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 70 elite players selected to the 2016-17 Underclass All-American team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Forward Marvin Bagley Jr. of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), this year’s National Junior of the Year, and Internet sensation Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) were named to the overall All-American first team. Both players were second five selections.

National Sophomore of the Year R.J. Barrett of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) was a fourth five selection on the first team. The only sophomore to earn first five honors in the last 23 years under the current selection format is NBA superstar LeBron James while at St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) in 2000-01.

The eight All-Americans and 62 other underclass honorees all had standout campaigns for their respective high school teams, while others are sure to emerge this summer as bona fide 2017-18 All-America candidates. Nearly every summer on the grassroots circuit, well-known players are eclipsed by lesser-known commodities, and every so often a prospect comes out of nowhere to emerge as a Mr. Basketball USA candidate as was the case in 2016-17 with first five All-American selection and Ballislife All-American Game MVP Collin Sexton of Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.).

It’s a yearly ritual for some underclass All-Americans to change programs. Freshman Kyree Walker of Moreau Catholic (Hayward, Calif.) is headed to Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.). That’s the program where Arizona-bound DeAndre Ayton played at the past two seasons after spending his sophomore year at Balboa School (San Diego, Calif.). More players each year are also re-classifying up in order to speed up the recruiting process or join a class that will be more advantageous to their development. Walker is expected to join the 2019 class while sophomore point guard Tyger Campbell of FAB 50 No. 2 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) is expected to re-classify to the 2018 class.

Expect more player movement and some reclassification as the summer rolls on.

This performance-based squad is selected by National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Underclass All-American Team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

Our national coach of the year is Freddy Johnson of Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.).

Juniors to Watch (2018)

F — Marvin Bagley III, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-10
C — Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 6-10
F — Taeshon Cherry, St. Augustine (San Diego, Calif.) 6-8
G — Ayo Dosunmu, Morgan Park (Chicago) 6-4
G — Devon Dotson, Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-2
F — Marcellus Earlington, Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 6-4
G — Darius Garland, Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) 5-11
G — Quentin Grimes, College Park (The Woodlands, Texas) 6-5
G — Mason Harrell, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) 5-8
G — Tyler Harris, Cordova (Memphis, Tenn.) 5-9
G — Nigel Hawkins, Cy Falls (Houston) 6-3
F — Joey Hauser, Stevens Point (Wis.) 6-8
F — Aaron Henry, Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-6
F — Kamaka Hepa, Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 6-9
F — Jaylen Hoard, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 6-9
G — Prentiss Hubb, Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.) 6-3
F — Brandon Johns, East Lansing (Mich.) 6-8
G — Tre Jones, Apple Valley (Minn.) 6-2
G — Tavon Jones, Linden (N.J.) 6-4
G — Romeo Langford, New Albany (Ind.) 6-4
F — Gerald Liddell, Steele (Cibolo, Texas) 6-7
G — Alex Lomax, East Memphis (Memphis, Tenn.) 5-11
G — Foster Loyer, Clarkston (Mich.) 5-11
G — Jordan McCabe, Kaukauna (Wis.) 5-10
F — Khavon Moore, Westside (Macon, Ga.) 6-8
F — Jontay Porter, Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) 6-8
G — Immanuel Quickley, John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 6-3
G — Jahvon Quinerly, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) 6-2
G — Courtney Ramey, Webster Groves (Mo.) 6-3
G — Desi Sills, Jonesboro (Ark.) 6-1
G — Javonte Smart, Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-4
F — Jalen Smith, Mt. St Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 6-10
G — Joe Wieskamp, Muscatine (Iowa) 6-6
F — Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) 6-7
F — Robert Woodard, Columbus (Miss.) 6-6

2017 National Junior of the Year: Marvin Bagley III
Nipped Zion Williamson for this honor mainly because of similar production against much better overall competition. In fact, no team recorded as many quality regular-season wins as Sierra Canyon did, and Bagley was a big reason, averaging 24.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg while shooting 66 percent from the field. He might be the most talented all-around frontcourt player to play in California since 1984 Mr. Basketball USA John Williams of L.A. Crenshaw. Prior to Bagley, the last player from a California program to earn top honors among juniors was Tyson Chandler of Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) when the Dons were named FAB 50 national champions at the end of the 1999-2000 season.

Sophomores to Watch (2019)

G — Avery Anderson, Northwest (Justin, Texas) 6-3
G — Bryan Antoine, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-3
G — Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2
F — Armando Bacot, Trinity Episcopal (Richmond, Va.) 6-9
G — LaMelo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-2
G — R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7
C — Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10
F — Keion Brooks, North Side (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) 6-8
G — Tyger Campbell, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-0
F — Vernon Carey Jr., University (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-9
G — Joe Girard III, Glens Falls (N.Y.) 6-1
G — Jaelen House, Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-1
F — Matt Hurt, John Marshall (Rochester, Minn.) 6-9
F — D.J. Jeffries, Olive Branch (Miss.) 6-7
F — Chandler Lawson, Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-9
F — Michael Moreno, Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.) 6-6
F — Wendell Moore Jr., Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) 6-6
F — Paul Mulcahy, Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.) 6-3
C — Onyeka Okongwu, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-9
G — Isaac Okoro, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 6-5
G — Marvin Price, Patterson (Baltimore, Md.) 6-5
F — Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 6-8
G — Cassius Stanley, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 6-4
F — Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 6-8
F — Romeo Weems, New Haven (Mich.) 6-6

2017 National Sophomore of the Year: R.J. Barrett
Last year’s top player among freshman, Charles Bassey, had a tumultuous season in terms to his team’s eligibility status and by missing the TCAL playoffs because of injury. That opened up the door wider for Barrett, and he was so impressive this season the issues Bassey dealt with may not have mattered anyway. For a team vying for the mythical national championship every season, it’s quite impressive to see a tenth-grader dominate games in the fashion this smooth and talented guard did. In addition to being Montverde’s leading scorer the past two seasons, Barrett averaged 18.4 ppg and 4.6 rebounds for Team Canada’s 17U club last summer. He’s the first sophomore selection from a Florida program dating back to the 1974-75 season, as 2015 Mr. Basketball USA Ben Simmons of Montverde Academy did not join the Eagles until late in the 2012-13 season.

Freshmen to Watch (2020)

G — Nimari Burnett, Morgan Park (Chicago) 6-2
G — Sharife Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 5-9
F — Jyare Davis, Sanford (Hockessin, Del.) 6-5
G — Jalen Green, San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.) 6-4
G — R.J. Hampton, Little Elm (Texas) 6-5
G — Nico Mannion, Pinnacle (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-1
G — Jaden Springer, Rocky River (Mint Hill, N.C.) 6-3
G — Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 6-3
F — Isaiah Todd, Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 6-9
F — Kyree Walker, Moreau Catholic (Hayward, Calif.) 6-5

2017 National Freshman of the Year: Jalen Suggs
There wasn’t a dominant or potential generational big man entering high school basketball like there was the past two seasons with Charles Bassey (2016) or Marvin Bagley (2015), so this pick was a bit more difficult. It came down to a stellar group of guards and wings that handle the ball and score a ton. At the end of the day, we decided to go with Suggs for his production on a winning team and his mature disposition. A smooth and tight ball-handler who makes the game look easy at times, Suggs led Minnehaha Academy to the state Class AA title by averaging 21.5 points a game while handling point guard duties. Also a great prospect at quarterback on the gridiron, Suggs is already one of the most watched players on the 17U travel ball circuit and could develop into one of Minnesota’s best players in a generation. He’s is the first ever ninth-grade honoree from the state dating back to the 1976-1977 season.

National Coach of the Year: Freddy Johnson, Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.)

Related: 2016-17 All-American Elite Team | 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA: Michael Porter Jr.

Note: Grassroots Hoops selections 2013-2015; ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

Ronnie Flores is the Publisher and Editor of GrassrootsHoops.net. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post 2016-17 Underclass All-American Team appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Romeo Langford #3 VS Charles Bassey #2! Top Ranked Players Battle At Adidas appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Inside Look At Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates | 2016-17 Preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | Updated Tracker No. 1  | Updated Tracker No. 2 |  All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners

When it came to team rankings this season, there was a spirited debate at the top between undefeated No. 1 Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) and one-loss and No. 2 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.). As the results of the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com indicate, there is no debate at the top of the list when it comes to individual player honors for the 2016-17 season.  

Even after production at major holiday tournaments, showcases and various state playoff tournaments around the country changed positioning among candidates, the front-runner for national player of the year never did as the season wore on. Michael Porter Jr., a highly-skilled 6-foot-9 forward who led Nathan Hale to the FAB 50 national title, was the No. 1 vote-getter on every single ballot in the final voting, just as he consistently was on each ballot throughout the season.

Porter joins 2014-15 Mr. Basketball USA Ben Simmons of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) as the only two players in the 10-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker to earn a perfect score of 100 points on any single ballot. Similar to Simmons, Porter went wire-to-wire as the top vote-getter with 100 points in each round of voting results. He finished the season averaging 37.6 ppg, 14.5 rpg and 5.2 apg for a 29-0 club and answered the bell every time the Raiders needed big plays in their big games.

Even though Porter didn't play in the Jordan Brand Classic while nursing a back injury, it didn't matter as the strength of his candidacy was already sealed. He tied Kentucky-bound Jarred Vanderbilt with a team high 19 points for the USA Junior National Select team in its 98-87 victory at the Nike Hoop Summit. He was also named team MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game with 17 points and eight rebounds.

"Let's make no mistake about it, Michael Porter earned the top spot the old fashioned way...he just flat out outplayed the competition head to head," said panel member Van Coleman of TheBasketballChannel.net. "At Nike, Pangos, and national high school events with Nathan Hale this past season he dominated individually and led his Mokan Elite squad to the EYBL title and Nathan Hale to mythical high school national title."

The other candidates to appear on all ten ballots were undecided point guard Trevon Duval of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and Arizona-bound center DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.). Duval was a bit more of a consistent candidate than Ayton during the season, but Ayton closed strong and the 10-man panel rewarded the nation's most highly-acclaimed big man. He gained a point after appearing on nine ballots on the previous tracker and tallied the most second-place votes with five (an increase of two). He also had two third-place votes, while Duval tallied one third-place vote and one fourth-place vote. If not for two panel members who were lukewarm on Ayton's candidacy (he was in seventh place and the final player selected on those two ballots), the gap between Porter and the rest of the candidates wouldn't seem so large.

Although Ayton frustrated the panel at times because of his penchant for floating on the perimeter or because of a perceived lack of aggression, he deserves credit for being one of the very best players in high school basketball for three seasons. Not too many players over the years can legitimately make that claim. Last season, he finished in fourth place with 58 points and other than the two front-runners for the honor (eventually winner Lonzo Ball and runner-up Josh Jackson) Ayton was the only candidate to tally moe than one second-place vote. In the final 2014-15 tracker as a sophomore, Ayton had two second-place votes behind Simmons and appeared on six ballots.

For the 2016-17 season, Alton averaged 26.0 ppg, 15.0 rpg and 3.5 bpg and had eight points and 11 rebounds in the McDonald's All-American Game. He was one of the top performers at the Jordan Brand Classic, with 19 points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.

The other four candidates to receive second-place votes behind Porter were senior forward Brian Bowen, who averaged 18.8 ppg and 7.7 rpg in three Dick's Nationals games and was named MVP, senior guard Collin Sexton, who averaging 34.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 4.1 apg for a 21-8 team, and the two most highly-regarded juniors in the nation, Internet sensation Zion Williamson and talented left-handed big man Marvin Bagley III.

In all, twenty-seven candidates earned recognition as a national player of the year candidate in the final, expanded tracker.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	Michael Porter (10)	Hale (WA)	10	0	0	0	100
2	2	DeAndre Ayton (10)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	0	5	2	0	72
3	4	Marvin Bagley (9)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	2	2	2	63
4	3	Trevon Duval (10)	IMG Academy (FL)	0	0	1	1	51
5	5	Zion Williamson (8)	Spartanburg Day (SC)	0	1	2	1	46
6	NR	Mohamed Bamba (6)	Westtown School (PA)	0	0	2	1	39
7	7T	Collin Sexton (4)	Pebblebrook (GA)	0	1	0	1	35
8	6	Wendell Carter (6)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	0	1	0	33
9	7T	Trae Young (6)	Norman North (OK)	0	0	0	1	23
10	14	Brian Bowen (4)	La Lumiere (IN)	0	1	0	1	22
11	9	Ethan Thompson (3)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	12
12	11T	P.J. Washington Jr. (2)	Findlay Prep (NV)	0	0	0	0	8
13T	NR	Kevin Knox (2)	Tampa Catholic (FL)	0	0	0	0	7
13T	10	Jontay Porter (1)	Hale (WA)	0	0	0	1	7
15T	NR	Troy Brown (2)	Centennial (NV)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	11T	Quade Green (1)	Neumann-Goretti (PA)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	NR	Romeo Langford (2)	New Albany (IN)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	NR	Billy Preston (1)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	0	4
19T	15T	R.J. Barrett (3)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	3
19T	NR	Charles Bassey (1)	St. Anthony (TX)	0	0	0	0	3
19T	NR	Jaylen Hands (1)	Foothills Christian (CA)					3
22	15T	David Singleton (1)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	2
23T	NR	Bryce Hamilton (1)	Pasadena (CA)	0	0	0	0	1
23T	11T	Jaren Jackson (1)	La Lumiere (IN)	0	0	0	0	1
23T	NR	Cameron Reddish (1)	Westtown School (PA)	0	0	0	0	1
23T	NR	Mitchell Robinson (1)	Chalmette (LA)	0	0	0	0	1

2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, TheBasketballChannel.net VP of Content
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Clark Francis, Hoop Scoop Editor & Publisher
Bob Gibbons, All-Star Sports
Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com Director of Scouting
Scott Phillips, NBC Sports National College Basketball Writer
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

About Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in the previous tracker.

The post FINAL POY Tracker: Michal Porter Leaves No DOUBT! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (1-15) | Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (16-30) | Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (31-50) | Preseason East Region Top 20 | Preseason Southeast Region Top 20 | Preseason Midwest Region Top 20 | Preseason Southwest Region Top 20 | Preseason West Region Top 20

During the regular season, www.ebooksnet.com will publish the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, an inside look at the nation's top on-court high school performers, according to a panel made up of 10 high school basketball and recruiting experts, including six McDonald's All-American selection committee members.

Every season, the race for national player of the year is affected by different factors. Often times injury plays a big role, as it did in 2012-13 when current Los Angeles Laker forward Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian Academy, Plano, Texas) suffered a broken foot and was unable to challenge eventual Mr. Basketball USA honoree Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who recently dropped a career-high 47-point game.

Just last season, both injury and ineligibility were big factors, as point guard Dennis Smith Jr. of Trinity Christian (Fayetteville, N.C.) tore his ACL at the second-to-last major Grassroots event of the summer of 2015 (adidas Nations) and left early for N.C. State. Just as our 2015-16 preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings were published, No. 1 Oak Hill Academy lost its best player,  forward Harry Giles, to a torn ACL minutes into its first game. Oak Hill still went on to finish 45-1 and No. 2 in the final rankings. The Warriors again opened at No. 1 in 2016-17 and are currently 8-0 and, so far, no elite player has been lost to injury on any team.

Marvin Bagley III, the 2014-15 National Freshman of the Year at Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), did not play high school basketball at Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) last year and his absence was felt for a Trailblazers team that just couldn't keep up with Chino Hills (Calif.) in the CIFSS Open Division title game. The Huskies' Lonzo Ball (UCLA) went on to earn the title of 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA. He was one of the top candidates going into the season, but very few, if anyone, predicted the kind of individual success Ball enjoyed and his team's run to a 35-0 season and FAB 50 national title.

It's not hard for scouts to pick out the nation's best players, but it's never easy to predict how the season will play out or forecast the one national player of the year award that is truly based on season performance.

For now, we present some of the eligible candidates who figure to factor in the 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA race.

The Early Favorites*

DeAndre Ayton, Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) 7-0 Sr. C

Resume: Averaged 29.2 points, 16.7 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots per game for Hillcrest Academy and finished No. 4 in last season's final Mr. Basketball USA Player of the Year Tracker with 56 points on eight ballots. As a sophomore, he averaged 21.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals for Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.), a private institution that played mainly prep school and academy program competition as does Hillcrest.
Why He Could Win: This talented center has been class player of the year the past two seasons and many respected prep evaluators feel the Bahamian native might have the best long-term potential of any player in high school basketball regardless of class. After a lukewarm summer in 2015, Ayton was the only  junior named first five all-american last season by Ballislife and he played well this past summer.
Why He Wouldn’t: Last season it seemed Ayton was a surefire national player of the year candidate with Ben Simmons moving onto college, but he exposure with Hillcrest is not the same as with elite players who compete for traditional high schools or programs eligible for the FAB 50. Many teams are reluctant to play prep schools or academy-types that can't help them, only hurt, for a potential Dick's Nationals berth. Even though his talent is undeniable, that scenario doesn't help Ayton individually.

Marvin Bagley III, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-10 Jr. C

Resume: Bagley did not play high school basketball last season after leaving Arizona for California and enrolling at Sierra Canyon. He was a cinch choice for national freshman of the year honors in 2014-15 after leading Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) to the Division I state title. The freshman was named AZCentral Big Schools State Player of the Year after averaging 19.6 points and 10.3 rebounds for the No. 14 team in the FAB 50.
Why He Could Win: Simply put, he's one of the most talented young players to come down the pike in recent memory and motivated to play well after sitting out last season. Sierra Canyon opens up No. 9 in the FAB 50 and plays a difficult schedule, so he'll get plenty of opportunity to display his talents. Sierra Canyon also plays at least two nationally-televised games and that is always a plus for an elite player's candidacy.
Why He Wouldn’t: Sierra Canyon is a talented team and has four returning senior starters who are all D1 bound players. They not only have to mesh to live up to expectations, Bagley has to get enough touches and put up some numbers because some of the other elite candidates clearly don't have as much firepower surrounding them. Prolific numbers always help and it could be that teammate Cody Riley (UCLA) or Remy Martin (Arizona St.) leads the way at times.

Michael Porter, Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) 6-9 Sr. F

Resume: As a junior, he averaged 28.6 ppg on 66 percent shooting along with 11.8 rpg, 3.3 apg and 2.0 spg while leading Father Tolton of Columbia to a Missouri Class 3 state title. He added to his resume by averaging 26.4 ppg and 11.4 rpg per game at the EYBL Finals in leading Mokan Elite to the Peach Jam title and enters his senior season with 2,449 career points.
Why He Could Win: He's one of the nation's top two prospects along with Ayton and some argue he is the best. Porter will have ample opportunity to lead Hale to big wins in big games. If he can lead his team deep in the Les Schwab Tournament in late December, that could give his Mr. Basketball USA candidacy the boost it needs.  
Why He Wouldn’t: There's work for Hale to do in order to move up in the FAB 50 and win the Metro League title over perennial powers Garfield and Rainier Beach. If the teams falters, it could negatively affect Porter's candidacy. Hale will be plenty better than last year's 6-18 mark, but what happens if they won't win the Metro League title? Or someone else earns more local honors because of team success? That could play a factor.

Strong Cases*

Wendell Carter, Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) 6-10 Sr. C

Resume: As a junior, Carter averaged 21.6 ppg, 13.6 rpg, and 5.5 bpg and led Pace to the GHSAA Class AA state title with 30 points and 20 rebounds in the state final game. Carter also was the leading rebounder on Team USA's 2015 FIBA Americas U16 championship team.
Why He Could Win: Carter is one of the nation's most talented and productive players. He's also a winner and that also helps. He appeared on one ballot in the final 2015-16 Mr. Basketball Player of the Year Tracker, but expect him to be a legitimate candidate as a senior.
Why He Wouldn’t: Two factors could keep Carter from earning national player of the year honors. One, he may be overshadowed by other post players such as Ayton and Bagley and only one true post player earning this honor in the last 25 years (Greg Oden in 2005-2006) doesn't help. In recent seasons, the game has been much more guard-oriented with some teams going to three and four-guard attacks. Two, Georgia has other talented players (i.e. Collin Sexton) and more highly-ranked teams than Pace and if someone else gathers more local honors, it could negatively affect Carter's candidacy.

Trevon Duval, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-3 Sr. G

Resume: Duval was the top player on the UAA circuit, leading WE R1 to the UAA 17U title and one of the nation's top underclass players last season at API of Dallas, Texas. He averaged 15.9 points per game as a sophomore in leading St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) to the Prep A title.
Why He Could Win: Duval is the nation's most explosive point guard and he's highly-motivated to have a big senior campaign after not having the team or individual success he would have liked as a junior. He is capable of big-time individual performances and IMG, No. 16 in the FAB 50, does play in some showcases games where Duval will go heads up with another elite guard. Those head-to-head comparisons and matchups always help.
Why He Wouldn’t: For the second consecutive season, Duval joins a strong nucleus of players at a brand new program. Last season playing alongside Terrence Ferguson (now a pro ball player) and Billy Preston (who is now at Oak Hill Academy and a Mr. Basketball USA candidate himself), the team was flat to begin the regular season and it killed Duval's candidacy. IMG's talented roster is going to have to quickly mesh and pick up some key victories in order for Duval to outshine the other top guards around the country.

Romeo Langford, New Albany (Ind.) 6-4 Jr. G

Resume: Langford averaged 29.3 points,9.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for a 27-1 team that finished No. 31 in the FAB 50. He also had an excellent summer, with some big scoring outbursts during the adidas Gauntlet.
Why He Could Win: The only sophomore to make the overall All-American team by Ballislife, he was also the leading vote-getter on the Indianapolis Star’s prestigious all-state team, so there is no doubting his ability or his stance among media scribes. He plays in a region that receives plenty of publicity for accomplishment, so if he has a big statistical season and leads New Albany to another state title, he'll be in the thick of things.
Why He Wouldn’t: New Albany opens No. 31 in the FAB 50 and it can't falter in-state or else that will hurt Langford. Indiana public school teams can't travel the country like some of the others from around the country and that could cost him if New Albany is not completely dominant against regional foes. New Albany has a big game vs. No. 2 La Lumiere on national television December 15 and he'll need to be spectacular in that game to remain a front-runner.

Chris Lykes, Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.) 5-8 Sr. G

Resume: Lykes averaged 3.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, and 2.7 spg in arguably the nation’s toughest conference (WCAC) while averaging 22.0 ppg while shooting 47.3 percent from 3-point range. He's arguably the top overall player in one of the country's basketball hotbeds.
Why He Could Win: Lykes was named first team all-met by the Washington Post and was named Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year overall-met POY Anthony Cowan Jr. (St. John’s) and McDonald’s All-American and potential 2017 NBA Lottery pick Markelle Fultz (DeMatha Catholic), which shows just how dominant he is as a high school player. Gonzaga opens up the season No. 10 in the FAB 50 and plays tough foes at every turn. That, plus the media attention his team will receive, can only help Lykes' candidacy.
Why He Wouldn’t: Lykes is not one of the nation's top prospects (according to various recruiting services) and he may have less wiggle room so to speak than a Top 10 national prospect. The unflappable point guard and emotional leader for the Eagles is a great high school player, but if any of the Mr. Basketball USA panelists look at their ballot through the lens of future potential, it may hurt Lykes. There is also other great players in the region, so if DeMatha or another team takes the WCAC crown that team's best player could bag more local honors.

Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 6-2 Sr. G

Resume: For his 24-4 high school team, Young averaged 33.4 ppg and set a Class 6A scoring record by dropping 60 points in a game. He also had two other games of 50 or more points. He also averaged 23.2 ppg, 7.1 apg and 2.3 spg in leading Mokan Elite to the NIKE EYBL Peach Jam Title.
Why He Could Win: Young is a highly-honored player in his region and a proven product on the national high school scene. Norman North also graduated some firepower, so Young will have the green light and will put up some outstanding numbers. That will help him get noticed and keep him in the lens of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel.
Why He Wouldn’t: Norman North lost in heart-breaking fashion in the Class 6A state title game and that gives Young plenty of motivation going into his senior campaign. Should the team not perform up to par, however, that could cost him. His team success is especially important because Norman North is not traveling nationally and he won't get many opportunities vs. FAB 50-ranked teams.

OTHER SENIOR CANDIDATES
FROM STRONG PROGRAMS

G — Jose Alvarado, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 5-11
C — Mohamed Bamba, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
G — Alex Barcello, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2
F — Brian Bowen, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-6
G — Troy Brown, Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-5
G — Jalek Felton, Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.) 6-2
G — Jordan Goodwin, Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.) 6-3
G — Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 5-11
G — Jaylen Hands, Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) 6-3
F — D.J. Harvey, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-6
F — Kevin Knox Jr., Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) 6-8
C — Brandon McCoy, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.) 6-11
G — Jaylen Nowell, Garfield (Seattle) 6-5
C — Ikey Obiagu, Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.) 7-0
F — Chuma Okeke, Westlake (Atlanta) 6-8
F — John Petty, Mae Jemison (Huntsville, Ala.) 6-6
F — Billy Preston, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-10
C — Nick Richards, Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-11
F — Cody Riley, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-7
G — Daron Russell, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 5-10
G — Paul Scruggs, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-3
G — Colin Sexton, Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 6-2
G — Devontae Shuler, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2
G — Ethan Thompson, Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 6-4
C — Jeremiah Tillman, East St. Louis (Ill.) 6-10
G — Gary Trent Jr., Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-5
F — Jordan Tucker, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-7
G — Jarred Vanderbilt, Victory Prep (Houston) 6-7
F — James “M.J.” Walker Jr., Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ga.) 6-5
G — Lonnie Walker IV, Reading (Pa.) 6-5
F — P. J. Washington, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-8
G — Lindell Wiggington, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2
G — Nick Weatherspoon, Velma Jackson (Camden, Miss.) 6-2
F — Kris Wilkes, North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-7

JUNIORS TO WATCH

C — Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 6-10
F — Silvio De Souza, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-9
G — Devon Dotson, Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-2
F — Kamaka Hepa, Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 6-9
F — Jaylen Hoard, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 6-9
G — Prentiss Hubb, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 6-3
F — Brandon Johns, East Lansing (Mich.) 6-7
F — Gerald Liddell, Steele (Cibolo, Texas) 6-7
G — Foster Loyer, Clarkston (Mich.) 5-11
G — Jordan McCabe, Kaukauna (Wis.) 5-10
F — E.J. Montgomery, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-9
G — Luther Muhammad, Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) 6-4
G — Immanuel Quickley, John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 6-3
G — Courtney Ramey, Webster Groves (Mo.) 6-3
F — Naz Reid, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-10
G — David Singleton, Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 6-3
G — Javonte Smart, Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-3
F — Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) 6-6
F — Robert Woodard, Columbus (Miss.) 6-5

IMPACT SOPHOMORES

F — Precious Achiuwa, St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) 6-7
G — Bryan Antoine, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-3
G — Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2
G — LaMelo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-1
G — R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-6
C — Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-11
G — Tyger Campbell, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-0
F — Chandler Lawson, Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-9
F — Scottie Lewis, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-5
C — Onyeka Okongwu, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-9
G — Cassius Stanley, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 6-4
F — Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 6-7

*Editor's note: Listed alphabetically; The Mr. Basketball USA honor is based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential. www.ebooksnet.com does not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, as Mr. Basketball USA or to the various All-American teams it publishes.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post HLs & INSIDE Look at Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 17 years ago.

Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 National
Team Rankings Powered by www.ebooksnet.com

By Ronnie Flores

(Final 2015-16 ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; Look for preseason Region-By-Region Top 20 Rankings on Thursday, November 10 and for the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker on Tuesday, November 22.)

RELATED: Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (1-15) | Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (16-30) | Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (31-50) | Preseason East Region Top 20 | Preseason Southeast Region Top 20 | Preseason Midwest Region Top 20 | Preseason Southwest Region Top 20 | Preseason West Region Top 20

31. (31) New Albany (New Albany, Ind.) 27-1
Key Players: SG Romeo Langford 6-4 2018 (No. 2 ESPN.com, Ballislife National Sophomore Player of the Year), SG Isaac Hibbard (6-1, 2017), Sean East (6-0, 2018).
Why This Ranking: The Bulldogs had a magical 2015-16 season, capturing their first state title since 1973 behind the play of Langford, who averaged 30 ppg and emerged as one of the best players in the country. He’s back with veterans Hibbard and East, plus six other lettermen, for another run at the Class 4A state crown. Hibbard (16 ppg) went for 17 points and made four 3-pointers in the state title contest and East was the third player to hit double figures in that game.
The Skinny: The Bulldogs ended their season on a 24-game winning streak and begin 2016-17 in the same FAB 50 spot they left on last year. Their only loss was to last year’s preseason No. 1 team in Indiana (Indianapolis Pike), so if coach Jim Shannon’s club doesn’t lose in-state, it will have the opportunity to move up in the rankings. The Bulldogs’ big early test will come against La Lumiere of Indiana on national television on December 15.

32. (BB) Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) 27-4
Key Players: PF Chuma Okeke 6-7 2017 (No. 41 Scout.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American, Auburn commit), SG Daniel Lewis 6-4 2017 (No. 166 247Sports.com, Central Florida commit), PG Jamie Lewis 6-2 2018 (No. 44 ESPN.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American).
Why This Ranking: The Lions had a sub-.500 record in 2014-15, but started out in this range last season and went on to capture the GHSA Class AAAAAA state title. There’s plenty to like again, as coach Darron Rogers (488-153) welcomes back his three best players and adds enough pieces to make the Lions formidable in a new classification (AAAAAAA). Okeke is versatile and still getting better, while Jaime Lewis had a breakout year at the point after missing his freshman season with injury. In the state title game win over No. 39 Pebblebrook, Lewis led a second half comeback and finished with 21 points.
The Skinny: The coaching staff loves the team chemistry; Kelvin Simeon (6-9, 2018) brings toughness while Chase Hunter (6-4, 2019) is athletic and oozing with potential. The Lions could be better than last season, but similar to No. 31 New Albany, we will take a wait-and-see approach because they have to get by Region 2 foes Pebblebrook and Wheeler of Marietta before they can make a big jump. The national schedule includes a trip to the Beach Ball Classic, a date with Memphis East, plus IMG Academy and Gonzaga of Washington, D.C. at the Cancer Research Classic.

33. (NR) Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.) 19-3
Key Players: PG Foster Loyer 5-11 2018 (No. 119 Rivals.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American), SG Dylan Alderson 6-4 2017 (UW-Milwaukee commit), PF Taylor Currie 6-9 2019.
Why This Ranking: The Wolves have the talent and motivation to win the MHSAA Class A state title. It begins with Loyer, a clutch point guard who can score in bunches when necessary. He averaged 17 ppg and 5 apg while shooting 90 percent from the free throw line during his sophomore season. Alderson is a versatile and athletic talent with good court vision. If coach Dane Fife can get major production from Currie, this team could make a slow play up in the rankings because it has all the ingredients of a championship team.
The Skinny: Teams from Michigan don’t have much leeway in the FAB 50 since they traditionally don’t get to travel much. There is no reason, however, why Clarkson can’t make a similar run to the ones FAB 50 ranked University of Detroit Jesuit and Macomb Dakota did last season. The motivation comes from losing to Macomb Dakota, 68-66, in double OT in the Class A regional semifinals after Loyer led a valiant comeback that just fell short. Macomb Dakota is still the biggest threat to the Wolves’ championship and was seriously considered for the FAB 50. We just have a hunch Clarkston will get over the hump and love the wining pedigree of Loyer, who also helped All-Ohio Red capture the 16U Nike EYBL title.

34. (NR) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 20-14
Key Players: PG Aaron Thompson 6-3 2017 (No. 170 247Sports.com, Pittsburgh commit), SG Anthony Harris Jr. 6-2 2019 (No. 60 247Sports.com), SF Brandon Slater 6-7 2018 (No. 31 Scout.com).
Why This Ranking: We are going with three Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) programs in the preseason FAB 50 and the No. 3 team came down to the Panthers and Bishop O’Connell of Arlington, Virginia. Both teams have three returning starters and some depth, but we decided to with Paul VI because it beat the Knights three times last season. The Panthers also defeated No. 35 Roselle Catholic. Paul VI has the ingredients to challenge for the WCAC title, mainly experience in the backcourt led by Thompson and Harris. Depth up front is bolstered by North Carolina transfer Jeremy Robinson (6-6, 2018), Myles Douglas (6-6, 2017) and James Dunlop (6-10, 2017).
The Skinny: We can envision Paul VI and Bishop O’Connell moving around and jumping in the FAB 50 because of the competitive nature of the WCAC. Paul VI has work to do in order to improve upon last year’s record after losing V.J. King (Louisville) and Corey Mannigault (Pitt), and we feel Thompson, a great leader and defender, will help them do just that while increasing his individual production (9.3 ppg). Paul VI is headed for the Slam Dunk To The Beach to face highly-regarded Neumann-Goretti of Philadelphia (a team it defeated last season), the Burger King Classic, the NJ/WCAC challenge and faces No. 39 Pebblebrook at the National High School Hoops Festival.

35. (32) Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 22-8
Key Players: PF Naz Reid 6-10 2018 (No. 10 ESPN.com), SG Nate Pierre-Louis 6-3 2017 (No. 141 247Sports.com, Temple commit), SG Kahlil Whitney 6-6 2019 (No. 52 247Sports.com).
Why This Ranking: The Lions have a nice blend of returning talent and newcomers to compete for the coveted NJSIAA Non-Public Group B state title. Reid is one of the nation’s best junior centers and he and transfers Alanzo Frink (6-9, 2018) and Dion Harris (6-7, 2017) give coach Dave Boff’s program the necessary size to compete with St. Patrick of Elizabeth in the Union County Tournament and South Jersey gauntlet. Pierre-Louis is a returning all-stater who can play a variety of positions and will be the go-to scorer after averaging 19.2 ppg on the Under Armour Association circuit. He’s highly-motivated to help Roselle re-capture the NJSIAA TOC crown it won in 2015 and fired up to play alongside younger brother Joshua Pierre-Louis (6-1, 2019).
The Skinny: We were going to place Roselle a few notches higher, but talented forward Andre Rafus transferred out and returned to Baltimore while point guard Leondre Washington left back to Teaneck late in the summer. There is plenty of experience and talent to offset those losses, but the rotation players must find their roles and mesh rather quickly against a national schedule. The Lions will head to the Slam Dunk To The Beach in Delaware and play highly-regarded Greenforest of Georgia and DeMatha Catholic at the Cancer Research Classic.

36. (NR) Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 19-10
Key Players: PF Kamaka Hepa 6-9 2018 (No. 32 Rivals.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American), SG Geno West 6-3 2017, PG Marcus Tsohonis 6-4 2019 (No. 119 247Sports.com).
Why This Ranking: The Democrats get the nod as Oregon’s preseason Class 6A favorite after finishing in third place last season. The Demos were a relatively young state semifinalist that returns key pieces, but the addition of Hepa puts them in the FAB 50 picture. He moved in from remote Barrow, Alaska and has already been a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year selection, averaging 19.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, and 3.2 bpg as a sophomore. Coach Pat Strickland already had the luxury of a strong senior class coming back, including West, Amari Stafford (6-3, 2017) and Thomas Miles (6-1, 2017), and that combination of experience and talent should make Jeff tough to beat in-state.
The Skinny: Jefferson could have its best season since 2009-10 when Terrence Jones (New Orleans Pelicans) led the Demos to a third straight state title and No. 34 FAB 50 ranking. Jefferson will be tested on a national level at the Les Schwab Invitational, where it could potentially face the likes of No. 38 Hale, Garfield of Seattle, Sierra Canyon of California and Gonzaga of Washington, D.C. While Jefferson can lose or game or two at that tourney and retain its FAB 50 ranking, it will have to cut down on the in-state losses in order to move up.

37. (25) Lancaster (Lancaster, Texas) 36-2
Key Players: PG T.J. Starks 6-2 2017 (No. 95 Hoop Scoop, Texas A & M commit), PG LaQuan Butler 5-10 2018, PF Zaire Toombs 6-8 2017.
Why This Ranking: The Tigers are the two-time defending UIL Class 5A state champions and have a nice blend of experience, talent and coaching to make three-peating a reality. It starts with Starks, one of Texas’ best players. He’s a great ball-handler and passer who plays defense and took his game to another level during his junior campaign. Butler is lightning fast and a big shot maker, while Toombs takes over in the middle for graduated Nate Morris (Ole Miss). Defense is what gets Lancaster over the hump, so Toombs needs to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble while veterans such as Cameron Bluitt (6-2, 2017) play an expanded role.
The Skinny: Coach Ferrin Douglas loses a big-time senior class, including state tourney MVP Darius Anderson and two other D1 recruits, but there is still plenty to like, plus a system with a proven track record. The Tigers enter the season with a 32-game winning streak and until a Class 5A team can knock them off when it counts, they are the team to beat. Lancaster has good depth, but will need newcomers such as Zach Thomas (6-2, 2018) and Darius Miles (6-10, 2020) to step up and understand their defensive roles to replicate last year’s state run and remain in the FAB 50.

38. (NR) Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) 3-18
Key Players: SF Michael Porter Jr. 6-9 2017 (No. 1 Hoop Scoop, Ballislife Second Team All-American, Washington commit), PF Jontay Porter 6-10 2018 (No. 25 247Sports.com, Washington commit), SG P.J. Fuller 6-4 2019 (No. 23 ESPN.com).
Why This Ranking: When a program adds arguably the nation’s best player to its lineup, it’s bound to get some national attention and that’s the scenario at Hale this season. Michael Porter is a Mr. Basketball USA front-runner (along with Hillcrest Academy’s DeAndre Ayton) after averaging 28.6 ppg on 66 percent shooting along with 11.8 rpg, 3.3 apg and 2.0 spg while leading Father Tolton of Columbia to a Missouri Class 3 state title. He added to his resume by averaging 26.4 ppg and 11.4 rpg per game at the EYBL Finals in leading Mokan Elite to the Peach Jam title and enters his senior season with 2,449 career points. There’s work to do in order for Hale to win the Metro League title, but younger brother Jontay Porter (11.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 4.9 bpg) will help in that quest as he brings an immediate presence down low. Fuller transfers over from cross-town Garfield and could blossom in a more wide-open offense.
The Skinny: Former NBA standout Brandon Roy (a Garfield alum) is in his first year as coach, the talent must mesh and the national attention is new for the program, so we’ll advance cautiously before we go bonkers over the Raiders’ ranking. The transfer of Keegan Crosby (6-6, 2017) shouldn’t be overlooked because he’s capable of 20 ppg in the Metro League and takes pressure off the Porters. Roy’s team can quickly move up with its talent level, but because Father Tolton wasn’t FAB 50 ranked and Hale lost to Rainier Beach, 111-30, and to Garfield, 96-46 last season, results take precedence over hype.

39. (NR) Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 23-10
Key Players: PG Collin Sexton 6-2 2017 (No. 7 Hoop Scoop), SG Elias Harden 6-4 2017 (No. 136 Rivals.com, Xavier commit), PG Dru Drinnon 6-0 2018 (No. 77 247Sports.com), PF Jared Jones 6-9 2019 (No. 63 247Sports.com, Auburn commit).
Why This Ranking: Similar to Hale, Pebblebrook is a preseason glamour team because of the presence of a Mr. Basketball USA candidate. No individual player has improved his national profile more over the past year more than Sexton, as he set the all-time Nike EYBL regular season scoring mark (31.7 ppg) and was MVP of the 17U FIBA World Championships for Team USA after averaging 29 ppg, 7 rpg and 4 apg as a junior. Coach George Washington returns five other lettermen, but it’s the newcomers such as Harden, who brings good outside shooting and the ability to defend to the team, and the talented Drinnon who could take this team to the next level.
The Skinny: The Falcons, who have lost in the state title game two years in a row, are ranked behind Region 2 rival and No. 32 Westlake because that team beat them in overtime for the Class AAAAAA state title and return plenty of talent, too. In order to get over the hump in Class AAAAAAA and to compete nationally, Jones is just what the doctor ordered for the Falcons, as Washington is a bit concerned about frontcourt depth against a national schedule. On the flip side, he loves his team’s IQ and more than one Georgia scout we spoke to said they just wouldn’t bet against Sexton and Pebblebrook this season.

40. (BB) Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 22-4
Key Players: PG Brandon Jacobs 6-0 2017, SF Harrison Warnock 6-6 2018, PF Esam Mostafa 6-8 2019, SF Chris Coalmon 6-7 2017, PF Donatas Kupsas 6-8 2018.
Why This Ranking: There isn’t a plethora of FAB 50 caliber teams in and around New York City as there was a generation ago, although a couple likely will emerge during the course of the season. If Sidney Wilson hadn’t transferred to a New England prep program, St. Raymond’s of the Bronx probably is in the FAB 50. A good FAB 50 bet is coach John Buck’s program, as it has some talented newcomers plus seven lettermen back off a team that made it to the New York Federation Class AA semifinals. Jacobs is an experienced guard who can run the team and score in bunches while Coalmon is long on both talent and experience. Warnock was a role player last season for LuHi, but got better defensively practicing alongside the likes of Devonte Green and Charles Manning, gained great confidence offensively this summer and will have a much bigger role.
The Skinny: The Crusaders fell to eventual Federation champ and FAB 50 ranked Jefferson of Brooklyn and will be a major load for CHSAA and PSAL teams to handle at the end of the season. They also take on FAB 50 power St. Anthony of Jersey City on February 7. Mostafa is the X-Factor, as he competed in the 2016 FIBA 17U World Championship for Egypt and is a major talent with good rebounding skill. If he has a breakout campaign, LuHi’s size and talent may just be too much for any New York team to handle.

41. (BB) Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 26-4
Key Players: SF Rayshaun Hammonds 6-8 2017 (No. 38 ESPN.com), PF Lance Thomas 6-10 2017 (No. 75 247Sports.com), PG Kyle Sturdivant 6-2 2019 (No. 95 247Sports.com).
Why This Ranking: It’s hard to imagine a team with the personnel and experience possessed by the Blue Devils is only ranked No. 5 in Georgia. That’s the scenario for a team with five returning starters plus a standout transfer in Joseph Toppin (6-6, 2018). Hammonds (19 ppg, 10 rpg) and Thomas make up one of the nation’s best 1-2 frontcourt punches and Sturdivant is an experienced point guard. If Norcross develops dependable outside shooting, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it move up into the FAB 50 Top 25.
The Skinny: It was a close call for the higher rankings spot between No. 39 Pebblebrook and the Blue Devils. Both were going to begin behind Westlake, as that team defeated Norcross 61-50 in the second round of the Class AAAAAA playoffs. All three of those clubs play tough schedules and a loss or two shouldn’t knock them from the FAB 50. Coach Jessie McMillan built a schedule to put his team in Dick’s Nationals contention, as it joins Pebblebrook at the City of Palms Tournament along with six other FAB 50 ranked teams.

42. (NR) Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.) 19-3*
Key Players: SG Jalek Felton 6-3 2017 (No. 24 Rivals.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American, North Carolina commit), SF Juwan Gary 6-5 2019 (No. 12 ESPN.com), PG Khalil Robinson 5-10 2019, SG Tommy Bruner 6-0 2019 (No. 113 247Sports.com).
Why This Ranking: The War Eagles begin the season as South Carolina’s No. 1 team over A.C. Flora of Columbia and West Florence. A.C. Flora captured the Class 3A state title, while GCA looks to take top billing in Class 2A this season after playing an independent schedule last year. Felton was an standout since eighth-grade at Mullins High School, which was FAB 50-ranked for much of last season when he averaged 24.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 5.4 apg. With emerging talents such as Gary (who averaged over 16 ppg), Felton becomes more dangerous because he’s less susceptible to double teams and gimmick defenses.
The Skinny: Coach Dion Bethea has plenty of talent on hand, but we’re cautiously optimistic about placing GCA too high because a majority of the minutes will go to underclass players. When Felton gets a hot hand, however, and when his new teammates mesh their talents with his, the War Eagles will be tough to beat. Felton also raises their national profile, as GCA will compete in major showcases and the Chick-Fil-A Classic alongside No. 48 Providence Day, No. 32 Westlake and the likes of highly-regarded Wheeler of Georgia, Oldsmar Christian of Florida, Hamilton Heights Christian Academy of Tennessee, Greensboro Day and La Lumiere of Indiana.

43. (NR) Jackson (Massillon, Ohio) 21-5
Key Players: PF Kyle Young 6-7 2017 (No. 84 Scout.com, Butler commit), SF Logan Hill 6-5 2017 (Toledo Commit).
Why This Ranking: The Polar Bears get the nod as the team to beat in Ohio with Trotwood-Madison and Wayne right on their heels. Jackson is the favorite in the state’s competitive Division I state title race over Wayne because of its stellar font court led by Young. A returning all-state choice, Young averaged 19.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg and was named Federal League Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Young can play inside and out, as evidenced by his 41 percent shooting from the 3-point line. Hill averaged 13.6 ppg and could be in line for all-state honors, too, with a big senior campaign.
The Skinny: Coach Tim Debevec is blessed with two horses up front, but he also has great role players at his disposal and the team has plenty of motivation, too. Kyle Nicholas (6-2, 2017), a good athlete headed to Ball State to play baseball, is a terrific shooter off the catch or dribble. If Jaret Pallotta (6-6, 2018) can double his point and rebound numbers from last season, Jackson will be awfully tough to beat. It wants to erase the memory of last year’s 51-47 loss to McKinley of Canton (the Federal League co-champions) in the district title game. Ohio usually had a senior-oriented team make a FAB 50 run and Jackson is its best bet this season.

44. (NR) Mae Jemison (Huntsville, Ala.) 0-0
Key Players: SF John Petty 6-6 2017 (No. 12 Hoop Scoop, Ballislife Second Team All-American), SG Justin Hopkins 6-3 2017.
Why This Ranking: You’re probably wondering how a program that didn’t exist last season earns a FAB 50 ranking. It’s an easy call, however, when you realize the talent at hand and who the veteran, title-winning coach coming off back-to-back state titles leading the program is. Coach Jack Doss has won state titles at three different Alabama programs, the last two at J.O. Johnson, which was 29-5 and ranked No. 19 in the final Southeast Regional rankings and closed its doors later in the spring. All eight of that team’s underclassmen are at Jemison, most notably Petty. He went for 32 points in last year’s Class 5A state title game win and averaged 19.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 4.1 apg.
The Skinny: There is more to like than the talents of Petty and the coaching of Doss, as Hopkins (6-3, 2017) is a versatile wing capable of big scoring outputs. Jemison will miss the spark graduated Jarius Grayson provided, but if J.J. Jackson (6-1, 2017) returns to form after siting out last season, this team might not miss a beat. Petty is coming off a luke-warm summer, so he’ll be highly-motivated to lead the Jaguars to a good showing at the City of Palms Tournament and could catapult himself into the Mr. Basketball USA conversation if he does.

45. (NR) Webster Groves (Webster Groves, Mo.) 26-3
Key Players: PG Courtney Ramey 6-2 2018 (No. 5 Hoop Scoop, Ballislife Underclass All-American), PF Carte’Are Gordon 6-8 2018 (No. 9 ESPN.com).
Why This Ranking: The Statesman have two of the best underclass players in the country to go alongside five other returning lettermen. Ramey is the catalyst and can take over games with his scoring or play-making. He averaged 17.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.7 apg, and 2.6 spg and was named the Suburban XII South Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore. Gordon has the potential to be Missouri’s most dominant frontcourt player, as he tallied 20 ppg and 12 rpg at nearby St. John Vianney before leaving the program last January.
The Skinny: Webster Groves gets the early nod as the Missouri Class 5A title favorite by a whisker over Kickapoo of Springfield, last year’s runner-up. Gordon may be ineligible until January (pending appeal) and if that’s the case Kickapoo (which has two outstanding seniors in Jared Ridder and Cameron Davis) might leapfrog the Statesman into the FAB 50 if it starts off strong. Coach Jay Blossom’s unit at Webster Groves will have Gordon back by January and could hit its stride later in the season. It is also a motivated bunch after losing to St. Louis University in last year’s district title game.

46. (NR) St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 32-6
Key Players: C Charles Bassey 6-10 2019 (No. 1 Hoop Scoop, Ballislife National Freshman Player of the Year), PG Isiah Saenz 5-9 2017.
Why This Ranking: The Yellowjackets should be the best among private and parochial programs in Texas (TAPPS) because of the presence of Bassey and improved talent surrounding him. The nation’s best sophomore was named TAPPS Class 5A all-state after averaging 20.2 ppg, 17.1 rpg and 5.9 bpg in his first year of high school ball. Saenz (15.1 ppg, 6.7 apg, 2.3 spg) is an ultra-quick point guard who will play at the next level. First-year coach Jeff Merritt has two other returning starters, but the newcomers are ultimately going to take this team to the next level in its quest for a Class 5A state title and national recognition.
The Skinny: This team would have been a notch or two higher had power forward Franklin Agunanne played a role on it. Still, newcomers Ousmane Ndim (6-11, 2018) and Obi Prosper (6-7, 2019) have made tremendous strides, according to Merritt. There is still work to do after losing big to Prestonwood Christian of Plano in last year’s state title game, but there’s still plenty to like about a team that will get its shot on the national stage with showcase games at the City of Palms, Mike Miler and Hoophall Classics. “We’re still 6-11, 6-10, and 6-8 up front and got plenty to win our district and state,” Merritt said.

47. (BB) Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 22-3
Key Players: C Bol Bol 6-11 2018 (No. 3 247Sports.com), PF Jeremiah Robinson-Earl 6-8 2019 (No. 18 Rivals.com), SG Semaj Ray (6-2, 2017).
Why This Ranking: The Stags are the defending KSHSAA Class 4A-Division 1 state champions and have one of the nation’s most unique talents in the fold, not to mention one of the its fastest-rising prospects, and their most productive player back. Bol, who scored 14 points in the state title game victory and is the son of the late Manute Bol, is oozing with potential and with his improved skill set, should blossom into a dominant player. Robinson-Earl (11.8 ppg), the son of former Kansas forward and high school All-American Lester Earl, went for 16 points in the state title game and was named second team all-state by the Wichita Eagle. Ray (13.1 ppg) had 10 points and was named first team all-state.
The Skinny: Every single point in Bishop Miege’s 69-59 win over McPherson in the state title game was scored by an underclassmen, so there is plenty to like about this club. Ray is a D1 talent and seniors Francesco Badocchi (6-7, 2017) and Joseph Gleason (6-5, 2017) bring strength and maturity up front. The Stags lost two early in-state games last year and will have to avoid a slow start this time around to remain in the FAB 50.

48. (NR) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 29-7
Key Players: PG Jacob King 5-10 2017, SG David Johnson 6-4 2019, SF David Burton 6-3 2017.
Why This Ranking: The Shamrocks get the nod as the Bluegrass State’s top-ranked team over Bowling Green and Covington Catholic of Parks Hills, as they have a nice blend of returning talent, newcomers and excellent coaching. King, a tough point guard with a clutch gene, was last year’s leading scorer while his twin brother Brendan is another guard with skill and experience. Burton can play both forward positions and Johnson is oozing with potential as a big guard. Juan Harris (6-2, 2017) provides toughness and Lucas Burkman (6-0, 2017), who is coming off a broken foot, provides even more depth.
The Skinny: The Rocks have been to the Kentucky Sweet 16 three of the past five years, so with the talent on hand anything other than a trip to the KSHAA Sweet 16 championship game will be a disappointment. Mike Szabo gets respect as one of Kentucky’s best coaches and his team will have the opportunity to prove its rankings worth at the King of the Bluegrass Tournament and the Arby’s Classic in Bristol, Tenn. If Johnson, who is a big-time athlete and one of Kentucky’s best prospects regardless of class, lives up to his vast potential and if D1 prospect Jayden Scrubb (6-3, 2018) finds his role, this could be a special team.

49. (27) Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 30-4
Key Players: PG Devon Dotson 6-2 2018 (No. 28 Hoop Scoop, Ballislife Underclass All-American), SF Trey Wertz 6-5 2018, SG Isaac Suffren 6-3 2018.
Why This Ranking: The defending NCISA Class 3A champions have just enough returning talent to nab a FAB 50 spot and to defend its crown valiantly against the likes of Greensboro Day and High Point Christian Academy. It begins with Dotson, one of the nation’s finest junior guards, who averaged 16.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.6 apg and 1.8 spg while earning all-state honors last season. He teams up with Wertz, who netted 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in the state title game win over High Point Christian Academy, to form one of the South’s finest backcourts.
The Skinny: As if coach Brian Field needed more backcourt firepower, transfer Isaac Suffren (6-2, 2018) is one of North Carolina’s top junior guards. Ultimately, however, the success of this team will depend on how the new frontcourt starters develop. Last year’s championship team had balance with five double-digit scorers, so if consistent frontcourt scoring isn’t developed, Dotson and Wertz will have to shoulder the offensive load. That scenario could limit the success against national caliber teams the Chargers will face at events such as the Chick-Fil-A Classic and Montverde Academy Invitational, not to mention five other showcases.

50. (NR) Meridian (Meridian, Miss.) 27-5
Key Players: SF Ladarius Brewer 6-5 2017 (UTEP commit), PG Jay Malone 5-10 2017, SF Tyron Brewer 6-7 2018, SG Miles Miller 6-2 2018.
Why This Ranking: The Wildcats get the nod as the final FAB 50 team over the likes of Bishop O'Connell of Virginia, Hudson Catholic of New Jersey and Desert Vista of Arizona, among others, because of their returning personnel and depth. Ladarius Brewer is a four-year regular and this wing forward showed what he could do against national competition when he hit for double figures on the adidas Gauntlet. Tyron Brewer, a good 3-pointer shooter and an athletic finisher who is a double-double threat, also gained valuable experience playing for MBA Hoops. Malone is quick and tough on the defense end.
The Skinny: Meridian gets the nod in-state over Clinton, but has work to do to remain in the FAB 50 as one of the Southeast Region’s top teams. It has as much talent as any team in the state and a strong sophomore group, but also a new coach so chemistry will be key. Randy Bolden left for a Mississippi JUCO, but luckily for Wildcats fans, new coach Ron Norman from Pascagoula is considered one of the state’s best. Meridian has been a MHSAA Class 6 state title contender the past five years and Norman will continue that tradition.

RELATED: Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (1-15) | Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (16-30) | Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (31-50) | Preseason East Region Top 20 | Preseason Southeast Region Top 20 | Preseason Midwest Region Top 20 | Preseason Southwest Region Top 20 | Preseason West Region Top 20

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50: (31-50) appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED:  Breakout Performances For Guards Avery Anderson & Jahari Long 

Dallas -- Everything in Texas is big, so it was only fitting the 2016 Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp's MVP turned out to be the player with the largest name and game. That would be one 6-foot-10 Charles Bassey of St. Anthony of San Antonio, who dominated the camp from start to finish with consistent paint performances.

Bassey is just too athletic and skilled for nearly any big man in the country to handle, and even though a couple of post players turned in valiant individual efforts against the sophomore wunderkind, he rose to the occasion in every outing. Bassey operates with efficiency in the half court, rarely taking a bad short and passing with precision from the post. He's also a terror in the open court and handles the ball well enough to push it, dish it and get the return pass for the finish.

Although Bassey was just as dominant this past weekend as he was at last year's camp, we won't spend much time on his exploits because most who follow the grassroots and high school landscape know all about him. The buzz didn't center on one player; as there was a large group of standout performers with similar abilities. The slew of talented wingmen and offensive-minded point guards, not to mention the sheer number of participants, made for some tough choices for the Cream of the Crop Top 30 and Top 60 All-Star Game selections. To be honest the discussions were as heated as the West Texas sun can be, and as a result there were likely deserving players who didn't receive all-star recognition.

Tyreek is Geeked in Cream of the Crop Game 

Among those selected for the top all-star game, nobody did more to help his overall showing at the event than 6-foot-8 forward Tyreek Smith of Advanced International Prep (Dallas). Smith led his White team to a 106-58 victory over the Black team by scoring 24 points and grabbing eight rebounds while adding two second half steals. The White team led 34-26 at halftime, but pulled away in the second half by converting the Black team's missed field goal attempts into easy transition buckets on the other end.

No one played with more consistent energy through the camp's conclusion than Smith, as consistent effort was one of the major differentiators in this camp. Some of the more talented players tailed off near the end, but Smith's game grew as he got more comfortable with the playing atmosphere. Smith wasn't sure of himself or his role in his first game, but loosened up and played like one of the camp's top players on Sunday. Smith has large and strong hands and just needs to work on his touch around the basket to take his game to the next level.

Charles Smith IV, a 6-foot-5 2019 prospect from Westbury Christian (Houston) who was one of the camp's better freshman in 2015, also had a strong performance for the victorious White team with 19 points and four rebounds. Smith was consistent with his shooting and offensive play-making throughout the event. Bassey also played for the winning club, finishing with six points and four blocks in a game played with two, 25-minute running clock halves and 15 players per team.                   

Another consistent performer who got better as the weekend went on was 6-foot-4 guard Moses Moody of Parkview (Little Rock, Ark.). Moody has a smooth approach to the game and excels at both guard positions. He is best at slashing to the basket or pulling up for a quick jumper, but he's also an excellent passer in the half court set. Moody, who was a standout at the Pangos Junior All-American Camp last February, was one of the top three freshmen at the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp along with 6-foot-5 Cade Cunningham (Bowie, Arlington, Texas) and 6-foot-6 Jerry Lliya (Redemption Christian, Troy, N.Y.).

The best of the lot among eighth-graders (2021 prospects) was small forward Arthur Kaluma of Frankfort Middle School in Dallas. He had 11 points and six rebounds in the top all-star game, but even more importantly improved as the camp wore on. Kaluma can handle the ball well in the open court for a small forward-type and is relentless driving to the basket. He has a solid first step and is especially potent operating on the baseline.

Other All-South Standouts

With over 220 campers, it was easy to overlook a couple of standouts despite the heated discussions about the merits of the best players.

Some of the top standouts in the Cream of the Crop Top 60 game included 6-foot-3 2020 prospect Jaylen Posey of Grand Prairie (Texas), 5-foot-10 2020 prospect Mike Miles of perennial Texas power Lancaster, and 6-foot 2019 prospect Ty Archibald of Katy (Texas). Miles shot the ball well for the wining White club and Archibald stood out on the defensive side of the ball in a game where defense was non-existent for the most part.

There were also a trio of standouts who didn't make either all-star game. Those "snubs" were 6-foot-2 2020 prospect Jahari Long of Episcopal (Houston, Texas), 5-foot-10 2019 prospect Christian Williams of Conway (Ark.) and 6-foot 2019 prospect Jalen Jackson of Wagner (San Antonio, Texas). Long was one of the event's best passing point guards, while Williams and Jackson played with intensity and purpose.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post Major HEAT at Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Major HEAT at Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp!

Dallas -- With over 215 campers at the Triple A/Focused Learning Academy looking to showcase their skills at the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp, it hasn't been easy to standout from the pack for a vast majority of the campers. There are just so many young players with a similar skill level -- and similar size. The strength of campers are the wing-types in attendance who are able to finish in the open court and are physically the most advanced group of players.

Most of those players are between 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-7 and with the wide-open, up-and-down nature of the camp, they are able to finish around the rim with explosive moves. They are generally too big for the guards to handle and are able to beat the big men down the court to score in abundance. Some of the standouts that fall into this category include 6-foot-5 2020 prospect Cade Cunningham (Bowie, Arlington, Texas), the younger brother of former SMU big man Cannen Cunningham, 6-foot-3 2019 prospect Tyrese Maxey (Garland, Texas), one of camp's most efficient players so far, 6-foot-5 2019 prospect Trey Williams (The Colony, Texas), 6-foot-6 Jalen Wilson (Guyer, Denton, Texas) and 6-foot-6 Jerry Lliya (Redemption Christian, Troy, N.Y.).

Cunningham is a straight line player who takes it to the front of the rim with authority. He knows how to change direction with little wasted motion and beats defenders in the easiest manner possible on a consistent basis. Expect him to be in the Cream of the Crop Top 20 All-Star game, as he's impressed the large contingent of scouts in attendance. Maxey is a relentless scorer with a high IQ on both ends of the court. He can finish on all three levels, covers ground with his dribble penetration and works on the defensive end, too. Maxey is a jack-of-all-trades type; even though he may not appear to overly excel in any one aspect of the game, there is no aspect of the game he is weak at.

Lliya, a native of Nigeria with family in the Lone Star State, is one of the top out-of-state standouts among the campers. There are 12 states represented along with the District of Columbia at the event, and Lliya is easy to point out with his length, athleticism and motor. He was putting in work defensively, including a couple of impressive run down blocks.

While the wings excelled as a group on day one, it has been a mixed bag for the lead guards so far. There are a large number of small guards (under 5-foot-11) and unfortunately some of these young players don't quite understand they must be even more outstanding in their performance and approach to the game than bigger players who more often than not receive the benefit of the doubt when it comes to earning scholarships from college coaches. Too often one day one the point guards missed open players on the wings, didn't quickly advance the ball up court with a well-timed pass or dribbled with their head down while teammates stood around.

All was not lost in the backcourt, however, as Avery Anderson and Jahari Long were two that stood out among the bigger guards on the first day. Anderson, a 6-foot-3 2019 prospect out of Northwest (Justin, Texas), displayed outstanding ability to break down defenders, draw the defense and hit the open man. Anderson did this in spectacular fashion in the open court and was also effective in the half court with knifing passes. The lefty has some flash to his game and plenty of confidence, while Long also was deft at hitting the open man. Both are excellent ball-handers who don't overly worry about primary defenders because they are concentrating on where the help is coming from after they break down or blow by. Long is particularly effective in slicing past defenders and finishing around the rim from a variety of angles.

Among the diminutive guards, 5-foot-6 2019 prospect Bryce Cook (South Grand Prairie, Grand Prairie, Texas) turned heads with his ball-handling wizardry, confidence and scoring ability. He took no prisoners on day one and put together a couple of memorable scoring outings that impressed his peers and the new age media members. Traditional media members and scouts would like to see him tone down the flashy play a bit, but his production and ability is undeniable for a small guard.

Among the bigs, it was no surprise to see Charles Bassey (St. Anthony, San Antonio, Texas) at the top of the list of performers. The 6-foot-10 center was last year's top player at this camp, last season's National Freshman of the Year and has done nothing so far that would take away from his status as arguably the top prospect in the national 2019 class. He's not the consensus top prospect in the class among the most respected national scouting services, but it's hard to deny his potential as a franchise-type big man down the line.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post Guards Avery Anderson, Jahari Long Breakout at Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Charles Bassey, Underclassmen Take Center Stage at NBPA Top 100 Camp

In a competitive setting grassroots camp that lasts four days, the unit with the most consistent performer is likely to capture the team championship. At the 2016 NBPA Top 100 Camp, that is exactly what happened as Zion Williamson, a powerful 6-foot-7 junior-to-be forward (2018) from Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.), was the top overall performer and led the Heat to the championship.

Williamson drew comparisons to names such as Jamal Mashburn, Mark Aguirre and even former UNLV and California legend Eldridge Hudson with his powerful finishes around the basket. He led the camp in scoring (14.6 ppg) and had 14 points in the title game, as the Heat defeated the Rockets, which was the top seed with a 5-1 record coming into Saturday’s playoffs.

With its relatively easy 109-89 victory, the Heat finished 8-1 overall. The lopsided title game win was spearheaded by point guard Chris Lykes, who earned All-American honors from www.ebooksnet.com and was the MVP of the powerful Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) as a junior. Lykes’ play was up and down during the camp, as he struggled finishing at times, but he put it all together when it mattered.

The 5-foot-8 point guard and Miami commit out of Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) made 3-of-5 shots from behind the 3-point line and finished the title game with 25 points, four rebounds, three assists and zero turnovers. Besides Williamson and Lykes, four other players scored in double figures for the Heat, including 14 points by 2017 shooting guard Alex Barcello of Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) and 13 points by 6-foot-10 2017 prospect Malik Williams of Snyder (Ft. Wayne, Ind.). Barcello had an excellent close to camp by adding nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

The Rockets looked like world-beaters up until the last game of the camp because they had arguably the top two producing point guards at the event: 5-foot-11 Tremont Waters of South Kent Prep (Kent, Conn.) and 6-foot-3 Jaylen Hands of Balboa School (San Diego, Calif.). Waters led the camp in assists (5.6 apg) and Hands was tied for second (4.7 apg) with Isaiah Washington of St. Raymond’s (Bronx, N.Y.), but they were struck some by misfortune in the title game.

Waters only played five minutes before a cut over his eye forced him to miss the remainder of the game. Hands, who played well at adidas Eurocamp the previous week, meanwhile, had seven assists against zero turnovers, but made only 1-of-11 field goal attempts from the field.

Tadas Sedekerskis, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Lithuania, led the Rockets with 24 points while Keldon Johnson, a 6-foot-6 2018 small forward out of Park View (South Hill, Va.), added 21 points.

Waters nailed a 3-pointer with one second remaining in overtime to propel the Rockets to a 77-76 semifinal victory over the Knicks. He finished with a game-high 18 points, five rebounds, eight assists and four steals. The Heat advanced to the title game with a 83-80 overtime semifinal victory over the 76ers. Williams hit a 3-pointer to send the game into an extra period and came up with a key block on Washington in the closing seconds to help his team secure the game. He finished with team-highs of 16 points and nine rebounds, in addition to collecting two steals.

Williamson and Waters were named camp co-Most Outstanding Player by the event’s selection committee. Zedekerskis and Hands also made the 13-man all-camp team.

Here were some other selected standouts were caught our eye at the NBPA Top 100 Camp:

Evan Battey, Villa Park (Calif.) 6-7 2017: Relatively unknown outside of California, the power forward helped himself tremendously from a national perspective. His activity level was off the charts and he scored from various spots on the court. Battey knows how to position himself to score, has good hands, and is much more agile that his frame might indicate otherwise. He finished third in the camp in scoring (12.9 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (6.8 rpg).

E.J. Montgomery, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10 2018: Came into the nationally known high school academy program in Florida highly-regarded, but was a bit inconsistent his sophomore season. Montgomery seemed to take his game to another level once Isaiah Washington joined his 76ers club that advanced to the semifinals. Montgomery was active on the glass, ran the floor to beat other big men down and get into scoring position. He also displayed nice shooting touch around the basket. Montgomery averaged just a shade under 10 points per game (9.9) and was one of the camp’s leading rebounders at 5.4 per game.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post NBPA Top 100: Chris Lykes, Zion Williamson Lead Team to Championship! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Chris Lykes, Zion Williamson Lead Team to NBPA To 100 Championship

The annual NBPA Top 100 Camp kicked off Wednesday at John Paul Jones Arena on the campus of the University of Virginia with a handful of the nation’s top overall prospects regardless of class in attendance competing in NBA-length games using a 24-second clock. The prestigious camp, put on by the NBA Player's Association and directed by grassroots czar John Lucas traditionally brings together many of the nation's top senior-to-be's (in this case 2017). With a crowded grassroots calendar, however, Lucas and his staff assembled an impressive collections of 2018 and 2019 prospects.

Leading the way has been 2015-16 national freshman of the year Charles Bassey of St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas). The 6-foot-10 2019 phenom stood out at the recent Pangos All-American Camp and is stepping up his game even more. Bassey has the skill level on both sides of the ball to make him the No. 1 prospect in the class and one of the best players in the country, regardless of class, by the end of summer. Bassey is expanding his range to include a solid looking 3-point set shot and displaying good patience in his shot selection. On the glass, he's simply been phenomenal, clearing the ball and also going out of his area. Considering he's only been playing since the age of 12, Bassey could develop into one of the best all-around bigs to come down the pike in quite some time if he stays focused.

Another 2019 oozing with potential is 7-foot-1 Chol Marial of Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, Conn.). Marial is even less experienced in a big-time grassroots setting than Bassey, but he's proven he belongs with solid half hooks and other sweeping offensive moves around the basket. Defensively, he's an astute shot-blocker with good instinct and the ability to go get shots out of his area. Marial runs the floor well for a young seven footer and has a high ceiling for improvement with regards to overall strength, face ups, and learning how to gain favorable defensive position instead of waiting on the spectacular block.

Bassey vs. Marial Matchup Highlights Action

Marial is the lesser known of the two standout sophomore-to-be big men, having bounced around on the various age group teams (17U-15U) of the Connecticut Basketball Club on the Under Armour Association circuit. Marial had a chance to test his wares against Bassey in a head-to-head showdown on Thursday night and it Bassey who got the better of it.

Bassey dominated offensively and on the boards and led his team to a 82-69 victory. Bassey and Chol were not always on the court at the same time, as playing time is spread around in this camp setting. When they were on the court at the same time, however, Bassey was the more impactful and productive big. He finished with 17 points, on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including a rhythm 3-pointer, 14 rebounds, three assists and a steal. Marial finished with four points on 2-of-5 field goal attempts, two rebounds, two blocks and one steal.

The statistics are a bit misleading because Bassey played eight more minutes and his teammates did a better job of feeding him the ball in the painted area in comparison to Marial. Bassey is also more fluid running the court and doesn't necessarily need teammates to set him up because he is excellent on getting the return pass after grabbing the carom. Bassey also is a solid ball-handler, whereas Chol is solely dependent on being set up.

Through four camp games, Bassey is averaging 11.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, the latter average topping the camp so far.

Bassey was aided in his team's victory by a couple of 2017 prospects in Christian Popoola Jr. and Evan Battey. Popoola, a combo guard out of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), hit 3-of-4 3-pointers and 7-of-9 shots from the field to finish with 21 points. Battey, a powerfully-built forward who is one of the many national sleepers at this camp, added 17 points while making all eight of his free throws, and grabbing nine rebounds. Battey is No. 2 in the camp in rebounding behind Bassey so far at 8.8 per game.

 Langford Stands Out Among Wings 

There are at least 20 players 6-foot-10 or taller at this year's NBPA Top 100 Camp and plenty more 6-foot-9, but the shooting guards and wings have not been outdone. The best of the lot through two days is 6-foot-5 Romeo Langford, the 2015-16 national sophomore of the year out of New Albany (Ind.). Langford has great innate scoring skill and is a smooth operator in terms of making the correct offensive play. He is also excellent at scoring on all three levels and is uncanny at finding seams around the basket to make a difficult shot look easy. The junior-to-be started the camp with a 19-point outing and is the camp's second leading scorer (14.5) through the first four games behind Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.). The rugged wing is a load at 6-foot-7, 220-pounds, and similar to Langford, is a 2018 prospect. He knows how to use his wide shoulders and body to power his way to the basket, but also has a quick first step in short quarters to blow by unsuspecting defenders. Williamson reminds us a bit of 1978 Mr. Basketball USA Mark Aguirre of out Westinghouse of Chicago. Aguirre went on to be the No. 1 pick of the 1981 NBA Draft and a NBA all-star forward who could score with the best of them.

Alex O'Connell, a lanky 6-foot-6 shooting guard out of Milton (Ga.), is fourth in the camp in scoring (12.5 ppg) behind Battey. O'Connell is one of those 2017 prospects that should shoot up the various national player rankings charts in his performance at this camp is any indication.  He's a solid athlete who can hit the deep jumper with regularity, which makes his fundamentally sound pull up game even that much more dangerous. O'Connell also excels in the drive and dish game and is an engaged defender. If he closes out the camp strong over the next two days, he's in good position to be considered a top five performer at the event.

Playmakers Make Noise

The guards, of course, dictate most of the action in camp settings and for the most part the play has been unselfish and what an astute observer would expect. Now, there is a difference between being selfish and making the incorrect read either in the half court or transition and nearly every lead guard here must improve in the decision-making department. Two that have stood out with their play-making and decision-making are Lavar Batts Jr., a 6-foot-2 point guard out of Jay M. Robinson (Concord, N.C.), and 5-foot-11 Tremont Waters, a 5-foot-11 dynamo from South Kent Prep (Kent, Conn.).

Batts is excellent at splitting double teams and getting in the key to finish or set up teammates. The flashy guard also knows how to push the ball in transition and make the simple, relaxed pass for a finish. Batts is prone to an occasional bad decision as every high school aged-guard is, but his overall play-making skills are excellent. He's averaging eight points and nearly four assists per game.

No guard at the NBPA Top 100 camp is more skilled in finding cutting teammates or finding an acute passing lane than Waters. He has total command of the ball and uses his low gravity frame to keep bigger, longer defenders off balance and away from the ball. Waters does need to improve his work off ball screens, but overall his attack game and decision-making is excellent in the open court and in the half court. He leads the camp in assists (6.8 apg) by more than one full assist and is averaging 8.8 ppg.

Athletic guard Jaylen Hands from Balboa School (San Diego, Calif.) is second in the camp in assists so far is is one of the best scoring lead guards in attendance (10.8 ppg).

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post Charles Bassey, Underclassmen Take Center Stage at NBPA Top 100 Camp! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Pangos All American Camp Was CRAZY This Year! Official Mixtape! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Michael Porter, Hamidou Diallo Among Pangos Standouts

The talent level at the 14th annual Pangos All-American Camp was arguably the deepest it its history and a plethora of the nation's best players selected for its top all-star game.

The Ballislife Cream of the Crop Top 25 was controlled by the Red Team throughout and led 51-41 at halftime over the White Team. The guard tandem of Jaylen Hands (Balboa School, San Diego, Calif.) and Trae Young (Norman North, Norman, Okla.) helped the Red Team build its early lead with solid outside shooting, strong scoring drives and put pressure on the White Team by pushing the ball in transition.

The White Team made its move in the second half with some strong scoring finishes by DeAndre Ayton (Hillcrest Academy, Phoenix, Ariz.), Hamidou Diallo (Putnam Science Academy, Putnam, Conn.) and P.J. Washington (Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev.). It got within four points, but a Texas trio consisting of Victor Bailey (McNeil, Austin, Texas), Jay Jay Chandler (Cinco Ranch, Katy, Texas) and Charles Bassey (St. Anthony, San Antonio, Texas) helped the Red Team take control down the stretch and record a 112-97 victory.

Chandler (10 points), with his scoring versatility, and Bailey (10 points), with an his explosive first step and three-level scoring, were sparks and they made quite an impression at camp after coming in less heralded than many of the other players in the top all-star game. Chandler and Bailey were two of six players to hit for double figures, including Bassey, who also had 10 points. Bassey, the National Freshman of the Year, had the platform to show he's one of the best players in the nation regardless of class and did not disappoint.

Billy Preston of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) scored a team-high 17 points for the winning team and was named game co-MVP along with Ayton, who reportedly finished with a game-high 20 points for the White Team.

Charles O'Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas, Nev.) added 15 points for the Red Team, while Diallo and Washington had 14 and 12 points, respectively, for the White team.

Point guard Trevon Duval and combo forward Michael Porter Jr. were named 2016 Pangos Camp co-Most Outstanding Players (MOP). Porter was unable to play in the Cream of the Crop Top 25 Game, so accepting the award on his behalf and presenting Duval with his was 2013 Pangos All-American Camp MOP Stanley Johnson of the Detroit Pistons.

All-Time Pangos All-American Camp MOPs:

2016:  Trevon Duval, Advanced International Prep (Dallas, Texas) 6-2 PG
Michale Porter Jr., Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015:  Rawle Alkins, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-5 SF
Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014: Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
Tyler Dorsey, Maranatha (Pasadena, Calif.) 6-4 SG
Stephen Zimmermann, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 7-0 C
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago, Ill.) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Jerry-Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: C.J. Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C

The post WATCH FULL GAME: Cream of Crop Top 25 from Pangos Camp! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The 2015-16 All-American Elite Team, now published for the 22nd consecutive season and on the www.ebooksnet.com platform for the first time, includes 44 of the nation’s best seniors, led by Mr. Basketball USA Lonzo Ball of FAB 50 No. 1 Chino Hills (Calif.).

Eighteen seniors and two juniors, including National Junior of the Year DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), headline the 20-player overall first team.

A 30-player second team includes four additional juniors and National Sophomore Player of the Year Romeo Langford of New Albany (Ind.). In the 22 seasons of publishing annual All-American teams (we have retroactive teams dating back to the 1954-55 season), no freshman has ever made the first team.

The class player of the year among ninth-graders on the Underclass All-American team is center Charles Bassey of St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas), who is already touted as one of the best prospects in the country regardless of class. Last season, Marvin Bagley III became the first freshman ever selected to the elite team, but he did not play high school basketball this past season after enrolling at Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.).

Our national coach of the year is Trey Mines of H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.). He led his club to the DCSAA title and a perfect 32-0 mark. H.D. Woodson finished No. 17 in the final FAB 50 National Team Rankings.

This performance-based All-American team is selected by National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes this All-American team more reflective of players who made state championship runs. This honors squad has been chosen since the 1994-95 season in its current format and is powered by www.ebooksnet.com for the first time. This team is chosen regardless of class and is not exclusive or preferential for seniors named to the Ballislife All-American Game. To check out who has played in the Ballislife All-American Game the past six years, please visit ballislifeallamerican.com. To view previous all-american teams published under this format, please visit GrassrootsHoops.net.

2015-16 All-American First Team

First Five

G — Lonzo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-6 Sr.
The word to describe this UCLA commit and the 2016 Mr. Basketball USA is "unique." There are more conventional players who are more efficient in terms of shooting percentage and fundamental play, but some of the skill Ball possesses only comes around once every ten years. He is a pin-point passer all 84 feet of the court and has uncanny rebounding ability for a true point guard. The Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball honoree and a two-time Division I State Player of the Year, Ball recorded 25 triple-doubles this past season for the unbeaten FAB 50 national champs and finished with averages of 23.9 ppg, 11.3 rpg and 11.7 apg, 5.1 spg, and 2.0 bpg. Ball finished his four-year career with 2,522 points, 1,204 rebounds, 1,214 assists (state No. 1 all-time) and 592 steals (state No. 2 all-time), including 408 assists and 178 steals this past season.

G — De'Aaron Fox, Cypress Lakes (Katy, Texas) 6-4 Sr. 
The Kentucky-bound guard proved his status as a top national prospect with a strong senior year despite playing with less surrounding talent than a vast majority of the other All-Americans on this team. Fox led Cypress Lakes to a 25-8 season and to four wins in the UIL Class 6A state tournament. He received plenty of consideration for Mr. Basketball USA while averaging 31.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.8 spg and 1.8 bpg. In the McDonald's All-American Game, he only made one field goal, but he had seven assists and two steals. At the Nike Hoop Summit, he had nine points and a game-high five assists.

F — Josh Jackson, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-8 Sr.
Ran neck-and-neck with Lonzo Ball for Mr. Basketball USA honors and the only difference in the final selection was Jackson's four first place votes for national player of the year compared to Ball's six. Jackson was one of the most explosive wings in the country and many experts feel he is the most NBA-ready player in high school basketball. He led Prolific Prep to a 26-7 record against national competition while missing seven games. Jackson averaged 26.9 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 6.3 apg, 3.5 spg, and 3.9 bpg and capped off his season with a MVP performance at the McDonald’s All-American Game. He made his pitch for top-ranked prospect in the senior class by scoring 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting and grabbing 4 rebounds.

F — Jayson Tatum, Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-8 Sr.
Bound for Duke, Tatum is one of the nation's most gifted scorers and was the third legitimate candidate in the Mr. Basketball USA race along with Josh Jackson and Lonzo Ball. Tatum averaged 29 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg and 2 spg for a 27-5 team that finished No. 15 in the FAB 50. In his final game, Tatum exploded for 40 points and 14 rebounds, as Chaminade won its first Missouri Class 5 state title. One of the most highly-honored players ever from Missouri, Tatum broke 2011 first five All-American Bradley Beal's school scoring record, was a three-time Gatorade State Player of the Year and the first four-time Metro Catholic Conference Player of the Year. He was also selected Gatorade National Player of the Year.

C — DeAndre Ayton, Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) 7-0 Jr.
The national junior player of the year had by all accounts a dominant season after injury kept him from performing at 100 percent in the summer of 2015. Despite some mystery surrounding his recruitment, the Bahamian native has arguably the most long-term potential of any post player in high school basketball. He backed up that claim by averaging 29.2 ppg, 16.7 rpg and 3.8 bpg.

Second Five

G — Cassius Winston, U-D Jesuit (Detroit) 6-0 Sr. 
His spectacular individual performances combined with U-D Jesuit's team success pushed Winston up to the second five. Winston led his team to a perfect 28-0 record and averaged 27.6 ppg over the final three games of the season, capped by a 31-point, nine-assist performance in the Class A state title game. Winston averaged 21.9 points and 7.5 assists per game while U of D Jesuit finished No. 6 in the FAB 50. He was named Michigan's Mr. Basketball and will continue his career at Michigan St.

G — Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-6 Sr.
It was a great calendar year for Heron, who was the co-MVP of the Pangos All-American Camp last June and capped his senior campaign with a 33-point, MVP performance at the Ballislife All-American Game. In between, Heron led Sacred Heart to a 26-2 record and to a third consecutive state title. The Auburn recruit is known as a powerful finisher and he averaged 29.7 ppg while also shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. Heron is one of Connecticut's best overall players in years, as Sacred Heart went 80-5 over his three seasons with the team.

F — Miles Bridges, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) 6-7 Sr.
One of the nation's most physically imposing players, Bridges will join fellow second five All-American Cassius Winston and fourth five All-American Josh Langford at Michigan State. He averaged 24.6 ppg, 12.4 rpg and 4.8 apg for one of the top academy-type programs in the country and the Flint, Mich. native proved to be one of the nation's top talents during grassroots events over the summer and on the post-season circuit. He capped his season with a 25-point performance in the Ballislife All-American Game.

F — T.J. Leaf, Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) 6-9 Sr.
His numbers alone prove Leaf is one of the best all-around players in the country. Leaf averaged 28.4 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 5.1 apg, and 3.1 bpg, led Foothills Christian to the San Diego Section Open Division title and a No. 38 FAB 50 ranking. One of only seven California players ever to score over 3,000 points (3,020), Leaf was named a McDonald's All-American and went for 14 points and 10 rebounds in the Ballislife All-American Game. Likely San Diego County's best player and prospect since 1970 first five All-American Bill Walton (Helix), Leaf will join Mr. Basketball USA Lonzo Ball at UCLA.

C — Marques Bolden, DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas) 6-10 Sr. 
The nation's top senior post player was the last truly elite player in the 2016 class to announce for college and he chose Duke over Kentucky. This came after he played in the McDonald's All-American Game (13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals), the Jordan Brand Classic, Nike Hoop Summit and Ballislife All-American Game. Before that, Bolden had some big games in leading DeSoto to the UIL Class 6A state title with a 35-2 mark. Bolden dominated the paint in the UIL state tournament, including a 31-point, 16-rebound and two block performance in an overtime semifinal win. He ended the season with averages of 18.8 ppg, 13.4 rpg, and 4.4 bpg.

Third Five

G — Frank Jackson, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 6-3 Sr.
One of Utah's most decorated players ever, Jackson capped his career by earning state Mr. basketball honors as a senior. He had a 30-point game versus a great Lone Peak team as a freshman (when he played for Lehi), helped Lone Peak win a state title as a sophomore and tied for the state scoring lead (26.8 ppg) as a junior. This past season, he stepped up his game even more, scoring at a 28.9 ppg clip, grabbing 6.3 rpg while dishing out 2.9 apg. Headed for Duke, Jackson participated in the Jordan Brand Classic, the Nike Hoop Summit and the McDonald's All-American Game where he made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points.

G — Markelle Fultz, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-5 Sr.
Ring-leader for a Stags team that won 32 games and finished No. 7 in the FAB 50 against one of the nation's toughest schedules. Fultz was named all-met by the Washington Post for the second consecutive season after playing JayVee as a tenth-grader and is now considered one of the better prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft. After earning WCAC Player of the Year honors as a junior, the Washington recruit averaged 17.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 7.1 apg and played well in three national post-season all-star events. DeMatha's 12th McDonald's All-American, Fultz had 10 points, six assists and three steals in that game, went for 19 points at the Jordan Brand Classic and had 11 points and five steals at the Nike Hoop Summit.

G —Terrance Ferguson, Advanced Prep International (Dallas, Texas) 6-6 Sr.
One of the most skilled all-around players in the country, "T-Ferg" was the most highly-honored player off a talented team that started slow but ended the season on a 21-game winning streak. Ferguson, an Arizona recruit, averaged 17 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 2 apg for API and was named first team all-area by the Dallas Morning News. He was also a McDonald’s All-American and displayed his spectacular shooting range when he knocked down seven 3-pointers at the Nike Hoop Summit. He showed off his tremendous athleticism by winning the slam dunk contest at the Ballislife All-American Game.

F — Braxton Key, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-8 Sr.
The top overall player off the nation's No. 2 ranked team helped the Warriors win Dick's Nationals after transferring over from Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville, Tenn. Key is known for his versatility, with the ability to play both forward spots and defend multiple positions. One of Oak Hill's top scoring threats along with underclass All-American Lindell Wiggington, Key came up big when Oak Hill coach Steve Smith needed him the most. Key had 20 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in Oak Hill's 62-60 win over La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) in the Dick's Nationals championship game. The Alabama recruit averaged 14 points, three steals and 1.7 blocks in Oak Hill's three wins at that tournament.

C — Edrice Adebayo, High Point Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 6-9 Sr.
Had an honor-filled campaign after transferring to HPCA for his senior year. He led the Cougars to a FAB 50 ranking and the NCISAA Class 3A title game with as dominant play as any post in the country. "Bam" averaged 18.9 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.4 bpg and 1.4 spg and shot 64 percent from the field. Headed to Kentucky, "Bam" was named a McDonald's All-American, selected to the Jordan Brand Classic and was also the Associated Press state player of the year.

Fourth Five

G — Trevor Anderson, Stevens Point (Stevens Point, Wis.) 6-2 Sr.
Most highly-honored player off a team that finished No. 8 in the FAB 50 and had a 33.2 pig winning margin. A two-time all-state selection, he helped Stevens Point tie the mark for the highest FAB 50 ranking ever for a Wisconsin team as a senior and led his team to back-to-back WIAA D1 state titles. Headed to Wisconsin-Green Bay, Anderson was named AP state player of the year while averaging 24.9 ppg. Anderson was the Wisconsin Valley Conference co-Player of the Year with teammate Sam Hauser and finished his career as Steven Point's all-time scoring leader.

G — Andrew Jones, MacArthur (Irving, Texas) 6-4 Sr.
One of the best scorer-distributor combo guards in the country, Jones put up monster numbers for a team that wasn't as strong as it was his junior season. Jones, a Texas recruit, averaged 28 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 5.0 apg and was named a McDonald's All-American as his sister Alexis was in 2012. Jones also played in the Ballislife All-American Game, where he scored 21 points, collected three steals and set an event record with 14 assists.

G — Chris Lykes, Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.) 5-8 Jr. 
The unflappable junior point guard and emotional leader for the Eagles forced his way up the all-american ladder because of some of the honors he merited. Lykes was named first team all-met by the Washington Post and was named Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year over all-met POY Anthony Cowan Jr. (St. John's) and McDonald's All-American and second five selection Markelle Fultz (DeMatha Catholic). Lykes averaged 3.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, and 2.7 spg in arguably the nation's toughest conference while averaging 22.0 ppg while shooting 47.3 percent from 3-point range.

 F — Josh Langford, Madison Academy (Madison, Ala.) 6-6 Sr.
Michigan St.-bound wing was one of the most honored and accomplished players in the country. As a senior, he averaged 26.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 3.4 apg and was named Alabama's Class 3A Player of the Year for the fifth consecutive season going back to eighth grade. Langford was also a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year choice and was Alabama's first McDonald's All-American since first five selection DeMarcus Cousins of Mobile LeFlore in 2009. Langford finished his high school career with 3,089 career points.

 F — Amir Coffey, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 6-7 Sr. 
Made up for lost time by closing out his senior season with a Class 4A state title. Minnesota's Mr. Basketball, Coffey led the Royals to a 31-1 mark and a No. 21 FAB 50 ranking. After missing a majority of his junior season with a torn knee ligament, Coffey battled nagging injuries to score 19 points, grab six rebounds and dish out three assists in the state title game. For the season, he averaged just a shade under 20 ppg and was chosen to play in the Jordan Brand Classic. Headed to Minnesota.

2015-16 All-American Second Team

G — Rawle Alkins, Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-5 Sr.
C — Udoka Azubuike, Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) 6-10 Sr.
C — Tony Bradley, Bartow (Bartow, Fla.) 6-10 Sr.
G — Tony Carr, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) 6-3 Sr.
G — Tyson Carter, Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 6-4 Sr.
F — Yoeli Childs, Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) 6-7 Sr.
C — Zach Collins, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 7-0 Sr.
G — Anthony Cowan Jr., St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 6-0 Sr.
C — De'Ron Davis, Overland (Aurora, Colo.) 6-9 Sr.
G — Carsen Edwards, Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 5-10 Sr.
G — Andres Feliz, West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 6-2 Sr.
G — T.J. Gibbs, Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.) 6-2 Sr.
G — Alterique Gilbert, Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) 5-11 Sr.
F — Dewan Huell, Norland (Miami, Fla.) 6-9 Sr.
G — Kevin Huerter, Shenendehowa (Clifton Park, N.Y.) 6-5 Sr.
F — V.J. King, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-7 Sr.
F — Kevin Knox Jr., Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) 6-8 Jr.
G — Romeo Langford, New Albany (New Albany, Ind.) 6-4 Soph.
F — Mitch Lightfoot, Gilbert Christian (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-8 Sr.
G -— De’Anthony Melton (Crespi, Encino, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.
G — Jagan Mosely, St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) 6-3 Sr.
G — Malik Monk, Bentonville (Bentonville, Ark.) 6-3 Sr.
F — John Petty, J.O. Johnson (Huntsville, Ala.) 6-6 Jr.
G — Shamorie Ponds, Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-1 Sr.
F — Michael Porter, Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) 6-8 Jr.
G — Payton Pritchard, West Linn (West Linn, Ore.) 6-1 Sr.
G — Kobi Simmons, St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) 6-5 Sr.
G — Xavier Simpson, Lima Senior (Lima, Ohio) 6-0 Sr.
F — Arnaldo Toro, St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) 6-8 Sr.
G — Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 6-1 Jr.

National Coach of the Year: Trey Mines, H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.)

Note: Grassroots Hoops selections 2013-2015; ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post 2015-16 High School All-American Team appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Six juniors and one special sophomore named to the 22nd Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 65 elite players selected to the 2015-16 Underclass All-American team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Center DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), this year’s National Junior of the Year, and junior guard Chris Lykes of Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.), were named to the overall All-American first team. Ayton was first five selection with Lykes a fourth five choice.

National Sophomore of the Year Romeo Langford of New Albany (Ind.) made the All-American second team.

The seven All-Americans and 58 other underclass honorees all had standout campaigns for their respective high school teams, while others are sure to emerge this summer as bona fide 2016-17 All-America candidates. Nearly every summer on the grassroots circuit, well-known players are eclipsed by lesser-known commodities, and every so often a prospect comes out of nowhere to emerge as a Mr. Basketball USA candidate.

It’s a yearly ritual for some underclass All-Americans to change programs. Michael Porter Jr. of Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.), one of the four juniors on the All-American second team, is expected to move to the Pacific Northwest after his father joined the coaching staff of the University of Washington. De’Sean Eikens will leave Williston (N.D.) and enroll at Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) for his junior season. Forward Kamaka Hepa will leave his native Barrow (Alaska) and enroll at Jefferson (Portland, Ore.), where he will join a club that could crack the 2016-17 preseason FAB 50 next fall.

Expect more player movement, and perhaps some reclassification, as the summer rolls on.

This performance-based squad is selected by National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Underclass All-American Team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

Our national coach of the year is Trey Mines of H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.). He led his club to the DCSAA title and a perfect 32-0 mark. H.D. Woodson finished No. 17 in the final FAB 50 National Team Rankings.

2015-16 UNDERCLASS All-American Team

Juniors to Watch (2017)

G — Jose Alvarado, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 5-11
F — Aguek Arop, Omaha South (Omaha, Neb.) 6-5
C — DeAndre Ayton, Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) 7-0
C — Mohamed Bamba, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
G — Alex Barcello, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2
F — Brian Bowen, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-8
G — Troy Brown, Centennial (Las Vegas) 6-6
C — Wendell Carter Jr., Pace Academy (Atlanta) 6-10
G — Jalek Felton, Mullins (S.C.) 6-2
G — Justin Forrest, Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.) 6-1
G — Marcus Garrett, Skyline (Dallas) 6-5
G — Jordan Goodwin, Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.) 6-3
G — Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 5-11
G — Jermaine Jackson, Macomb (Dakota, Mich.) 5-9
F — Kevin Knox Jr., Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) 6-8
G — Chris Lykes, Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.) 5-8 Jr.
C — Brandon McCoy, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.) 6-11
G — Jaylen Nowell, Garfield (Seattle) 6-5
F — Chuma Okeke, Westlake (Atlanta) 6-8
F — John Petty, J.O. Johnson (Huntsville, Ala.) 6-6
F — Michael Porter, Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) 6-8
G — Paul Scruggs, Southport (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-3
G — Gary Trent Jr., Apple Valley (Minn.) 6-5
F — James “M.J.” Walker Jr., Jonesboro (Ga.) 6-6
G — Lonnie Walker IV, Reading (Pa.) 6-5
G — Nick Weatherspoon, Velma Jackson (Camden, Miss.) 6-2
C — Austin Wiley, Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.) 6-10
G — Lindell Wiggington, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2
F — Kris Wilkes, North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-7
G — Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 6-1

2016 National Junior of the Year: DeAndre Ayton
This 7-footer originally from the Bahamas has been one of the best players in the nation regardless of class the past two years and was the only junior named first five all-american. Ayton's school situation and his recruitment is noteworthy considering his prodigal talent. Last season he attended Balboa City School in San Diego, Calif. and this year attended an academy-type program that cannot play AIA programs and is not eligible for the FAB 50. He is eligible for individual honors, but some insiders believe he'll never play in college despite his insistence it's the route he'll take to an eventual pro career. Despite the murky school situation, Ayton's pro potential is undeniable, as he averaged 29.2 points, 16.7 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots per game for Hillcrest Academy. He's the first player ever honoree among 11th-graders from an Arizona program.

Sophomores to Watch (2018)

F — Riley Battin, Oak Park (Calif.) 6-7
C — Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 6-10
G — Devon Dotson, Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-2
F — De’Sean Eikens, Williston (N.D.) 6-6
G — Darius Garland, Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) 5-11
G — Mason Harrell, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) 5-8
F — Kamaka Hepa, Barrow (Alaska) 6-9
F — Brandon Johns, East Lansing (Mich.) 6-7
G — Tavon Jones, Linden (N.J.) 6-4
G — Romeo Langford, New Albany (Ind.) 6-4
G — James Lewis, Westlake (Ga.) 6-3
F — Gerald Liddell, Steele (Cibolo, Texas) 6-7
G — Alex Lomax, East Memphis (Memphis, Tenn.) 5-11
G — Foster Loyer, Clarkston (Mich.) 5-11
G — Jordan McCabe, Kaukauna (Wis.) 5-10
F — Khavon Moore, Westside (Macon, Ga.) 6-8
G — Luther Muhammad, Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) 6-4
C — Ikey Obiagu, Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.) 7-0
G — Immanuel Quickley, John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 6-3
G — Courtney Ramey, Webster Groves (Mo.) 6-3
F — Simi Shittu, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8
G — David Singleton, Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 6-3
G — Javonte Smart, Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-3
F — Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) 6-6
F — Robert Woodard, Columbus (Miss.) 6-5

2016 National Sophomore of the Year: Romeo Langford
Hoosiers love their hoops and crazed fans in Indiana have a new favorite son in Langford, who led New Albany to the Class 4A state crown. The only sophomore to make the overall All-American team, he was also the leading vote-getter on the Indianapolis Star's prestigious all-state team. Langford averaged 29.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for a 27-1 team that finished No. 31 in the FAB 50. The last tenth-grade honoree from Indiana was DeShaun Thomas of Bishop Luers in Fort Wayne for the 2007-08 season.

Freshmen to Watch (2019)

G — Bryan Antoine, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-3
G — Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2
G — LaMelo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.) 5-10
G — R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-6
C — Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10
G — Tyger Campbell, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-0
F — Chandler Lawson, Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-9
C — Onyeka Okongwu, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-9
G — Cassius Stanley, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 6-4
F — Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 6-7

2016 National Freshman of the Year:  Charles Bassey
Became a known commodity during the John Lucas Enterprises grassroots events last year and blew up at the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp with his unique blend of size, athleticism, timing and ball skills. It translated over to the high school game for the native Nigerian who was discovered at age 12. He was named TAPPS Class 5A all-state and averaged 20.2 points, 17.1 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game for the Tapps 5A runner-ups. He also had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the Jordan Brand Classic international game. Bassey is the first ever ninth-grade honoree from the state of Texas dating back to our first honor in that class for the 1976-1977 season.

National Coach of the Year: Trey Mines, H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.)

Note: Grassroots Hoops selections 2013-2015; ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post 2015-16 Underclass All-American Team appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

This Sunday, June 5 at Cerritos College in Southern California, Ballislife will live stream the Top 25 Game from the 2016 Pangos All-American Camp. The Ballislife Cream of the Crop Top 25 Game at the 2016 Pangos All-American Camp will take place at approximately 5 pm ET/ 2 pm PT. Some of the top players expected at the 14th annual camp include Michael Porter, Billy Preston, Trevon Duval, Brandon McCoy, and Jarred Vanderbilt. The live stream is FREE on www.ebooksnet.com right here on this story post.

The Ballislife Cream of the Crop Top 25 Game taking place Sunday, June 5 at the 2016 Pangos All-American Camp is a culmination of the three-day, invitation-only national camp. The camp's best players are selected by director Dinos Trigonis and respected members of the media, including many McDonald's All-American Game voters, after evaluating them following three days of instruction from former NBA assistant coach Dave Miller and camp games.

The 14th annual Pangos All-American Camp takes place June 3-5 at Cerritos College. It was founded by Trigonis in 2003 as a tool to promote the Pangos brand and it has evolved into the first must-stop on the summer recruiting calendar. The invitation-only camp, which is free to the viewing public, brings together approximately 120 of the nation's top high school players. It has also served as a "coming out party" for national "sleepers" such as Russell Westbrook, the star guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Derrick Williams, the No. 2 pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, who wasn't nationally known prior to the 2008 camp.

Some of the camp's top participants over the years include James Harden, Harrison Barnes, Anthony Davis, John Wall, Brandon Jennings, Stanley Johnson, Bradley Beal, Shabazz Muhammad and Andre Drummond.

Some of the top players expected  in attendance at this year's camp include: Michael Porter, Billy Preston, Trevon Duval, Brandon McCoy, Jarred Vanderbilt, Charles O'Bannon Jr., Quade Green, Jaylen Hands, Javonte Smart, Naz Reid, and Charles Bassey.

You can view the FREE live stream right here on this story on June 5 at approximately 5 pm ET/2 pm PT.  

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post BIL to Stream Top 25 Game from Pangos All-American Camp! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Team success has traditionally been a big factor over the years in the national player of the year process. There is little doubt leading a team to a high FAB 50 ranking or to a state title can propel a talented prospect into a legitimate candidate. Playing for a nationally-ranked team and performing well helped the candidacy of eventual Mr. Basketball USA winners such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) in 2011, Rasheed Wallace of Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pa.) in 1993 and Reggie Williams of Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) in 1983.

Lonzo Ball of Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) started out No. 6 in the preseason voting and his team started No. 11 in the FAB 50. He worked his way up to No. 3 in the second voting go-around in early January as his ascended to the No. 1 spot in the FAB 50. As Chino Hills continues to win games as it eyes its first CIF Southern Section and CIF state title in the Ball era, the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker has taken notice.

Ball moved up another spot in in the latest 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com voting, and now only trails 6-foot-8 small forward Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) as the nation's leading national player of the year candidate. Jackson, who is still uncommitted for college, actually gained in overall points, as he went up from 89 points to 92 points. He remains the only candidate to appear on all ten ballots.

Jackson is truly an elite talent, as he is averaging 27.8 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 6.2 apg, 3.3 spg and 3.3 bpg against a national schedule. Prolific Prep was 16-5 when the balloting went out and that was the exact won-loss record for the team at FAB 50 No. 21 Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), which of course is led by Duke-bound Jayson Tatum. As Ball's Chino Hills team runs its record to 21-0 heading into its January 30 showdown with FAB 50 No. 7 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) that will be streamed live by BIL, it appears that some the points that Tatum and other candidates such as Washington-bound Markelle Fultz of FAB 50 No. 6 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) and Kentucky-bound Malik Monk of Bentonville (Bentonville, Ark.) previously collected have shifted over to the UCLA-bound point guard.

Tatum once again appeared on eight ballots, but his point total dropped from 70 to 68 points, including two first place votes. Fultz dropped from 37 points to 20, although he remained in sixth place, while Monk went from appearing on five ballots down to two and dropped 19 points down to 12 overall.

Ball, who enters the Bishop Montgomery showdown averaging triple-double numbers of 25.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg, and 10.9 apg, appeared on one extra ballot (from 8 to 9) and his point total went from 67 to 79. While Ball's three first place votes remained the same, he gained one second place vote (1 to 2) and added two additional third place votes (1 to 3). If his team keeps winning, he's likely to gain even more traction among the panel.

"Lonzo is finally showing he can carry a team when needed and if he leads his team to a CIF championship, he may get my top vote," said McDonald’s voter and The Basketball Channel Vice President of Basketball Operations Van Coleman.

"No player on this list has done as much for his team," added McDonald's voter Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com.

Will the voting continue to swing in Ball's direction if Chino Hills continues to win? Or will Jackson and Tatum swing the momentum back their way when all three compete in the same environment in the major national high school all-star games at the end of the season? If Ball leads his team to the mythical FAB 50 national title, how much will the post-season all-star circuit factor in to the voting process?

We'll eventually find out, but for now, if you can't make it to Cerritos College (Calif.) on January 30 for the Chino Hills-Bishop Montgomery game, make sure to watch the BIL Livestream beginning at 5 pm PST.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	Josh Jackson (10)	Prolific Prep (CA)	4	4	2	0	92
2	3	Lonzo Ball (9)	Chino Hills (CA)	3	2	3	1	79
3	2	Jayson Tatum (8)	Chaminade (MO)	2	3	1	1	68
4	4	DeAndre Ayton (9)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	1	1	3	1	66
5	5	De'Aaron Fox (8)	Cy Lakes (TX)	0	0	0	1	47
6T	6	Markelle Fultz (6)	DeMatha (MD)	0	0	0	0	20
6T	16T	T.J. Leaf (4)	Foothills Christian (CA)	0	0	0	1	20
8	9	Miles Briges (5)	Huntington Prep (WV)	0	0	0	1	15
9T	12T	Carsen Edwards (2)	Atascocita (TX)	0	0	0	0	12
9T	10T	Mustapha Heron (2)	Sacred Heart (CT)	0	0	0	0	12
11	8	Bam Adebayo (2)	High Point (NC)	0	0	0	0	11
12	7	Malik Monk (2)	Bentonville (AR)	0	0	0	0	10
13	12T	Rawle Alkins (1)	Word of God (NC)	0	0	1	0	8
14	NR	Mohamed Bamba (1)	Westtown School (PA)	0	0	0	0	6
15T	NR	Braxton Key (1)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	0	5
15T	10T	Charles Bassey (1)	St. John's (TX)	0	0	0	0	5
17T	16T	Wendell Carter (1)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
17T	19T	Ethan Thompson	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in last season's final tracker.

The post POY Tracker: Lonzo Ball Closing in on Josh Jackson! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

It's hard to deny the individual talents of 6-foot-8 small forward Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). Despite playing for a program that didn't participate in Holiday events where the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel congregated at such as the City of Palms Classic or Tarkanian Classic, and even though Prolific Prep won't compete for a state title, Jackson still is the leading vote-getter in the latest 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Through 17 games, Jackson is averaging 28.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.4 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game against a national schedule. Jackson, who is reportedly considering Michigan State, Arizona, Maryland, Kansas and UNLV and will sign in the spring, was the only candidate among 20 to appear on all 10 ballots. Jackson collected 89 points and four first-place votes, the most of any candidate but down four from his total of eight in the preseason.

Two talented seniors who play for more traditional high school programs have made in-roads as serious challengers to Jackson for this prestigious award. Jayson Tatum, who plays for parochial program Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), and Lonzo Ball, who has led public school Chino Hills (Calif.) to the No. 1 spot in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings, accounted for a combined five first place votes and are both within 22 overall points of Jackson after he led the voting by 35 points in the preseason.

Tatum, a 6-foot-8 wing headed to Duke University, has turned in monster individual games against a national schedule and moved up from third place to second place behind Jackson with 70 overall points. Tatum went for 27 points versus FAB 50 No. 3 Oak Hill Academy, had 40 points in a home victory over Mr. Basketball USA candidate Malik Monk and Bentonville (Ark.) and recently had a career-high 46 points in a win over Miles Bridges and his talented Huntington Prep team at the Cancer Research Classic. Tatum, who appeared on eight ballots, is currently averaging 30.3 ppg.

"Jayson Tatum has done a nice job opening this season with impressive personal performances and big teams wins for a school that doesn't normally play this type of national schedule," said panel member and NBC Sports national college basketball and recruiting analyst Scott Phillips. "His 3-pointer looks much improved since the summer and fall and he's now scoring efficiently from all three levels on the floor in many games."

Tatum garnered two first place votes, one less than Ball, who also appeared on eight ballots and garnered 67 points. Ball, a 6-foot-6 point guard known for serpentine full-court passes and court awareness rarely seen at the high school level, currently has Chino Hills 13-0 and atop the FAB 50. His production in the context of winning is clearly reflected in the ballots of the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel. The MVP of three Holiday events, Ball went from appearing on four ballots and collecting 30 points to appearing on an additional four and finishing with 67 points.

Ball's 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 7 blocks and 4 steals in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic championship game win over Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) are not exaggerated (his assist total is more conservative than liberal) and the type of numbers he's put up on a consistent basis so far this season. Chino Hills defeated teams from eight different states during December.

"Lonzo Ball is the fastest rising senior and if he continues to dominate as he did at COP & MaxPreps Holiday Classic he may become the leading challenger to Tatum by February," said McDonald’s voter and The Basketball Channel Vice President of Basketball Operations Van Coleman.

"Lonzo Ball has been a force early this high school season and his Chino Hills team has the undefeated record to help prove it," Phillips added. "Although Ball's personal numbers might be a tad inflated with Chino Hills' up-tempo style of play, there is no taking away from the kinds of competition that Ball has outplayed and defeated."

The only other candidate to garner a first place vote was 7-foot junior DeAndre Ayton, last year's National Sophomore of the Year at Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.) who is now at Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.). Jackson was awarded the same honor two seasons ago at Consortium College Prep School in Detroit.

Stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	Josh Jackson (10)	Prolific Prep (CA)	4	5	0	0	89
2	3	Jayson Tatum (8)	Chaminade (MO)	2	2	4	0	70
3	6	Lonzo Ball (8)	Chino Hills (CA)	3	1	1	2	67
4	5	DeAndre Ayton (7)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	1	1	0	3	51
5	2	De'Aaron Fox (6)	Cy Lakes (TX)	0	0	3	1	42
6	14	Markelle Fultz (6)	DeMatha (MD)	0	0	1	2	37
7	4	Malik Monk (5)	Bentonville (AR)	0	1	0	1	29
8	13	Bam Adebayo (3)	High Point (NC)	0	1	0	0	21
9	8	Miles Briges (3)	Huntington Prep (WV)	0	0	0	0	14
10T	NR	Charles Bassey (2)	St. John's (TX)	0	0	0	0	10
10T	11T	Mustapha Heron (2)	Sacred Heart (CT)	0	0	0	0	10
12T	NR	Carsen Edwards (2)	Atascocita (TX)	0	0	0	0	8
12T	7	Rawle Alkins (1)	Word of God (NC)	0	0	1	0	8
14	NR	Ty-Shon Alexander (1)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	1	7
15	NR	Seventh Woods (1)	Hammond (SC)	0	0	0	0	6
16T	NR	Li'Angelo Ball (1)	Chino Hills (CA)	0	0	0	0	5
16T	11T	Wendell Carter (1)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	0	0	0	5
16T	NR	T.J. Leaf (1)	Foothills Christian (CA)	0	0	0	0	4
19T	NR	M.J. Walker (1)	Jonesboro (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
19T	18	Ethan Thompson (1)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in last season's final tracker.

The post POY Tracker: Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball Close Gap on Josh Jackson! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Charles Bassey Makes Big Impression | Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Official Mixtape   | Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp Official Mixtape 

Lewisville, Texas --  When there are all-star games at the conclusion of individual camps, there is always worry that the event's big men won't get to showcase their skills because those games tend to be dominated by guards. Because the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp was full of talented big men, scouts and interested onlookers held their breath to see how the top game would play out.

The guards did a solid job of not being selfish and finding the big men -- and there were plenty of good ones on both teams. When the dust settled, the game was competitive and the post players were just too talented and impactful to be denied, as the Black club rode the ability of Franklin Aguananne and LaDarius Marshall to a 95-94 victory over the White team.

Aguananne, a 6-foot-9 sophomore (2018 class) at Denton (Denton, Texas), was dominant on the glass and displayed solid offensive post moves for a young player so physically dominant. Aguananne would be a force in a high school game even if he didn't score because he make his presence felt by taking up space (defenses must account for him in the paint) and with his relentless nature to go after the ball. He dominated action for the Black club in the first half to help keep his team within range as the White led 39-37 at intermission.

While the Denton High big man patrolled the paint early, Marshall, a 6-foot-6 sophomore forward at Forest Hill (Jackson, Miss.), took over down the stretch to seal the win for the Black club. The athletic and muscular forward hit a big 3-pointer and had a conventional 3-point play down the stretch. He then made the play of the game, stealing the inbounds pass after teammate Zarek Thomas scored on a driving baseline lay-up, and then converting that steal into another conventional 3-point play with approximately 13 seconds remaining to account for the game's final one-point margin.

Marshall finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds -- with 10 of those points coming in the closing minutes. Aguananne finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds to earn game co-MVP honors with his teammate. Marshall does need to develop a post game and improve his face up game in terms of driving past defenders with solid moves, but his explosiveness, power and jumping ability allowed him to stand out and dominate at times over the two-day event. His style attacking the basket and dunking with powerful windmills is similar to former Michigan St. and NBA forward Jason Richardson.

Thomas, a 6-foot-2 freshman (2019) guard out of Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, Texas), hit two 3-pointers and finished with 18 points for the winning club.

Charles Bassey Leaves No Doubt

It was clearly evident early on that Charles Bassey, a 6-foot-10 freshman at St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas), was the best prospect in attendance at the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp. The talent evaluators on hand wanted to see if he could retain his focus and intensity and put forth a dominant performance with the camp's best players on the floor.

The answer was a resounding yes, as Bassey dominated in the Cream of the Crop setting as much as he did during a regulation camp game. Bassey's ability to finish around the rim with a quick drop step, spin move, or blow by in tight quarters is something you see from a freshman his size perhaps once every five years. He has that much talent and potential. Bassey's timing with regards to block shots and getting to ones out of his area is also special.

Bassey led the White club with 20 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots, including four of the you-got-to-be-kidding me variety where he swatted away jump shots or balls you normally don't see ninth or tenth-graders getting to.

Other Top 30 participants that stood out both statistically and with their combination of production and potential included 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Chris Smith (Country Day, Ft. Worth, Texas) with nine points and nine rebounds, 6-foot-3 sophomore Chris Mullins (Mansfield-Timberview, Mansfield, Texas) with 13 points and four steals, and 6-foot-8 Tyreek Smith (Advanced Preparatory International, Dallas, Texas) with eight points six rebounds.

Shooters Stand Out In Top 60 Game

While a vast majority of the top big men participated in the Top 30 Game, there were some excellent shooters and wing types in the Cream of the Crop Top 60 Game -- and a few of them would have been deserving of a spot in the camp's top game.

The White club rolled to a 120-74 victory over the Black club by shooting the ball with remarkable accuracy in the first half. The White club made 10 3-pointers and shot over 50 percent on those attempts to build a big lead and roll to victory.

Leading the way was Max Abmas, a 6-foot freshman guard out of Jesuit (Dallas, Texas). He made four 3-pointers, displayed sold shot selection and also showed good rebounding ability from the guard position.

Another standout was Jeremiah Gambrell, Jr., a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard out of Madison (Houston, Texas). Gambrell made positive plays happen with his good ball-handling, passing and shooting ability. What stood and was unique in this particular camp was his ability to push the ball and pass ahead with either hand.

The Top 60 game didn't have all the top shooters, however, as 6-foot-2 Jalen Crutchfield of Norman North (Norman, Okla.) displayed his fine stroke throughout the weekend. He only made one 3-pointer in the top all-star game, but left little doubt he was arguably the best spot up shooter at the camp. The son of University of Oklahoma assistant coach Chris Crutchfield has a mature approach and good length for a 2018 guard who is still growing. He does need to improve on attacking defenders and finding lanes off the dribble, but he's already a solid high school player who should contribute to a talented team likely to begin the season ranked in the FAB 50 national rankings.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post LaDarius Marshall, Franklin Aguananne, Charles Bassey Show Out at Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED:  LaDarius Marshall, Franklin Aguananne Show Out at Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp | Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Official Mixtape   | Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp Official Mixtape  

Lewisville, Texas -- Usually at a camp featuring up-and-coming young talent such as the Pangos Frosh/Soph series, there is a feeling out process and it takes a while to establish a pecking order to determine the event's top prospects.

That certainly wasn't the case on the first day at the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp in Dallas.

Charles Bassey, a thin and ultra-talented 6-foot-10 14-year old freshman (2019) from St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas), wasted no time establishing himself as the top prospect at Dinos Trigonis' two-day event reserved for some of the best sophomores (Class of 2018) and freshmen from Texas and other Southern states. With his smooth gait, patient offensive approach to go along with his combination of size, skill, jumping ability and athleticism, it's going to be hard to find a better prospect in the freshman national class than Bassey.

We first started hearing about Bassey's immense potential from Clark Francis of the Hoop Scoop after his performance at the John Lucas Enterprises 40/40 Combine in The Woodlands, Texas a month ago. According to Francis, Bassey was even better at the John Lucas Enterprises Midwest Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky last weekend.

Bassey can finish above the rim two notches higher than nearly everyone at the Pangos Camp and his springs are also quick and quite coordinated for a kid who began taking the game seriously at the age of 12. Bassey also has a great feel for moving to the correct openings on the court, whether it's throwing a pass and sliding into the paint or cutting in from the wing.

We'll see if Bassey concludes the camp strong on Sunday and if he can dominate the competition as he did on Saturday in the Crème of the Crop Top 25 game. Either way, he made quite the lasting impression on the first day.

Ordinary Names Among Pangos Standouts

Chris Smith and Charles Smith are common American names. In the basketball realm, there was a Charles Smith who played forward for the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks around the same time in the late 1980s Georgetown University had a slick guard with the same name. In the same era, UConn had a guard by the name of Chris Smith who played at the same high level as Georgetown's Smith.

At the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp, 6-foot-4 2019 prospect Charles Smith IV from Westbury Christian (Houston) and Chris Smith, a 6-foot-8 2018 prospect from Country Day (Ft. Worth, Texas), made a name for themselves with their play on the first day.

Charles Smith finished well and displayed quality scoring moves around the basket, while Chris Smith impressed scouts with his highly-coveted skill package.

Chris Smith along with Bassey, was one of the half dozen or so big men (6-foot-8 or taller) who got the most attention from scouts and the media contingent on hand -- and rightfully so.

"Really I came here to see my weaknesses against better competition and know what I have to work on to get better," Chris Smith said. "I need to get in better shape and get better dribbling the basketball. My strength is being a facilitator and leader and putting teammates in the right position."

Chris Smith definitely has an unselfish approach to the game and is capable of facing up and knocking down the perimeter shot. Combine that with his long limbs and explosive first step and you have a high-riser in the national 2018 class.

Some of the other big men who turned heads on the first day of camp included 6-foot-5 2018 prospect Jordan Phillips of Grace Prep (Arlington, Texas), 6-foot-6 2018 prospect LaDarius Marshall of Forest Hill (Jackson, Miss.), 6-foot-8 2019 prospect Tyreek Smith of Advanced Preparatory International (Dallas), 6-foot-6 2018 prospect Joshua LeBlanc of Madison Prep (Baton Rouge, La.), 6-foot-9 Franklin Aguananne of Denton (Denton, Texas) and 7-foot Ousmane Ndim of St. Louis Academy (St. Louis, Mo.).

Marshall is one of the most explosive finishers in the national 2018 class and while they are not quite the prospects or as far along in their development as Bassey, Aguananne and Ndim are intriguing in their won right. That duo went toe-to-toe in an opening camp game with Aguananne coming up with the big plays to help his team win. It was a physical battle inside that Aguananne ended by converting a contested lay-up in sudden-death overtime.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph: Charles Bassey Makes Big Impression appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Ballislife South walked into a Dallas Gym where the Pangos All-South Camp was just getting underway. Not sure what caliber of Frosh & Soph players were going to be there. Instantly, we see this 6'10" Player towering over everyone in the gym. My Ballislife instincts are saying go film that kid right now. Within the first minute of the game he had a block, ran the floor, then finished with a nasty oop. I immediately start asking "Who is #159?" Charles Bassey out of Nigeria, has recently landed in San Antonio, Tx. And now he has the Nations Attention.

SUBSCRIBE To Our YouTube Channels

Ballislife
Ballislife South

Instagram

Ballislife
Ballislife South

The post 6'10" 9th Grader Charles Bassey Has Phenom Potential! Pangos All-South Camp Mix! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.