Related:?Pangos All-South Notebook I

It was a near impossible task for this year's Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp participants to top last year's exciting finish to the Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star Game reserved for the camps best players. After all, that game came down to a high bouncing free throw make with 0.2 seconds left by now junior Jed'Ethan Nansha of Hillcrest (Dallas, Texas) that made his teammates on the Black jersey-wearing club mob him after he clinched the thrilling 75-74 win for his team. In 2023, there would be no heroics as the Black club rolled to a 66-53 victory over their White jersey wearing counterparts.

Even though the final game wasn't as exciting as some from year's past, the camp games made all the difference as there was a nice combination of first-year campers to challenge the group of returnees, some of whom were considered among the camp's best players. That included 2022 Most Outstanding Player Phoenix Woodson, 6-foot-6 forward from Crossing Christian (Oklahoma City, Okla.) who returned as a sophomore (2026) after earning MOPs honors as a freshman. He didn't repeat those honors, but that was more a reflection of the outstanding quality of forwards (including wing, traditional, stretch and power) in attendance, more than any individual shortcomings compared to one year ago.

When the dust settled, two wing forwards off the victorious Black club were named co-Most Outstanding Player of this year's camp, one a returnee from last year and the other a newcomer who made a big splash. The returning player who stepped up his game was 6-foot-6 2026 (sophomore) Jacob Lanier of Maumelle (Ark.). Although he only made one field goal in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star game, he made some nifty passes and helped his team on the defensive side of the ball in their 66-53 victory. Besides, Lanier had already made quite the impression in his camp games with his shot-making, ability to run the floor and finish with pop, and improved offensive package. He's also light on his feet and with good instincts on both ends of the floor.

"I think I could have done alot better in the all-star game," Lanier said. "I shot it better during the camp games. I wanted to come in and show I was one of the best players here."

Joining Lainer as MOP was 6-foot-5 2026 Seven Spurlock of Memorial (Frisco, Texas), who had seven points and a game-high seven rebounds for the Black club in the Top 30 game. Of the group of wings and forwards, Spurlock was the most physically dominant with his attacking style. It wasn't a surprise to see him work the glass in the all-star game, as Spurlock plays with an edge that makes everyone (fans, teammates, referees, scouts, etc.) take notice of his presence. There wasn't a dull moment with the powerful lefty on the hardwood and his production here matched his approach.

Unlike last year when a few stars shined through, this year's top all-star game reflected the camp: one of balance and depth at the strongest position, which was wings/forwards. Only one player for each club netted double figures with 10 points each. For the Black club, it was 6-foot-3 2026 Silas Rodriguez of Guyer (Denton, Texas), a deft scoring guard who knocked down two of his team's three 3-pointers. For the White club it was 6-foot-4 freshman (2027) guard King Gibson, who made his club's sole 3-pointer and had some explosive finishes en route to 10 points.

Gibson was arguably the top freshmen in attendance and it so happened the five chosen to play in the top all-star game all played for the White club, which trailed at half-time 25-23. The White club also had the top game's lone 2028 (eighth-grader) participant in 6-foot-8 power forward Terrell Jackson of Berry Middle School (Mesquite, Texas). He made quite the impression with his rim protecting and activity level as a young big.

Jackson was not satisfied with just making the top game and was thirsting for more. "I think I could have done alot better overall," Jackson said. "I know I need to get stronger and I wanted to show I could move up and down the court."

Gibson was impressive enough to be named game MVP for his club, with 6-foot-6 2026 wing Alex Barther II of Eastern Hills (Ft. Worth, Texas) taking home honors for the victorious Black team. It's early, but Gibson has the look of one of the nation's best freshmen, while Barther came on as he got more comfortable. He got better and more intense as the event rolled along with his best effort coming in the camp's final game. Barther runs the floor well, is a plus athlete and had his pull-up and deep ball on display as the camp wore on.

In addition to Woodson and the previously mentioned crop, some of the other standouts among the camp's deepest position included, but is not limited to, 6-foot-6 2026 Davion Adkins of Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas), 6-foot-8 2026 Ethan Sheats of Denton (Texas), 6-foot-4 2026 Armon Almuttar of Parish Episcopal (Dallas, Texas) and Steve McLeod, a 6-foot-7 2027 from Grand Prairie (Texas).

In many camp games, including the two all-star games, points and outside shooting were at a premium. The paint action was heavy and many of the camp's smaller guards settled too much for heaves or over-dribbled to compensate for the lack of paint finishes. Among lead guards, the clear cut standout who exhibited the traits scouts and college coaches alike look for at the position was 6-foot-2 2026 James Sanderson of Frisco Emerson (McKinney, Texas). He handled the ball seamlessly, set up teammates consistently and displayed a high skill level in the key areas necessary to excel at the position.

"I try to get opportunities for teammates and be a true point guard," Sanderson said. "I just try to play the game the right way and I know that's what college coaches like."

Colleges across the South and the rest of the country are going to eventually covet many of the 220 campers from nine states in this group. When they look for 2027 point guards, the name for college coaches to begin with is 6-foot-2 Tyrone Jamison of Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.). Jamison is a shifty guard with a nice shooting stroke, can change direction and also score the ball for himself. He was one of the five 2027s who played on the White team in the top all-star game.

There is always an argument for a few of the players selected for the Cream of the Crop Top 60 game being good enough for the Top 30 game. At this camp, that was certainly the case for game co-MVPs in the Black's 69-50 victory. For the winning Black club, 6-foot-5 2026 Anthony Hester of Mills University (Little Rock, Ark.) was play-making at a high clip and finished with a game-high 12 points. For the White club, 6-foot-1 2026 Keonte Greybear of Emerson (McKinney, Texas) shined throughout the camp with his finishing ability and defensive presence. He was even better in the second all-star game, finishing with 10 points and two assists.

While there wasn't much depth at the lead guard position, we'd be remiss not to mention one of the best in attendance even though he wasn't selected for either of the all-star games. That would be six-foot 2026 Trey Dorsey of Liberty (Baton Rouge, La.). He had it on a string and is well-versed on how to play the position.

Two other players worth mentioning not selected are Robert Moore, a 6-foot 2026 point guard from Timber Creek (Keller, Texas), and Jaiden Hall, a 5-foot-11 2027 point guard from Captain Shreve (Shreveport, La.). Both were hitting shots from the outside at a solid rate and were under control while doing so.

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

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One can always expect the unexpected at a showcase came for underclassmen, particularly when it comes to the Pangos Frosh/Soph series. The All-South version has produced memorable moments in recent years, including last year's defensive slugfest to a memorable Texas vs. Everybody Cream of the Crop Top 30 game in 2017 that will go down as the best all-star game in the event's history.

During the camp's second day of action, there were not tons of fireworks or emotion on the court and it was noticeable during the Cream of the Crop Top 60 game reserved for the camp's second-tier players. At times you could hear a pin drop. That all changed during the Top 30 game, as the participants selected as the camp's top performers were spirited and vocal on the bench and gave an all-out effort on the hardwood. It was only fitting that the game-winning points came down to a play made by 6-foot-6 2025 (sophomore) Jed'Ethan Nansha of Hillcrest (Dallas, Texas) because he was the hardest working and most encouraging among the 200 plus campers.

After a clutch 3-pointer with 7.7 seconds remaining by 6-foot-6 2026 (freshman) Jalen Montonati of Owasso (Okla.) gave the white jersey club a 74-73 lead, Nansha streaked down the court and was met at the rim by at least three players on the white club. One of them was whistled for a shooting foul with .2 seconds remaining to put Nansha on the charity stripe with the game in the balance. For the sake of evaluation purposes and to keep the game action flowing, a free throw is worth two points in this Pangos Camp setting. Nansha stepped to the line for his shot at camp glory, but his high-arcing attempt was way off and it appeared the white club had won the game...until the referee signaled a lane violation of the white club that is. That gave Nansha a chance to redeem himself. On the second attempt, it appeared the attempt with bounce high off the rim as the first one did. However, this time he got a softer bounce, as the ball went straight up towards the top of the backboard and gently fell through the rim to give the black jersey-wearing club a dramatic 75-74 victory.

The black club then celebrated and mobbed Nansha as if the team had just won a Texas University Interscholastic League playoff game at the Duncanville Fieldhouse in Dallas.

The talent level wasn't quite on par with the Texas vs. Everybody all-star affair that included future No. 1 NBA Draft pick Cade Cunningham, but Sunday's affair will go down as arguably the most intense all-star game in the annual frosh/soph camp series, as players were talking and sliding their feet on defense on each possession. Nansha's game-winning free throw culminated the black club's come-from-behind victory and leading the way in that effort was the player voted camp Most Outstanding Player. Phoenix Woodson, a 6-foot-6 freshman (2026) from Crossing Christian (Oklahoma City, Okla.), scored three field goals and made winning plays throughout the second half comeback and impressed with his basketball I.Q. and overall feel. It's not easy to predict what type of player Woodson will be down the line or to make a position-specific comparison to a current or former player. The only label that Woodson needs is "basketball player" and the one thing a scout or college coach needs to know about him is he'll be an immediate impact player at the high school level.?Woodson finished the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game with ten points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.?

Scoring a team-high 13 points for the black club was 6-foot-2 2025 Jason Scott of Westbury Christian (Houston, Texas). Leading the way offensively for the white club with 15 points was Montonati, who canned three 3-pointers including the final one from straight-away that gave his team the lead until Nansha's "heroics". The other double-digit scorer (11 points) for the white club was 6-foot-3 2025 Camden Cowgill of Brennan (San Antonio, Texas).

There were players representing 13 different states in attendance, yet three of the Top 30 all-star selection's came from former NBA player Randy Livingston's program at Isidore Newman (New Orleans, La.). Included in the trio was the camp's top post player, 6-foot-8 2025 Christopher Cenac Jr., while another Christopher, 6-foot-7 2025 Christopher Birden also displayed terrific potential. The third Newman player selected was 6-foot-4 2025 Kobe Butler.

Joining Scott and Cowgill in the group of top camp guards were 6-foot 2025 Mike Williams of Hillcrest (Dallas, Texas) and 6-foot-5 2025 Dietrich Richardson of Manual (Peoria, Ill.). Williams, the son of former NBA guard and current Jackson State head coach Mo Williams, netted eight points in the top all-star game for the victorious black club.

Woodson, of course, was in the "basketball player" category all to himself with his ability to score in the front court, handle the ball well enough to keep perimeter defenders honest, drop soft passes in the interior and rebound on both ends of the floor.

Joining Cenac and Montonati among the top front court players in attendance was bouncy 6-foot-7 2025 Ethan Carter of Arlington Christian (Fairburn, Ga.) and 6-foot-6 2026 Isaiah Ward of Brennan (San Antonio, Texas). Because of travel considerations back home, Ward was unable to play in the Top 30 game but was easily the top prospect participating in the earlier Cream of the Crop Top 60 game.

The white jersey-wearing club came away with a 83-66 victory over its black counterparts in the Top 60 game. Named MVP for the white club was active wing Cortez Graham-Howard, a 6-foot-5 2025 from Hillsboro (Nashville, Tenn.). While Nansha was the hardest-working front court player at the event, the guard that turned heads the most with his defensive effort was black MVP Nehemiah Lawrence. The 5-foot-7 2026 from Allen (Texas) got in a stance every possession and made things happen throughout the event. He was selected to the Top 60 game mainly based on his defensive effort and like the all-star games themselves, did not disappoint.

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

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The Dallas Cowboys were victorious on Sunday afternoon, but the best defense in Big D wasn't being played at AT & T Stadium. It was being played at the Duncanville Fieldhouse at the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp. Throughout the event, easy baskets were at a premium, as defenders ball-hawked 84 feet, denied post entry passes and contested shot attempts at the rim.

That style of play made for a competitive environment and that competitiveness was most evident during the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game designed for the camp's top performers. The White jersey-wearing club took a 28-27 halftime lead, but the club wearing the Black jerseys went on to record a 54-51 win after holding off a late White club rally in what was the lowest scoring Cream of the Crop Game in the annual event's history.

Leading the way in the late comeback attempt for the White club was 6-foot-8 freshman (2025) forward Parker Jefferson of Waxahachie (Texas), who scored on a variety of silky post moves and smooth baseline shots to put his club within range to tie the game on its final possession. Jefferson got three quality looks at a potential game-tying 3-pointer. Two of them were of the in-and-out variety and the third was on line, but just long.

The fact Jefferson's teammates kept feeding him the ball and he was able to get open speaks volumes of his ability and instincts for the game. Jefferson utilizes effective half hooks over both shoulders around the basket, smooth turnaround jump shots, bank shots off post entry passes and can finish well with either hand. He was by far the most polished pivot player at the camp and in one camp game looked like UCLA immortal Bill Walton vs. Memphis in the 1973 NCAA title game, continuously scoring on soft lay-ups off post entry lob passes over the top.

Jefferson netted 16 of his team's 51 points in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game to cap off his co-most outstanding player honor. It's fitting he was the game's only double digit scorer, as the co-Cream of the Crop Top 30 Most Valuable Players were the brother duo of 6-foot-9 sophomore (2024) Israel Nansha and 6-foot-8 2025 Jed Nansha of Hillcrest (Dallas). The Nansha brothers were rewarded for their relentless defensive effort, as they stood out among a plethora of all-star players who were crashing the defensive and offensive glass and contesting field goal attempts around the cup. Israel finished with two points and seven big rebounds for the victorious Black club, while his younger brother and teammate added six points and four rebounds.

Other Cream of the Crop Top 30 standouts for the Black club included 6-foot-3 2024 guard Jayden Gambrell of James Madison (Houston) with seven points and 6-foot-2 2024 guard Malek Archie of McKinney (Texas) with five points. For the White club, 6-foot-5 2025 wing Jai'Chaunn Hayes of White Hall (Ark.) had a nice game, finishing with seven points, while 6-foot-5 2024 wing Jakeel Registe of Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas) had a strong start and finished with eight points.

Special recognition must be given to coach Kelan Jones of Hillcrest (Dallas). Jones was coaching the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game with passion and quality communication and helped raise the level of intensity ten-fold. There is little doubt his coaching approach to a sometimes laid-back affair helped the campers perform admirably to close the event.

Skill, Shooting, Defense Stand Out

Jefferson's skill level is what separated him from a pack a quality big men with long term potential. From the wing forward position, the most skilled of the lot was 6-foot-5 2025 Hudson Greer of Lake Travis (Austin, Texas). He can score it in a variety of ways and is a quality shooter with lively legs who covers ample ground when he puts it on the deck. Greer didn't particularly stand out in the top all-star game (six points), but over the course of the camp's three games for each player he displayed terrific scoring instincts and a high offensive skill level. His father Josh Greer played at St Mary's (Calif.) after a standout career at Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.) and son is easily tracking to play on the WCC level and beyond.

From the wing guard position, Hayes was locked in throughout camp and had high-scoring outputs in each game. Hayes can stroke it, has good passing ability and a nice combination of skill and instinct for the game. He was just one of the many 2025 (freshmen) standouts at this camp with mid to high major potential. In fact, one third (10 of 30) of the players selected for the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game were freshmen.

Among the sophomore (2024) lot, there was plenty to like about from 6-foot-5 wing guard Tre Johnson of Lake Highlands (Dallas). He was named camp co-MOP and it's easy to see why some evaluators are so giddy about his long-term potential. Johnson's size-ball skill ratio stands out and he was one of the most explosive campers in attendance with an ability to finish in and above traffic or make a spectacular play on the defensive end. Johnson has a knack for being around the ball at opportune times and just needs to continue to polish up his shot and tighten his handle to become a bonafide high school All-American candidate.

Some of the perimeter shooters who stood out included 6-foot-4 2025 Adlan Elamin of Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.), 6-foot-5 2024 S. Trap Johnson of Belton (Texas), 6-foot 2024 Drew Ward of Longview (Texas), and 6-foot-3 2025 Jaden Nickens of Milwood (Oklahoma City, Okla.). Nickens had it going during the Cream of the Crop Top 60 game, leading his team to an easy 79-34 victory by nailing two 3-pointers and finishing with a game-high 18 points.

Nickens was the one player we felt whose evaluation was deserving of a spot in the top all-star game. We also would have reserved a spot for 6-foot-3 2024 Anthony Bates Jr. of Seven Lakes (Katy, Texas).

Our cinch choice for player most deserving of a Top 60 selection was 6-foot-1 2024 Cornelius Brown of The Walker School (Marietta, Ga.). Brown was one of the most explosive players off the bounce in attendance.

Defense was the name of the game at this camp, and the one player who earned a Creme of the Crop Top 60 berth mostly because of his defensive performances was 5-foot-10 2024 Rondae Hill of Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.)

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

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