RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners?| Final 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker?

When putting together the 2022-23 preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings, it was evident this was going to be a wide-open season. There was no dominant high school team over the other elite ones. On that note, it wasn't difficult to peg FAB 50 power and six-time national champion Montverde Academy (Fla.) as preseason No. 1. It was the safe pick. ?

On November 22, preseason No. 4 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), playing in its first-ever National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) game, downed Montverde Academy, 65-54. If this early-season game is any indication, the race for the FAB 50 national title will be wide open. ?

The same can be said about the nation's most prestigious individual honor: Mr. Basketball USA. If the preseason voting results by the 10-man tracker panel is any indication, a number of worthy candidates can emerge as the nation's best player for the 2022-23 season. In a season in which 21 players received recognition as a national player of the year candidate, five different candidates received at least one first-place vote (worth 10 points) and four more received at least one second-place vote (worth nine points).?

The top vote-getter in the?Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com with 71 total points was Kentucky-bound guard D.J. Wagner of preseason FAB 50 No. 7 Camden (N.J.). Wagner was the returning top vote-getter in last season's final balloting (coming in fifth place behind Mr. Basketball USA honoree Dariq Whitehead?of Montverde Academy in Florida) and led the way to begin this season by garnering four first place votes, two second place votes, a third place vote and one sixth place vote. Wagner appeared on eight ballots and no player among the?21 candidates appeared on all ten ballots. So for now Wagner leads the way, but based on the 16-year history of the tracker, where the eventual honoree usually appears on all 10 ballots and receives over 90 points, he's not a slam dunk choice. At least not yet, as Camden opens up its season in early December. ?

Similar to Montverde Academy on the team side, it would seem Wagner is a solid and the safe?choice in a year where there is no sure-fire future No. 1 NBA Draft choice.?

"No one in the senior class has established himself over the class, so D.J. (Wagner) holds up, because no one wanted it enough," said said panel member Van Coleman of Global Sports Television and Nothing But Net Magazine. "The most improved player of the summer was Cameron Boozer. If he has a season like he played at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, he could be the one. He's on course to be a special player."

Boozer, a sophomore (2025 class) at FAB 50 No. 18 Columbus (Miami, Fla.), received one first place vote and came in fourth place overall with 40 points while appearing on six ballots. Kentucky-bound Justin Edwards of No. 10 Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) received one first place vote and finished tied for fifth place with returning All-American Ronald Holland of No. 7 Duncanville (Texas), who did not garner a first place vote, but did receive two second place votes and appeared on five ballots. Both Edwards and Holland finished with 36 overall points.

Michigan St.-bound big man Xavier Booker of No. 13 Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) also garnered a single first place vote, in addition to two second place votes, and came in No. 3 overall in total points with 43. Coming in No. 2 overall behind Wagner with 57 overall points was USC-bound power guard Isaiah Collier of No. 12 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.). Collier garnered three first place votes, but no second place votes. His point total also consisted of two third place votes, one fourth place vote and one seventh place vote.

While we've known for a while the 2023 class has some work to do to match the accomplishments of the elites of recent classes, the sophomore class looks like it could develop into the best one since the 2020 class that included second year NBA players Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Evan Mobley (Cavs), Jalen Green (Rockets) and Scottie Barnes (Raptors). Not only is Boozer, the son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, a legit national player of the year candidate, Montverde Academy's Cooper Flagg and guard Meleek Thomas of Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Midland, Pa.) were two other sophomores that also received recognition from the tracker panel.

Only two sophomores have been first five All-Americans in the last 25 years: NBA star?LeBron James of St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) in 2000-01 and Eastern Michigan wing?Emoni Bates of Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) in 2019-20. By the middle of his sophomore year when he had a spectacular outing against eventual FAB 50 champ Oak Hill Academy (Va.) in a one-point loss, there were whispers James was the best player in the country over any seniors. That 2001 class, ironically, included Wagner's father and eventual Mr. Basketball USA honoree Dajuan Wagner, who was a teammate for a time in the NBA with James.

D.J. Wagner, Dajuan and grandfather Milt (a 1981 All-American at Camden) are likely to be the first ever third generation McDonald's All-Americans next March. Should D.J. earn Mr. Basketball USA honors, he and his father would become the first father-son national player of the year combo.?

Bates finished fourth in the 2010-20 season's Mr. Basketball USA voting behind honoree Cunningham, Mobley and Green. Bates was the first sophomore ever to earn a credible national player of the year honor (Gatorade). Is what transpired to Bates over the past two years keeping Boozer from being the top candidate this season? Will the tracker panel have some reservations about placing a sophomore on too high of a pedestal? ? ? ? ?

LISTEN and WATCH (23:39) what the hosts of Ballislife's podcast have to say about the Boozer-Bates dynamic and their breakdown of the preseason Mr. Basketball USA voting.?

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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?

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Over the past 20 years, the annual Pangos All-American Camp has showcased some of the biggest talents in high school basketball. Names such as Harden, Simmons, Ayton and countless other big-time NBA players have suited up at the showcase camp that traditionally tip offs the summer evaluation period. Since 2018, camp director Dinos Trigonis has upped the ante by having his marquee individual event certified for NBA scouts to evaluate.

This year 25 NBA teams sent representatives to evaluate some of the league's future talent and although the event lacks some of the "sure-fire pro" star power of past camps, there have been plenty of breakout stars and veteran camp participants that will be elite college and contributing NBA players in due time.

The clear breakout performer of this camp is 2024 big man Yves Thierry Ouwe Missi, a 6-foot-11 talent from West Nottingham Academy (Colora, Md.). He goes by Yves Missi, but regardless of what the Centre, Cameroon native is called on social media post or in published stories, one word sums him up: talent! In fact, Missi might be the camp's biggest breakout performer since Ben Simmons came to the camp as a rising sophomore in the summer of 2012 and wowed with his size, passing and feel. The native of Australia went to Montverde Academy (Fla.) that following winter and was named by www.ebooksnet.com as the high school player of the 2010s.

Missi may not have a Simmons type of impact on the high school game, but he's leaving an indelible mark on this camp. Missi is a workhorse underneath with a frame that screams upside and a toolbox that leads to rapid development. He is also producing, even coming up with a spectacular block to save a game for his camp team. Two of the three major recruiting networks do have Missi ranked and the third doesn't have him among its published top 60. Through the camp's first two days, Missi rates as a top five performer.

The early clubhouse favorite for camp Most Outstanding player is Xavier Booker, a 6-foot-11 2023 prospect out of Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.). Booker would be a terrific prospect with his frame, fluidity, bounce and skill level alone, but the separator is his shooting range. He has a terrific left-handed stroke and his shooting mechanics will never be confused for those Richie Adams (UNLV) and Walter Berry (St. John's) possessed. Like those two college standouts from yesteryear, Booker could develop into a collegiate All-American...and more.

Booker's shot is pure and he had it going on Sunday evening in a prime-time matchup with Baye Fall, a 6-foot-11 prospect from Accelerated Schools (Denver, Col.) who is considered one of the best prospects in the national Class of 2023. Booker continued to light it up on Saturday and showed why he could challenge for the top spot in the national class of 2023 when it's all said and done in the Spring of next year. Not bad for a young man who came off the bench for Cathedral as a sophomore, had zero offers just over a year ago, plays for independent travel club George Hill All-Indy and was a Cream of the Crop Top 60 selection at last year's camp.

Michigan St., Indiana, Ohio St., and Illinois have Booker as a priority. ?Some recruiting experts believe the Spartans have the inside track. At Pangos, Booker is playing for camp team "Duke" and the Blue Devils are now eyeing Booker. Can John Scheyer wrestle him away from Big Ten country?

Some of the other top national breakout performers at the camp include 6-foot-7 2024 power forward Pharaoh Compton of AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) and 6-foot-4 2024 shooting guard Robert Hinton of Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood).

Other top front court performers include Alabama-bound Sam Walters, a 6-foot-9 2023 from Villages School (The Villages, Fla.), James Brown, a 6-foot-10 2024 from St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.), Jayden Williams, a 6-foot-9 2024 from Brookwood (Snellville, Ga.), and Duke-bound Sean Stewart, a 2023 from Windermere Prep (Windemere, Fla.)

Guards Galore At Pangos

At the 2021 Pangos All-American Camp, some injuries and selfish attitudes caused a minor point guard shortage. That is clearly not the case at the 2022 edition, as there are an abundance of lead guards with the tools to not only perform well at the three-day event, but run collegiate clubs in the near future as well.

The competition will be fierce for one of the coveted guard spots in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game at the camp's conclusion, which will be reserved for the top performers after four rounds of camp games for each of the 12 teams.

Some of the top candidates to be selected include, but are not limited to, Rob Wright, a 6-foot 2024 from Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.), Michigan St.-bound Jeremy Fears, a 6-foot-2 2023 from La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) and his high school teammate Aden Holloway, a 6-foot 2023 prospect. Other lead guard standouts include Oregon-bound Jackson Shelstad, a 6-foot-1 2023 from West Linn (Ore.), D.J. Thomas, a 6-foot-1 2024 from Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) and Elliot Cadeau, a 6-foot-1 2024 from Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.).

Among the wing guard prospects, Marvel Allen, a 6-foot-4 2023 from Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Devin Royal, a 6-foot-6 2023 from Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio), Ian Jackson, a 6-foot-6 2024 from Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.), Wesley Yates, a 6-foot-4 2023 from Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas), Tru Washington, a 6-foot-4 2023 from Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.), Isaiah Elohim, a 6-foot-5 2024 from Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and Dylan Harper, a 6-foot-5 2024 from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) have all made noise.

The major buzz of Saturday's games was made by Cadeau, when he closed out the second-to-last camp game on court one with a thunderdous tomahawk dunk over the top of Jazz Gardner, a 2023 7-foot center from West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.). Cadeau missed most of his sophomore high school season with injury, but has shown no affects of the bad high ankle sprain he suffered last December.

The nod for the bounciest wing in camp, and perhaps the most bounciest player at the event, goes to Kaden Cooper, a 6-foot-5 2023 from the Skill Factory (Atlanta, Ga.).

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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