COURTING THE TALENT: Pangos All-American Camp delivers elite prospects; Xavier Booker of Indianapolis earns Most Valuable Player accolades

LAS VEGAS – The Pangos All-American Camp lived up to expectations.

For the last two decades, the top prep basketball players, regardless of their shoe or club team affiliation, have gathered in early June to showcase their talents before the NCAA “live period” cranks up in July.

Once again, the Pangos Camp was conducted by Dinos Trigonis. He delivered on his promise of exciting players that will become household names from the hardcourt in the near future.

This year the camp was conduct at Bishop Gorman High School, starting on Sunday afternoon through Tuesday. The camp drew hundreds of media members and several NBA scouts. They all want to know or anoint “who’s next?”

It was three days of intense playing, high flyers and questionable defense. In the end, 60 players emerged from the pool of 125. The Top 30 were selected by a blue ribbon panel of evaluators. The second 30 players or the Top 60 were also tabbed.

Two all-star games closed camp and gave the campers something to think about.

At 6-11, Xavier Booker, a gifted senior big man from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, was named the Pangos Camp Most Valuable Player.

Booker’s selection as the top player here was a no-brainer.

He rose above the competition. A real pleasure to watch and will be quite a catch for some college program.

Check it out the best of the best at Pangos.

Cream of the Crop Top 30

The 30 top players at camp are listed here. The Red Team pummeled the Blue, 166-142, in a layup and slam-dunk festival. Baye Fall, a 6-11 senior from Accelerated Schools (Denver), and 6-4 Tru Washington of Mountain Pointe (Phoenix), both of the Red Team, were named MVPs of the Top 30 All-Star Game.

Red Team

6-0 Rob Wright, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia): He’s the quarterback of the reigning Pennsylvania state champions and has become an elite point guard with all the necessary skills. He’s a junior with a high ceiling.

6-1 Dedan Thomas Jr., Liberty (Las Vegas): He’s a local kid who played well at Pangos. Elite recruit. Crafty. Will break down a defense off the dribble. Only a junior with tremendous upside.

6-2 Boogie Fland, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.): One of the nation’s top juniors. Is 100% healed after an injury last high school season. The Bronx native is a do-everything player. Shoot, defend, dribble and assist—he’s there and willing to take on any role that helps the team. Ideal student-athlete. Power-6 recruit.

6-2 Jeremy Fears, La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.): An elite player who penetrates the defense to deliver the pass. Combo but looks better as the lead guard. Wants the ball but will give it up. Highly competitive.

6-3 Mikey Williams, San Ysidro (Calif.): He’s headed back to his hometown for senior year. An accomplished player and a shooter. Pure scorer. He’ll beat you off the bounce, mid and long range. Shot selection needs to be reeled in. Defense is improving.

6-4 Tru Washington, Mountain Pointe (Phoenix): Earned co-MVP honors in the Top 30 All Star Game. He saves his best for the big games. Slashes to the basket. Will drain the three. Defends well.

 6-5 Dylan Harper, Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.): Great DNA. Dad, Ron Harper, played in the NBA and won rings with the Bulls. Mom played collegiately and coached in high school. Great skills and a developed, mature player for only a junior. Elite recruit. McDonald’s All American material.

6-6 Ian Jackson, Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.): Jackson is a top-3 player from the Class of 2024. That’s just the facts. He’s quick. Can beat you off the bounce. Excels in transition and moves well without the ball. Solid defender. Prized recruit.

6-6 Devin Royal, Pickerington (Ohio) Central: Very active on the perimeter and ready to hoist a 3-pointer at the blink of an eye.

6-7 Justin Edwards, Imhotep Prep Charter (Philadelphia): He has a high basketball IQ. Makes great decisions at both ends. Clutch player who can beat the buzzer and deliver when it matters most.

6-7 Pharoah Compton, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.): He’s a solid defender and finish at the rim.

6-8 Sean Stewart, Windermere (Fla.) Prep: He’s already committed to Duke. His dad played in the NBA. Has all the tools to become a McDonald’s All American and All-ACC player for the Blue Devils. Active at both ends and is an elite player.

6-11 Baye Fall, Accelerated Schools (Denver): Fall played hard even when the games were out-of-hand. That’s a prerequisite for any coach. He’s active on the glass as you might imagine. Post moves are raw. Can drain the 3-pointer. Was the co-MVP of the Top 30 All-Star Game.

6-9 Carey Booth, Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.): Great bloodlines. Dad, Calvin Booth, played in the NBA and Penn State. Dad is the Nuggets GM. Works hard and is a much improved player according to the analysts. Great upside at both ends.

6-10 Taylor Bowen, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.): Really raised his game at Pangos. Can lead the break and start it by whipping an outlet. Doesn’t overcommit on defense and usually draws his man in for a turnover or pass to restart the offense. Killer rebounder.

6-10 James Brown, St. Rita (Chicago): A serviceable big man with solid skills. Rim protector. Tenacious rebounder and has soft hands around the basket. Big Ten material.

Blue Team

 5-11 Tahaad Pettiford, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.): The diminutive point guard is a pleasure to watch and can he climb the ladder. Threw a few highlight-reel dunks. Distributes well. Clutch shooter. Quick hands on defense and consistent on knocking down the 3-pointer. Another year of grooming and Pettiford is off to a Power-6 school.

6-0 Aden Holloway, La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.): The speedy senior guard emerged as one the best at Pangos. He shoots a high percentage. Has a scorer’s mentality and finishes in full control. Quick hands.

6-1 Elliot Cadeau, Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.): The silky smooth junior guard missed most of his high school season and is making up for lost time. Cadeau excelled here and the shining moment came with a posterizing dunk over 7-footer. He has the hops, loves up-tempo and has a solid outside game. Will run the show and orchestrate the offense.

6-1 Jackson Shelstad, West Linn (Ore.): The Oregon recruit is a true 1 who can facilitate teammates and knock down the 3-pointer when necessary. Great get for the Ducks.

6-3 Robert Jones Jr., Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah): Jones excels in transition and up-tempo. He can score from the inside and outside but is more suited for the perimeter.

6-4 Marvel Allen, Montverde (Fla.) Academy: Allen is an elite player who recently transferred to national champions Montverde in order to raise his game under legendary coach Kevin Boyle. He’s a combo guard with a sold skill set across the board.

K.J. Lewis, Chapin (El Paso, Texas): When was the last time a major recruit was harvest from west Texas? Well, the Arizona Wildcats already have a commitment from Lewis. He’s a 3-point specialist that will light up the Pac-12.

6-5 Isaiah Elohim, Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.): A leaper and once he has the ball on the perimeter is capable of the dribble-drive game. Attacks the rim with abandon.

6-7 Andrej Stojakovic, Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.): His father, Peja Stojakovic, played in the NBA and a mainstay on the Serbian National Team. Andrej can stroke from deep, deep range. Fearless on the court and has a presence. Possesses a quick first step and handle. Future pro.

6-7 Cody Williams, Perry Gilbert, Ariz.): Williams was one of the elite players this week at Pangos. His motor never stops running. He runs the floor with ease and plays above the rim. He’ll step outside and does defend well.

6-8 Amier Ali, Montverde (Fla.) Academy: He has multi-skills. He can shoot the long-range jumper; distribute and is a strong finisher.

6-9 Sam Walters, The Villages (Fla.) School: The Alabama commit is a lefty who is big wing. He’s likely a 3 or 4. Walters has nice elevation on his jumper and will consistently drain the mid-range shot. Defensively, he will challenge the ballhandler.

6-11 Yves Thierry Ouwe Missi, West Nottingham Academy (Colora, Md.): His mere presence will make shooters think twice and he’ll send it back. He will camp out in the post but can shoot the 3-ball without hesitation.

6-11 Xavier Booker, Cathedral (Indianapolis): Booker is a future pro and McDonald’s All America (in 2023). After all he was the overall MVP at Pangos. He can shoot the three and would be a great stretch-4. He has the wingspan to protect the rim better most player at his level.

 7-1 Isaiah Miranda, Springfield (Mass.) Commonwealth Academy: Miranda had a breakout camp but most analysts agree he needs to get stronger. He’s a pure scorer and will dominate the ball and hoist threes if the defense doesn’t front him.

Cream of the Crop Top 60

The Top 60 was an emphasis on the next best players at Pangos based on play at the camp. The players were determined by a panel of national evaluators.

In the Top 60 All-Star Game, the Red team beat the Blue, 123-110. Assane Diop, a 6-10 senior from Accelerated Schools (Denver), was the Blue MVP after positing 14 points and 5 rebounds, while 6-4 senior Wesley Yates from Beaumont (Texas) United was the MVP for the Reds with a game-high 26 points.

The Top 60 players by Red and Blue rosters.

Red Team

5-10 David Trey Green, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.); 6-2 Styles Phipps, St. Mary’s (Phoenix); 6-4 Jamari Phillips, Modesto (Calif.) Christian; 6-4 Wesley Yates, Beaumont (Texas) United; 6-4 Drew Kingery, Indianola (Iowa); 6-5 Jahseem Felton, Southern Cal Academy (Los Angeles); 6-5 Karter Knox, Tampa (Fla.) Catholic; 6-5 Seven Bahati, Donda Academy (Simi Valley, Calif.); 6-5 Chris Lockett, Newman (New Orleans); 6-7 Mouhamed Dioubate, Putnam (Conn.) Science Academy; 6-8 Kevin Patton Jr., Maricopa (Ariz.); 6-10 Devin Williams, Corona (Calif.) Centennial; 6-8 Donovan Freeman, St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.); 6-8 Brandon Williams, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.); 6-9 Morez Johnson, St. Rita (Chicago); 6-9 Jayden Williams, Brookwood (Snellville, Ga.); 6-10 Papa Kante, South Kent (Conn.) School; 7-0 Jazz Gardner, West Ranch (Santa Clarita, Calif.).

Blue Team

6-0 Ahmad Nowell, Imhotep Prep Charter (Philadelphia); 6-1 Ty-Laur Johnson, St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.); 6-3 K.J. Windham, Ben Davis (Indianapolis); 6-4 Blue Cain, Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic; 6-4 Chris Johnson, Elkins (Missouri City, Texas); 6-4 Sebastian Mack, Acellus (Las Vegas); 6-5 A.J. Johnson, Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.); 6-5 Robert Hinton, Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.); 6-5 Garwey Dual, Carmel (Ind.); 6-5 Kaden Cooper, The Skill Factory (Atlanta); 6-6 Tristan Gross, St. Petersburg (Fla.); 6-6 Isaiah Abraham, St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.);6-7 Scotty Middleton, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.); 6-8 Keanu Dawes, Stratford (Houston); 6-8 Jimmy Oladokum, Damien (La Verne, Calif.); 6-9 Zayden High, Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas); 6-9 Robert Miller, Memorial (Pasadena, Texas); 6-10 Assane Diop, Accelerated Schools (Denver); Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso, Putnam (Conn.) Science Academy.