THOROFARE, N.J. -- The Pangos All-East Freshman/Sophomore Camp had all of the flavor and guard play you would expect from the talented basketball players on the East Coast. There was plenty of dribble drives, end-to-end action and athleticism on display.
This was the third Pangos Camp and each of the showcases has been different. The Southern showcase in Atlanta was highlighted by athletes flying all over the gym. The Midwest showcase in Chicago was much more fundamentally sound and featured less highlight-reel basketball (though still at a fast paced). The Eastern showcase was the home of the bounce as everyone had to dribble the ball before making any offensive move.
Standout players
Aquille Carr (Baltimore, Md./Patterson)
2013, PG, 5-6, 140 pounds
He is one of the quickest and most explosive players in the country -- regardless of class. Despite being small in stature, Carr truly impacts the game on each end of the court, especially in an up-tempo affair like this one. Offensively he gets in the paint at will and is a good passer, though he can be a little too creative at times and his teammates can have trouble catching his passes. Carr is super athletic and can dunk. His athletic ability and super tight handle allow him to finish at the rim when he slashes to the basket. He needs to improve the consistency on his streaky jump shot, but is a very good on-ball defender and can be a true pest on the defensive end of the floor. He is a unique and elite talent in the 2013 class.
Brandon Austin (Philadelphia/Imhotep)
2013, SF, 6-6, 170 pounds
He is an ultraskilled combo wing who can conceivably play all three perimeter positions. Austin has a very good handle with a killer crossover and is a very good slasher and penetrator. He is also an able passer who can be very effective as a point forward with the offense running through him. He is a streaky shooter with range on his shot to 20 feet. He is extremely thin and long but has some toughness. He will need to improve his body over time but his skill level is what catches your attention. Defensively, he needs a lot of improvement but he has length and athletic ability so he only needs to improve his effort in order to be a solid defender.
Davon Reed (Princeton, N.J./Princeton Day School)
2013, SG, 6-3, 175 pounds
He is a shooting guard who can also move over and play some point guard. Reed is long, athletic and loaded with skills. He is a good passer with excellent vision and creativity. He is a streaky shooter with decent mechanics on his jumper, but should be able to improve his consistency with continued repetitions. Reed is great in transition, where he is able to use his athletic ability to score above the rim. He is also a decent defender, but has the physical tools to be a lockdown defender in the future.
Players to watch
Horace Spencer (Warminster, Pa./Klinger MS)
2015, PF, 6-7, 205 pounds
Spencer is a long, athletic and active eighth grader. He is very raw, but still makes a lot of plays with his activity, size and athletic ability. Spencer has decent ball skills for a post player already. He scores exclusively in the paint right now, but he runs the court very well and is very mobile. He is a very good rebounder for such a young player, especially playing against players one to two years older than him. He is also a capable shot-blocker on defense. He will need to get stronger and will obviously continue to grow and improve, but Spencer's upside is practically limitless at this point.
Jeremy Miller (Milton, Mass./Milton)
2014, C, 6-9, 200 pounds
He is another super-long young post with fantastic upside. Offensively, he has a long ways to go but the main thing he needs is strength. He has a solid face-up jump shot to 15 feet. He keeps the ball high on the catch offensively and when he grabs rebounds. Miller moves well and can outrun most post players. His hands and feet are good. He is a good rebounder as long as the ball is in his area. He is not quite strong enough to fight off blockouts and rebound balls outside of his area right now. As Miller gains girth and strength he should improve as a player exponentially. He is a very good prospect who should have a very bright future.
Notes
• There was plenty of great young talent at this event. One of the young freshmen who continued to make plays was 6-2 PG Isiah Washington (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport). He has good length and just seems to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time and finishing plays. He is a solid shooter with range to 20 feet and a solid enough athlete to be able to finish well above the rim in transition.
• There were not a lot of bigs at the camp, but three of the better players patrolling the paint were 6-7 Rodney Bullock (Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan), 6-6 Dwayne Foreman (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) and 6-6 Anton Waters (Baltimore, Md./Forest Park). Bullock is a strong-bodied player with the versatility to score inside and step out to 15 feet and score. Foreman is a lefty skilled combo forward with very good ball skills. Waters was one of the better athletes in the camp. He was super active and made plays around the rim and in the paint.
• The guard play was exciting, but often erratic at the camp. Some of the better guards were 6-1 Will Ferguson (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell), 6-1 Ramon Gibbons (Charlestown, Mass./Charlestown) and 6-2 Ja'Quon Newton (Philadelphia/Neumann Goretti). Ferguson is a point guard who can score and distribute. Gibbons is a strong, athletic combo guard who plays with a mean streak. Newton is a young slasher supreme who can get in the lane and score.
John Stovall, a recruiting coordinator, has worked as director of scouting for Prep Spotlight Scouting Service and magazine for 15 years.