Day II, Pangos All-American Camp XIV

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NORWALK, Ca. – The second day of the 14^th Pangos All-American Camp couldn’t have wrapped up in any more spectacular fashion.

Jose Alvarado found DeAndre Ayton and put the pass into his hands that immediately led to what proved to be the game-winning dunk with seven seconds to go as the Arizona camp team knocked off its Washington counterpart, 89-88, Saturday night in the last of the 12 games played in two sessions on the three full courts that the Cerritos College gymnasium has been configured into for the event.

Besides being a well-played game (or what passes for such in an “all-star” camp setting) which had most of those still in the gym watching, the 40-minute affair was also highlighted by an intriguing matchup, of sorts, between two of the most physically gifted high school-aged players in the world.

And, for the most part, 6-foot-9 Michael Porter Jr. appeared to get the better of that head-up showdown with the 7-footer Ayton, raining deep jumpers from the wings and corners, soaring to the glass to dominate the defensive backboard throughout the contest on Court 1.

Ayton (Phoenix Hillcrest), the consensus top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2017, doesn’t quite yet possess the play-to-play focus nor the defensive foundation to put the clamps on a player as big and skilled as is Porter – especially when he has to chase him on the perimeter.

That was most obvious late in the game when Porter was isolated on Ayton on the right wing at just near the arc, faced him up, offered a subtle head fake, and used a first step that would be the envy of most NBA players his size to swoosh by Ayton and get his shot up on the glass and through the iron before Ayton could recover and even attempt to challenge it.

Washington also got strong performances throughout from two of California’s best players in the  Class of 2018, 6-1 Brandon Williams (Encino, CA, Crespi) and 6-9 Miles Norris (Chula Vista, CA, Mater Dei), who scored 12 and 15 points, respectively, with Williams chipping in four assists (once again, stats were provided by Gregg Rosenberg of Rivals/Arizona).

But the best of Ayton’s teammates Saturday night – as well as one of the very best performers in the Class of 2018 at the event – was 6-8 Emmitt Williams (Bradenton, FL, IMG Academy).

There isn’t a harder-working, no-nonsense frontcourt player in the camp. The final two of his team-high 16 points came on a spectacular follow shot before Alvarado’s six assist and the latest of who-knows-how-many Ayton dunks of the camp decided things.

That performance by Porter was to be his last of the camp as he and his Class of 2018 brother, Jontay Porter, were schedule to fly with their dad (new University of Washington assistant coach Michael Porter Sr.) to Seattle Sunday morning.

The elder Porter – a long-time friend of UW Coach Lorenzo Romar – had recently been a women’s assistant coach at the University of Missouri.

The Porter boys had been attending Tolton in Columbia but are expected to relocate to one of three Seattle-area high schools: Seattle Prep, O’Dea or Roosevelt.

There are so many terrific point guards (or, more accurately, “point guard prospects”) in the camp, notably Trevon Duval (Dallas Advanced Prep International), Jaylen Hands (San Diego Balboa), Trae Young (Norman, OK, North) and Isaiah Washington (New York St. Raymond’s) in the Class of 2017 and Spencer Freedman (Santa Ana, CA, Mater Dei), Javonte Smart (Scotlandville, LA, Magnet), and Brandon Williams in the Class of 2018.

It’s hard to imagine, however, than any of those guys played much better Friday or Saturday than did Alvarado (Queens, NY, Christ the King).

The slight (6-footish, 155-poundish) Alvarado scored a game-high 18 points (with just one attempt being of the “ouch!; Why did he launch that?”-variety) to go with his six assists and three steals.

If it isn’t the case already, there is likely to be a bunch of programs from the Big East, American and Atlantic 10 conferences in pursuit of him by August.

The game played immediately before on Court 1 on Saturday night was every bit the down-to-the-wire tilt that Arizona-Washington proved to be, when 6-4 Ethan Thompson (2017/Torrance, CA, Bishop Montgomery) collecting the go-ahead bucket in the closing seconds to cap a rally from a 21-point deficit for Louisville’s 77-76 win over Miami.

Both Trae Young (Miami) and Quade Green (Louisville) clearly demonstrated throughout the game while they are borderline “locks” to be 2017 McDonald’s All-American selections.

Another point guard almost assured 2017 McD’s AA, Trevon Duval, helped his squad to its second and third lopsided wins on Saturday.

He goes into Sunday’s final day of competition (each of the 12 teams play once in the morning) with the camp closing with two all-star games early in the afternoon) as a strong candidate to be the “Most Outstanding/or Valuable Player” for the event based upon his individual play and team’s success.

Those glued to Court 1 all day were fortunate to see a lot of quality contests.

And that was the case with the USC-UCLA clash that closed the afternoon session, with the “Trojans” knocking off the “Bruins”, 97-93.

Javonte Smart and Billy Preston (2017/6-9/Mouth of Wilson, VA, Oak Hill Academy) led UCLA, Smart with his playmaking (six assists), scoring (13 points/his jumper was more accurate than it was the previous week during the Under Armour Association games in Garden Grove) and defense and Preston with his 23-point effort.

Once Preston decided to get into the mid- to low-post regions and stopped trying to create all of his offense from the arc, he dominated any and all defenders who tried to get between him and the bucket in the second, including former Advanced Prep International teammate Robert Brown and one of the very best forwards anywhere in the Class of 2017, Ira Lee (Napa, CA, Prolific Prep).

Lee scored 17 points and the UCLA backcourt of Isaiah Washington (21 points) and David Singleton (2018/Torrance Bishop Montgomery/Rosenberg credited him with 12 points and eight assists) was exceptional throughout.