NORWALK, Ca. – Six states were represented among the 180 or so players who were in attendance during the opening of the two-day Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp at Cerritos College Community College.
But it was the Los Angeles Fairfax High program whose players made the most significant impact on the proceedings Saturday night.
Six-foot Ethan Anderson and 6-4 Robert McRae, who turned in strong performances as freshmen last season for the Lions, and 6-7 Kirk Smith – who transferred to Fairfax from a Los Angeles charter school in the summer – were each outstanding Saturday night.
In fact, Anderson and McRae are playing for the same camp squad (Utah) and faced up against Smith and Oregon late Saturday night.
Along with their innate athlete tools and refined hoops skills, Anderson, McRae and Smith played as relentless hard – at both ends of the floor – as anyone in the camp Saturday.
Coach Steve Baik – who was at the helm of Chino Hills’ 35-0, state title-run last season before taking over for Harvey Kitani – has the foundation of a roster that will enable the Lions to challenge for L.A. City titles over the next three seasons.
Three players who earned all-CIF Southern Section accolades as freshmen last season, 6-8 Isaiah Mobley (Temecula Rancho Christian), 6-3 Jarod Lucas (Hacienda Heights Los Altos) and 6-6 Jaime Jaquez (Camarillo) – were each highly productive and impressive as well Saturday.
Mobley, who celebrated his 17th birthday Saturday with a Snickers’ bar after his second game (his mom promised a cake and more elaborate celebration are coming post-camp on Sunday evening), helped Rancho Christian win a Division V Southern Section title last March.
And that squad will be even stronger this season with the addition of his freshman brother, Evan Mobley, another standout on Saturday.
Lucas was likely the most “complete” guard on display Saturday and pretty much scored only when he wanted to, via deep and mid-range jumpers and easy forays to the rim.
For the perspective of “when I was watching”, no one was more impressive, though, than was Jaquez.
His combination of size, handling skill, jump shooting and athletic explosiveness was every bit as spectacular as it was when I watched him at a West Coast Elite event held at Windward High in Los Angeles a few weeks ago.
And, in his second game Saturday night, he was often pitted against one of the other most impressive – and, often, spectacular – players in the event in 6-8 Darren Jones.
Jones was outstanding in both hoops and football (as a wide receiver) as a freshman at Upland.
He transferred to Cajon (in San Bernardino) over the summer, though, and was ruled ineligible by the Southern Section to play varsity in either sport as a sophomore (this school year) at his new school.
Among the many other players who turned in noteworthy efforts (again, the caveat, “when I watched them”) Saturday were 6-4 freshmen Jalen Green (Fresno San Joaquin Memorial) and Jaylen Clark (Corona Centennial), as well as sophomores in 6-5 Julien Franklin (Villa Park), 6-2 Gianni Hunt (Torrance Bishop Montgomery), 6-4 Marcus Tsohonis (Portland Jefferson), 6-7 Abdul Mohamed (West Seattle) and 6-6 Jamon Kemp (yes, he’s a son of former NBA player Shawn Kemp/Seattle Garfield).
Action resumes Sunday morning at 10 o’clock, with all-star games being played at 1 and 2 p.m.
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