LA GRANGE, IL – Eleven athletes from in and around Chicago are among my choices for the Top 25 players in attendance at the Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp that wrapped up early Sunday afternoon at the Park District sports facility in this suburb of the city.
Among those are sophomores from long-time Public League powers Whitney Young (guard Tyler Beard), Simeon (forward Sincere Callwood) and Morgan Park (guard Adam Miller), along with a Simeon freshman (guard Ahmad Bynum).
But the other 14 were scattered from among seven other states: Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
And the unanimous choice s(from among camp founder and director Dinos Trigonis, as well as myself and two other McDonald’s All-American voters, Van Coleman and Clark Francis, and Ballislife’s Ronnie Flores) as the “co-Most Outstanding Players” for the two-day event were freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee Hamilton) and sophomore Isaiah Jackson (Detroit Old Redford).
Although they both stand right at about 6-foot-8, Baldwin and Jackson showcased different strengths.
Baldwin, who seems well on his way to something closer to 6-10, jump shot, handled and passed with skill well beyond that of all but a small percentage of the best national prospects at his size in the national Class of 2018. And he’s yet to make his debut in “real” high school action.
Although I saw Jackson hit a couple of 3s Sunday morning, he did the bulk of damage over the weekend as a shot blocker, rebounder and dunker anywhere within a dribble of the lane.
Baldwin (nine points, as well as a couple of rebounds and two dazzling assists) played well in the Top 30 All-Star Game that wrapped up the camp. Jackson (pictured in the Twitter link to this story) had to depart for home before the game was played.
Other standouts in that all-star game included sophomores Beard (he shared the Most Outstanding Player in the contest with Bynum and scored 13 points with six assists and four rebounds), D.J. Steward (Fenwick in Illinois/15 points), Miller (13 points and three rebounds) and Brandon Weston (Lake Forest, IL, Academy/11 points and five rebounds), as well as Bynum (13 points).
MOP in the Top 60 All-Star Game was 6-3 sophomore Xavier Bell (Wichita Andover Central).
My choice as the Top 25 players in camp (based on performance, not just “potential”), alphabetically:
Class of 2020 (Sophomores)
Tyler Beard 6-3 (Chicago Whitney Young)
Will Berg 6-9 (Des Moines, IA, Valley)
Sincere Callwood 6-5 (Chicago Simeon)
Colin Crothers 6-8 (Lisle, IL, Benet Academy)
Even Brauns 6-9 (Iowa City Regina)
P.J. Edwards 6-3 (Springfield, IL, Lanphier)
Ty Foster 6-1 (Denver Lincoln)
Amani Glosson 6-4 (Milwaukee Academy Science)
Chris Grubbs (6-5/Fishers, IN, Hamilton Southeastern)
Darius Hannah 6-7 (Milwaukee Academy Science)
Isaiah Jackson 6-8 (Detroit Old Redford)
Seryee Lewis 6-8 (Chicago Kenwood)
Adam Miller 6-3 (Chicago Morgan Park)
Katrell Raimey 6-4 (Olathe, KS, East)
Nate Santos 6-6 (Geneva, IL, Community)
John Shanklin 6-7 (Bellevue, NE, West)
D.J. Steward 6-4 (Fenwick, IL, Fenwick)
Brandon Weston 6-4 (Lake Forest, IL, Academy)
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. 6-0 (Omaha Central)
Classes of 2021-22 (Freshmen and eighth graders)
Patrick Baldwin Jr. 6-8 (Milwaukee Hamilton
Pierre Brooks II 6-4 (Detroit Frederick Douglass)
Ahmad Bynum 6-1 (Chicago Simeon)
A.J. Casey 6-7 (Chicago Arbor Park MS)
Kamari Lands 6-6 (Indianapolis Fox Creek MS)
Yaya Keita 6-9 (St. Louis DeSmet)
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