NORWALK – Saturday’s Day II of the 17th Pangos All-American Camp only served to emphasize what was already a consensus of thought on the subject:
Evan Mobley and Cade Cunningham are a cut – or two – above the rest of the 100-plus players on hand at Cerritos Community for one of the most high-profile events in grassroots hoops.
Someone is going to have to turn in whooper performances in the final “conference games played Sunday morning and in the top all-star game later in the afternoon to upset the near-certain scenario expected to unfold with either Mobley (Rancho Christian in Temecula in SoCal) and Cunningham (Arlington, TX, by way of Montverde Academy in Florida) being tabbed No. 1 in the camp – or sharing the honor.
Here are five candidates that could make the topic debatable, though:
*If it’s to be conceded that the 6-foot-7 Cunningham is the best of the 2021 point guards in the camp (that could be said about him in two others positions, as well), then Isa Silva (Jesuit in Carmichael, CA) and Zion Harmon (Marshall County in Benton, KY) have looked like the “next-best” at the spot in the first two days.
And each has two seasons of high school eligibility remaining.
Silva (on the Arizona camp team that smoked its first three foes) has consistently been the best passer and “set-up guy” in the building for two days.
And the 5-foot-11 Harmon (Notre Dame) sizzled in an often head-up matchup with 2020 standout Daishen Nix (Las Vegas) Saturday night, with 23 points including five 3s.
*Two other players off the Arizona squad who seem likely to end up in my “Top 10 in the camp, regardless of class standing” are Scottie Barnes (University in Florida) and Aminu Mohammed (Greenwood in Springfield, MA).
If Barnes’ jump shot were on the same level as the rest of his game, there would be a “Big 3” in the camp right now.
And there isn’t a better scorer in the camp than Mohammed.
*There isn’t a physically stronger inside presence than 6-9 Mady Sissoko (Wasatch Academy in Utah; he’s on the Stanford team).
He was one of the bigger surprises here a year ago. Now it wouldn’t be a surprised if he crushes a backboard with a dunk on the final day of the camp.
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