Frank Burlison

LONG BEACH, Ca. – Day I – well, to be accurate, Night I – of the 11^th Pangos All-American Camp got underway Friday.

And those in the  Cabrillo High gymnasium didn’t have to wait long to be courtside witnesses to what should prove to be the first of what will be a lot of cool individual matchups over the three-day event which annually draws some of the best high school hoopsters, from coast to coast.

Emmanuel Mudiay (Dallas, TX/Prime Prep Academy) and Josh Perkins (Aurora, CO/Regis Jesuit) are generally thought to be two of the half-dozen or so best point guard prospects in the Class of 2014.

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CORONA, Ca. – If a survey had been taken just minutes before the start of the “Ballislife Magic Memorial Day Festival” Saturday morning, which team would have been the consensus to win the event’s top (Battle Zone 17) division?

Well, the Dream Vision (17) squad, led by the preeminent post player in the western U.S. of A. (Stephen Zimmerman of Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas), would have been a strong possibility.

So would have the Branch West team (which won the Pangos Spring Sweet 16), Compton Magic Select (and its roster of 2015 standouts), L.A.

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CORONA, Ca. –  The Dream Vision squad found itself on the short end of a 79-53 score against the QJZ Elite team in the final game of pool play Sunday afternoon during the BattleZone 17 bracket of the  Ballislife Magic Memorial Day Festival.

But, after being scorched by sizzling freshman guard Lonzo Ball (Chino Hills High) and his QJZ buddies, Dream Vision righted its course in a big hurry.

Dream Vision, with mostly dominating play by sophomore center Stephen Zimmerman (Las Vegas Bishop Gorman) and standout support by the likes of juniors Namon Wright (the Los Angeles Pacific Hills standout expected to transfer to Findlay Prep in Henderson, NV) and Bear Henderson (Mission Hills, CA, Alemany), rallied from a big first-half deficit to knock off the L.A.

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CORONA, Ca. – The official title of the event might be a bit cumbersome to wrap your arms around.

But what is very simple about the “Ballislife Magic Memorial Day Festival, presented by Muscle Milk” is this:

There are a whole lot of quality travel squads led by a whole lot of quality high school hoopsters on display at the event fronted by Compton Magic CEO Etop Udo-Ema over Memorial Weekend.

Around-the-clock (or so it seemed on Saturday, when games tipped off at 8 in the a.m.)

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA – OK, time to put the official wrap, of sorts, on the 2012-13 high school hoops season.

And, thanks to assorted viewings through 2012 summer camps (Pangos, NBA Players Association and adidas Nations) and tournaments, as well as regular-season venues (including many high school tournaments, as well as the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, MA) and all of the post-season events, including the McDonald’s All-American Game, the Jordan Classic and the Nike Hoop Summit, I feel comfortable in making slapping together my post-season honors squads.

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