The third cease on the Pangos Frosh-Soph fall tour was the Pangos All-Midwest Camp, and it closed in spectacular vogue with two well-played all-star video games. The Midwest Camp is understood for hard-nosed play and protection was the calling card for camp MOPs Trey Hillerich of Kentucky and Landon Lampley of Indiana.
The expertise degree of the Pangos All-Midwest Fr/Soph Camp varies from 12 months to 12 months because the expertise degree within the higher Chicago area has had its up and downs within the final decade. The Windy Metropolis will all the time produce its fair proportion of expertise, however most of the high highschool prospects have left town to complete up their highschool careers in recent times. For Pangos Camp director Dinos Trigonis, he expands his horizons to different states and his attain stretches out all through the Midwest Area. This 12 months’s camp included roughly 180 individuals from 12 states, plus Canada, and the crop didn’t disappoint.
There are a few traditions on the All-Midwest Camp that continued this 12 months. One, there’ll often be a future NBA participant or school standout that doesn’t are available in with a lot candor and isn’t picked for the Cream of the Crop High 30 Recreation reserved for the occasion’s high performers. And this camp is often recognized for its grit and defense-oriented play that separates the elite from the pack.
The previous doubtless will occur once more and the latter did happen, as protection was the calling card for camp co-Most Excellent Participant Trey Hillerich, a 6-foot-10 2028 (sophomore) energy ahead from Male (Louisville, Ky.). Hillerich was arguably the most effective inside defensive participant and he additionally displayed endurance and shot making skill on the baseline all through camp. There was a robust contingent of campers from Louisville and Indianapolis and Hillerich shared co-MOP honors with Landon Lampley, a robust 6-foot-7 2028 wing ahead from Pike (Indianapolis, Ind.).
Within the Cream of the Crop High 30 recreation, it was solely becoming that Hillerich scored the sport profitable basket on a contested lay-up in sudden demise extra time to provide his White-jersey sporting membership a 77-75 victory over the Black-jersey sporting membership. The Black group got here in because the favorites within the recreation as a result of it was the larger and extra bodily group at most spots on the ground, however that didn’t deter the white membership. The Black membership had some terrific group defensive possessions and went up 43-39 at halftime. Its lead ultimately grew to 61-52 after an unimaginable line shift that included 5-foot-9 2029 (freshman) level guard Keiwon Gulley of Bloom (Chicago Heights, Ailing.) after the white membership tied the sport at 50-50.
The white membership wasn’t down for lengthy.
The white membership received again into the sport on the nifty scoring skill of 6-foot-4 2028 Jordan Mitchell of Male (Louisville, Ky.), Hillercih’s highschool teammate on what is predicted to be one of many higher conventional highschool groups within the Midwest Area for 2025-26. Mitchell was among the finest scoring guards at camp and hardly took a nasty shot. He additionally excelled within the mid-range recreation and considered one of his 4 3-pointers within the Cream of the Crop High 30 recreation lower the white group’s deficit to a few factors (71-68). It appeared just like the Black membership sealed the sport the Gulley made two free throws to make it 75-71 within the last 10 seconds of the sport.
The white membership wasn’t lifeless but.
After a missed entrance finish of a 1-and-1 state of affairs within the closing seconds, 6-foot-7 2029 Elon Henderson of Leo (Chicago) was fouled on the defensive rebound that resulted in a one-and-one state of affairs on the opposite finish of the ground. After a made free throw, he missed the second, however Eron “E.Z.” McDuffey, a 6-foot-3 2028 capturing guard from Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.), got here up with an offensive rebound put again and traditional 3-point play to extremely tie the sport at 77-75 with 1.7 seconds remaining, as pandemonium engulfed the gymnasium at DeLa Salle Institute (Chicago).
“I waned to essentially consider protection and blocking photographs, whereas contributing as a lot as I can,” Hillerich instructed Ballislife. “I undoubtedly knew I may are available in and win MOP with effort. I had summer time enjoying with Indiana Elite’s 15s and I felt good about the way in which I performed this summer time. Now I have to work on my ball-handling to take my recreation to the subsequent degree.”
Mitchell was named High 30 recreation co-MVP together with Gulley. Mitchell was in a groove within the second half, ending with 21 factors., Gulley displayed the most effective first step of any guard in attendance and was one of many quickest and most explosive, ending with a team-high 17 factors. Gulley was soft-spoken and considerably shy off the court docket, however Just like Hillerich, was assured and prepared on the court docket. There may be nothing bashful about Gulley’s recreation.
“Sure, I felt I performed properly this summer time (with the Mac Irvin Fireplace 15s) and have been working with my coach and coaches, too,” Gulley stated. “I felt like I performed properly on this camp and I needed to assist by taking good care of the ball and scoring.”
McDuffey completed with eight factors for the white membership, whereas Hillerich added eight.
For the black unit, 6-foot-5 2028 Carter Slaise of Windfall St. Mel (Chicago) hit two 3-pointers and completed with 12 factors. Lampley, who displayed as a lot vertical pop and energy as any ahead in attendance, added 9 factors.
Taking part in at a degree proper beneath or close to on par with the camp MOPs was the Black unit’s Joshua Lindsay, a 6-foot-2 energy guard from St. Xavier (Louisville), which together with Male and Lampley’s Pike membership needs to be preseason regionally ranked within the FAB 50’s Midwest Preseason Area High 20.
The individuals within the High 30 recreation have been typically thought-about the most effective and most bodily superior of the 180 individuals and their play clearly displayed that notion.
Motivation A Distinction-Maker
As an alternative of selecting 30 gamers for the highest all-star recreation, Trigonis settled on 28 and left two open spots for essentially the most deserving two gamers to maneuver up from the Cream of the Crop High 60 Recreation. That motivating issue has confirmed to be good technique when carried out and it paid dividends at De La Salle on Sunday.
The sport MVP’s chosen to maneuver as much as the highest contest after the 74-66 white membership victory have been McDuffey, who got here by way of with the late recreation heroics within the High 30 recreation for the eventual profitable membership, and C.J. Pittman, a 6-foot 2028 combo guard from Walter Payton Prep (Chicago). Pittman attends the varsity of the late Chicago icon who performed for the Chicago Bears within the Seventies and Eighties, but it surely was McDuffey who was “Sweetness” personified within the High 60 recreation, netting 15 factors. Pittman stored the Black membership in vary down the stretch, ending with 10 factors.
We talked about gamers from this camp who someday, wanting again, find yourself one of many higher gamers in attendance and an awesome candidate for that this 12 months was High 60 participant Prentiss Gates Jr., a 6-foot-8 2029 ahead from Westside Management Academy (Gary, Ind.). Gates oozes with potential and doesn’t drive the sport or do issues he at the moment isn’t able to. The forwards chosen for the High 30 recreation have been stronger and extra bodily prepared than Gates now, however down the road he may very well be one of many high gamers produced from this group. He was credited with six factors and two blocked for the White membership within the High 60 recreation.
There was two eigth-graders chosen for the High 30 recreation. One was 6-foot-4 wing Chad Carter Jr. of Chi Prep Academy (Chicago) and the opposite (who was unable to play) was 6-foot-6 Jael Kabeya of Royal Crown (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Yet one more Canadian 2030 prospect was chosen for the High 60 Recreation. That was 6-foot-6 Aiden Ouellette of Brampton Metropolis Prep (Toronto). The second 2030 prospect chosen for the High 60 Recreation was 6-foot-6 Jack Huffman of Hillsdale Academy (Hillsdale, Mich.)
He wasn’t chosen for an all-star recreation, however we’d be remiss to not point out the play of seventh grader (2031) Brayden Holland, a 5-foot-10 guard from Grace Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He may be reached at [email protected]. Don’t neglect to comply with him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
