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Three Takeaways from the Pangos All-American Camp

Oregon State v USC

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 08: Head coach Andy Enfield of the USC Trojans looks on during a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Oregon State Beavers at T-Mobile Arena on March 8, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 61-48. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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CERRITOS, Ca. -- The Pangos All-American Camp has become an elite summer kick-off camp over the years as founder Dinos Trigonis brings together many of the nation’s top players.

This year’s Southern California-based event featured an added wrinkle of intrigue as NBA scouts and personnel were allowed to check out the event for the first time. With a loaded lineup, and something important to play for, it made for a fun and competitive weekend of basketball.

Here’s three long-term takeaways from the Pangos All-American Camp.

1. The NBA scouts had a looming influence over the camp (in a positive way)

The most intriguing thing about this year’s Pangos All-American Camp was the NBA scouts and personnel in attendance throughout the event. Most NBA teams have stayed away from high school games since the one-and-done rule was put in place -- with the exception of the spring senior All-Star game circuit like the McDonald’s All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit. Opening up Pangos to NBA teams -- a move that surprised many in the basketball world -- gave pro teams new opportunities to explore young American basketball talent that is coming through the pipeline.

Some NBA guys had no idea what hit them when they descended upon the much looser atmosphere at Pangos. Those aforementioned spring all-star games are smaller, more controlled atmospheres that often feature highly competitive games and scrimmages. They’re also filled with seniors who are about to proceed to college.

At Pangos, there were players from four different high school classes with some players only on the verge of graduating eighth grade. It’s a far different experience evaluating players who could be three to four years from being draft eligible.

But the NBA scouts in attendance was a good thing for the event. This year featured the most consistent level of intensity I’ve seen in the event over the last few years. The camp’s main all-star game actually felt, at times, like a real basketball game instead of a highlight-filled showcase. The players, particularly the older and more accomplished ones, felt the presence of the scouts as it was a positive learning experience for them.

Of course, there were still games and plenty of moments of bad basketball. That happens in any kind of high school event or camp. During one 50-point blowout, one NBA scout took out his laptop and started cutting up film. But that could just as easily happen in an apparel league or any other high school setting. NBA teams and their scouts are all going to react differently when dealing with this level of basketball.

With the NBA now looking to allow its teams to scout certain high school summer events, including the upcoming NBPA Top 100 Camp in mid-June, this could be the start of an emerging trend we see in summer basketball. The interesting thing will be how players and event operators continue to adapt as we see how this all works out in the end.

2. USC has a bright future thanks to the Mobleys

The future at USC looks bright as long as the Mobley brothers are involved.

Since hiring assistant coach Eric Mobley in March, the Trojans have already landed a commitment from his son, Class of 2019 four-star forward Isaiah Mobley. USC is also expected to, eventually, grab a commitment from Evan Mobley, a Class of 2020 big man with a five-star profile who also happens to be Eric Mobley’s son.

Both Mobley brothers were impressive at Pangos as the duo could potentially give USC one of the better frontcourts in the nation a few years from now.

The 6-foot-9 Isaiah will be entering school first as he’ll join Trojan big man commit Onyeka Okongwu to form the next Trojan frontcourt in 2019-2020. A skilled forward who can handle the ball in the open floor, pass and knock down some open perimeter jumpers, Isaiah will likely play the Bennie Boatwright role with Okongwu taking the Chimezie Metu spot.

Although Isaiah still needs to gain more consistency with his jumper while improving his decision-making, he has some intriguing point-forward capabilities as he showed an ability to push and make plays off of a defensive rebound.

Evan Mobley is the scarier prospect of the brothers, as he’s now trending towards a potential top-five recruit in the Class of 2020. Polished and skilled at 6-foot-11, Evan Mobley has the chance to compete for the No. 1 spot in that class with some added strength and skill. His play had people buzzing at Pangos from the time Evan took the floor on Friday night. A natural rebounder with soft touch and good quickness, Mobley has the upside to be a huge factor at the college level.

USC still needs to add some guards and wings in future classes to round them out, but adding Isaiah, and likely adding Evan, is a gigantic first step towards future success.

3. The Class of 2020 stole the show

While there were plenty of talented Class of 2019 players at the Pangos All-American Camp, it was the Class of 2020 that stole the show over the weekend.

Many of the top Class of 2019 prospects in the camp were often dwarfed by the elite rising juniors in the event. Evan Mobley was arguably the top long-term prospect in the camp this year while five-star guard and Georgia native Anthony Edwards had people buzzing as well.

The 6-foot-5 Edwards had the event’s biggest poster dunk while showing a natural ability to score at ease from all three levels. A plus athlete who is aggressive with the ball in his hands, Edwards was drawing top-10 national buzz from many of the scouts in attendance as he should become a priority recruit for blueblood programs by the end of summer.

A few other Class of 2020 prospects to stand out included 6-foot-7 Texas native Cade Cunningham, a steady and productive wing with a lot of polished moves getting to the rim. Scottie Barnes, a 6-foot-8 two-way wing, is already a known national top-five prospect as his versatility was on full display at Pangos. Not many camp players care about defense, but Barnes doesn’t have an “off” switch and plays with maximum intensity on nearly every possession.

The Class of 2018 and Class of 2019 national classes have been noticeably down in terms of star power and top-end prospects the past two years, but the Class of 2020 looks like a group that could bring a good amount of talent and star power to the college game in a few years.