The primary version of the Pangos All-Euro Camp tipped off Wednesday afternoon on the Basketaki Area in Athens, Greece and plenty of campers make fairly a primary impression on the continent of scouts in attendance, together with three from the US. The most important continent of proficient prospects have been the younger guards.
The Pangos model has been a powerful drive on the American grassroots basketball circuit for 20 years now and getting into its third decade, founder, proprietor and director Dinos Trigonis determined to department out and host his first-ever camp throughout worldwide waters in Europe. In 2018, Trigonis held a Pangos All-Canada Camp in Toronto, so it was solely becoming that his first camp held in Europe be in Athens due to his Greek roots. The 2-day camp has a real worldwide taste to it with over 55 prospects representing 16 international locations and a variety of ages. After at some point of analysis, it is protected to say the expertise did not disappoint.
The primary Pangos All-Euro Camp Most Excellent Participant will not be determined till after Thursday’s Cream of the Crop All-Star Recreation reserved for the highest performers. It would not shock us if the MOP is among the upperclass forwards in attendance.
Among the many most spectacular of the lot was 6-foot-5 17-year previous (2024) Tomas Stankevicius of Kaunas, Lithuania. Stankevicius is a wing ahead who has a nondescript aura about him with a ability set to be an enormous guard at some point quickly. He does not come out on first look however the extra you watch him, the extra his spectacular recreation stands out. Stankevicius has good offensive instincts from the triple risk or off the dribble, can see passing lanes, has good kind on his bounce shot and is sneaky athletic. He could not have nice vertical pop, however he is aware of find out how to keep away from defender’s arms and physique by contorting his personal or hanging within the air simply so long as needed to complete the play. Once you add that bundle to his robust body, lengthy arms and tender palms, you have got fairly the prospect.
One other one of many higher all-around face-up wings in attendance was 6-foot-8 18-year previous (2024) Georgios Vassilakis of Helsinki, Finland. No person rebounded out his space and with extra authority than Vassilakis, who had double-digit rebounds in each of his camp video games on Wednesday. He additionally had video games of 18 and 14 factors, which led his “Nuggets” workforce on each events.
Vassilakis (whose father is from Greece) can push the ball off the glass himself and displayed strong vary on his outdoors stroke, together with an efficient mid-range pull up. He can also change path and get his shoulders by defenders on his robust drives and has good timing as a shot blocker. He positively has one of many nicest bundle of ability amongst all campers in attendance and is among the handful of surefire D1 prospects
Amongst true submit gamers, the largest load inside was 6-foot-9 17-year previous (2024) Stavros Karpouzis of Thessaloniki, Greece. Karpouzis positively is aware of what he’s (a again to the basket presence) and the place his bread-and-butter lays. He punishes defenders, has workable toes and an array of inside strikes that venture. Karpouzis can also be a terrific rebounder and has the ability set and method to enhance quickly.
For lots of the campers, the aim is to construct sufficient publicity or entice sufficient consideration to play NCAA basketball or end enjoying highschool ball in America, the place the competitors prepares a younger prospect greatest for the pains or professional basketball. One of many extra mature gamers in attendance who may make an influence immediately on the subsequent degree is 6-foot-7 18-year previous (2023) Noah Penda of Paris, France. Penda has a rugged body that translate effectively with an accommodating ability degree. He can beat defenders off the dribble with a sneaky change of path dribble to get downhill and is a keen and in a position passer. Penda, who has expertise with France’s 19U Nationwide Crew, simply wants polish up his general offense to make himself a beautiful choice for a low D1, excessive D2 or nationwide JUCO, as he’s faculty eligible for 2023-24.
Among the many youthful forwards, Yannos Xanthopoulos arguably has essentially the most potential. The 6-foot-8 Athens native is listed as a 2024 prospect, however he is nonetheless 16 years previous and has loads of room for development and enchancment. Xanthopoulos can run the ground effectively for his measurement, has good timing across the basket and a high quality face-up recreation. As soon as he develops a extra aggressive mentality and realizes he can influence video games at a better frequency by taking cost as a substitute of enjoying a secondary position, the sky is the restrict for this native product.
Within the first installment of this camp, the group was a bit apprehensive in drills and to start play, however picked up the depth as the primary lengthy day wore on. The backcourt gamers positively wanted to take cost extra and present extra management as a substitute of ready for another person or a teammate to do it. One of many causes for that was the extra proficient lead guards have been underclassmen. The one with essentially the most really feel and passing means was 6-foot-3 16-year previous (2026) Noel Emile-Lewis Mantock of Novi Unhappy, Serbia.
Mantock’s passing means is top-notch and along with making the fitting reads on the proper time, he can execute powerful passes with out over-extending. He threaded the needle on a 40-foot bounce go in opposition to the grain that might have made loads of D1 faculty guards envious by the benefit by which he did it. Mantock, whose father is Jamaican, has a pleasant array of offensive strikes off the dribble and a high quality first step.
Beneath are a number of the different younger guards (by age or class) who turned heads on the primary day of the Pangos All-Euro Camp:
Angelos Bratakos, Athens (Greece) 6-2 (2024) 16Quality ball-handler that is aware of find out how to get sq. to the rim.
Neo Anker Allarp Dengaky, Copenhagen (Denmark) 6-1 (2028) 14Talented with blow by means, and is engaged on not getting within the air to make a play.
Themistoklis Donakis, Thessaloniki (Greece) 6-0 (2026) 14A deft ball-handler who can see the sport.
Orestis Koutras, Psihiko (Greece) 6-0 (2025) 15Knows find out how to play with tempo and might actually shoot the piss out of it.
Bilal Raymond Pedersen, Copenhagen (Denmark) 6-2 (2026) 17Can dash with the ball and has a pleasant pull-up recreation.
Ronnie Flores is the Nationwide Grassroots Editor of Ballislife.com. He could be reached at [email protected]. Do not forget to observe him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
