St George, UT – One of the most anticipated events of the year took place this past weekend in Utah. The Pangos Junior All-American Camp went from Saturday, March 6th until Sunday, March 7th. The camp offers a look at…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inSt George, UT – One of the most anticipated events of the year took place this past weekend in Utah. The Pangos Junior All-American Camp went from Saturday, March 6th until Sunday, March 7th. The camp offers a look at some of the top 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in the country. The two-day event, run by recruiting legend Dinos Trigonis featured skills, 5 on 5 play, and all-star games featuring the top players in each class. The camp also featured a surprisingly high number of players that could clamp down opponents. In this article, we take a look at some of the top defenders from the event.
Jelani Odjegba 5’11 PF St George, UT 2026 – Was the most versatile defender I saw this weekend. I was surprised to find out that he was listed at 5’11 because he plays much taller. Odjegba, was quick enough to defend wings on the perimeter and strong enough to bang with post. He protected the rim well, blocked shots, and showed quick hands when in help defense.
Timmy Anderson 5’7 PG Las Vegas, NV 2026 – It was an impressive week overall for Anderson. I was most impressed with what he did on the defensive end. He showed good lateral quickness and the ability to stay in front of opposing ballhandlers. His quick hands disrupted the dribble and he forced several turnovers with his pressure.
Elijah Gillespie 5’6 PG Puyallup, WA 2026 – I liked Gillespie’s defense from the outset. The PG from Washington always seemed to be around the ball, disrupting drivers and ballhandlers looking to advance the ball. He was good on the ball but was perhaps at his best getting defelctions in help defense, or coming from the blindside to double opponents. He had a ton of steals throughout the weekend.
Justice Griffith 5’10 CG Corona, CA 2026 – Griffith’s best skill was his relentless motor. He was like a dog with a bone all weekend, refusing to give up on possessions. It was more fun to watch him miss a shot or lose the ball, because the few times that happened, he would become determined to get the ball right back. He has a good frame, making it difficult for defenders to bully him, combined with tremendous lateral quickness.
Giancarlo Martina 5’7 PG Las Vegas, NV 2025 – Martina was a straight-up pest. The jitterbug, in your face PG hounded opposing ballhandlers all weekend, testing them both physically and mentally. He did a good job of staying in front, but was most impressive was the number of times he was able to block his opponent’s shot. A lot of defense is heart and grit, and no one showed more this weekend, than Martina.
Mckel Shedrick 6’1 CG Rancho Cucamonga, CA 2025 – The best way to describe Shedrick is crafty. He always seemed to be in the right spot when in help defense, and had a ton of tips and pokes that led to steals. He has a long wingspan, which helps him when reaching in front or in backtap situations.
Avian Webb 5’11 PG Atchison, KS 2025 – “Baby Trae Young” was good on offense, but I don’t think you can ignore his D. Go watch the Cream of the Crop game and you will see Webb getting a ton of steals both on ball and as a secondary defender. He showed quick hands and good instincts and was simply to productive on the defensive side of the ball to exclude from this list.
