LONG BEACH, Calif. – Already committed to one of the nation's most prestigious programs and facing a busy month ahead that will include trips to the Cayman Islands and Lithuania,
Conner Frankamp had nothing to prove by showing up this weekend at the Pangos All-American Camp.
But Frankamp, a 6-foot-1 guard from
North (Wichita, Kan.), is proving plenty and may find himself walking away with most outstanding player honors Sunday.
Conner Frankamp
File photo by Kendall Shaw
"I just wanted to try and get better and play against the best competition," Frankamp said of making the trip west. "I wanted to get ready for USA Basketball, too. I figured this would be a good tournament for that. I just want to get my game up as much as I can."
After pouring in 32.3 points per game as a junior at North, he's lighting up the competition at Cabrillo High School through the first two days of Pangos. It's tough to circulate around the gym for even a couple of minutes without hearing a fellow camper or observer mention his name.
Committed to Kansas, his dream school, Frankamp will travel with USA Basketball's U17 team to the Cayman Islands later this month, then on to Lithuania for the FIBA World Championships.
"I can't wait, Frankamp said. "It was so fun last year and such an honor to put that USA jersey on. To be a part of that team (which went undefeated en route to the FIBA Americas U16 title) was something I'll never forget."
His play this weekend has caught the attention of renowned trainer and Pangos instructor Jeremy Russotti, whose pupils include UCLA-bound Shabazz Muhammad and former Washington State and California State-Fullerton standout Josh Akognon.
"Everybody here plays really hard, sometimes it's too fast and too crazy," Russotti said. "But he has a super-smooth game. He's effortless. Every right pass, every right decision, every right shot. He is very special. He is game-ready college level right now."
Ranked No. 54 in the MaxPreps Class of 2013 Top 100, Frankamp's daily routine includes drilling 400 shots per day. The hard work has paid off in Long Beach and could result in him joining a recent list of Pangos All-American Camp MOPs that includes Harrison Barnes, James Harden, Brandon Jennings and John Wall.
