Kevin Pangos: Push it to the Limit
Posted on 03. May, 2010 by Tariq Sbiet in High School
KP owns the top spot as far as pure point guards in Canada are concerned; and he plans on keeping it that way.
If there’s one thing that I know is true, it’s the fact that every dose of success is matched with a dose of hate. These “haters” as we call them will simply point out every flaw in a kid's game in an attempt try to diminish the young man's motivation. Depending on the will power of an individual, this envy can either make or break the players ambitions. Some will let it get to their heads and give in to this resentment, while the strong-minded will absorb the hate and use it as fuel to ignite their hunger for the game and hunger for success. For Kevin Pangos, the top pure point guard in Canada, hate bounces off him like a rubber bullet hitting a brick wall. After being asked about the naysayers that speak about Pangos’ game already reaching its peak, he simply replied, “That’s fair enough, people can say whatever they want to say because I have accomplished a lot of things so far, and my game is ‘mature for my age.’”
However, Kevin understands what he needs to improve on to remain a superior player and reach his full potential. “I have basketball I.Q, I have a shot, all that kind of stuff, but the things that I have to work on are different than everyone else. For me, I feel like I have to work on my athleticism which a lot of kids are gifted at; but they would need to work on their skills more.”
KP hit it right on the nose as he made a very accurate evaluation of his game. He is not the type of player that will dazzle you with high flying dunks and athleticism. Instead, Pangos will get you off your seat with pin point passing, efficient shooting, and great leadership. He’s got the mental game on lock but in order to take his game to the next level, he will need to work on the physical aspect. “I always feel like there is something I can work on and I’m not worried about what people have to say, I just have to work on whatever I can to improve.” says Kevin
The 6’1 pure PG out of Newmarket, Ontario has had most of his summers occupied with the provincial and national program, which included a trip with the Senior Men’s National Team when he was just an immature 16 year old. But Pangos is far from immature as he has had the opportunity to grow and blossom among men. Kevin explained his involvement with the Senior Men’s National team as being the most memorable experience of his brief career thus far, which speaks volumes considering his pedigree (MVP at nationals, Jordan Brand Classic, MVP of various tournaments, etc). “Although I struggled at first and did okay at the end, just being able to play with those guys was great and they just taught me so much, they taught me how to be a pro,” says Pangos.
“I got in the game and we were losing by 20 to Italy and I came in and shot it in Bargnani’s face, but I missed,” he chuckled.
Yet “Il Mago” is not the only celeb that KP has managed to come across. Most recently, this youngster had the opportunity to soak up advice from the best in the business including John Sally, Chris Paul, Dikembe Mutombo and last but not least His Airness, Michael Jordan, at the Jordan Brand Classic.
“We were all in shock, it was amazing; you could see MJ’s confidence and can tell he is a confident guy as soon as he walked in there. All of us were just…I mean the expressions on our faces, we couldn’t believe it. But he shared some good things and even though it was quick, just knowing that we met the best player to ever play the game was motivating and inspirational.”
However, Pangos was not the only Canadian at this event, as he was joined by Duane Notice who captured MVP honours and Anthony Bennett who also had a solid outing. “It was great just hanging out with them and being able to share it with someone else that I’m good friends with, because a lot of guys down there didn’t really speak English. So it was nice being with some guys that did,” he said.
Michigan, Cincinatti and Gonzaga have shown the most interest thus far but UNLV and Syracuse have recently hopped on to the bandwagon as well.
Kevin has yet to really think about his post-secondary plans, which could be in 2011 or 2012 depending on how prepared he feels. Instead, this determined leader is focused on improving and maximizing his potential. “I catch myself sometimes taking a day off but then realize that I should be out there working on the little things to improve my game. It’s very important to keep improving because there’s always guys out there working that are trying to take your spot,” he admits.
“I understand how it is tough for some guys [to keep improving] because you hear all this stuff about you being so great and you’re accomplishing so much, it’s tough to stay focused.”
In this case, the lead guard stays humble and continues to grind to become the best that he can be.
The next time Kevin Pangos pops up on your screen or comes up in conversation and you wonder if he’s the real deal…stop wondering. Believe it !!!
Tariq Sbiet - Canadian Recruiting Analyst
Follow me on twitter @Tsbiet
Email me at tariq.sbiet@gmail.com
