Who they were while wooing him is exactly who they’ve been since he committed.
“When I came on my visit, it was easy to see how people actually are. And I feel like they were the same people the whole time — obviously caring for you as a basketball player, but, most importantly, for them it was OFF the court,” Pangonis said.
“They treat you as a person, not just an athlete. The religion aspect — they talk about that very highly, which is super good because there’s always stuff that comes before basketball. They don’t just prioritize basketball.”
The Raiders beat Ohio University, 63-57, in their lone exhibition game last week, and Pangonis, an early sub, had seven points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.
He averaged 6.2 points as a freshman at Stephen F. Austin last season with a high of 17 against Houston Christian.
“I feel like my game is pretty versatile — being a big guard and being able to bring the ball up and shooting off the catch or off the dribble. It’s a work in progress, but it’s getting better,” he said.
“Overall, I’m a person who wants to do the best for the team, no matter if it’s scoring that day, rebounding, play-making or playing defense on their best player. Whatever the team needs is what I want to do.”
Pangonis made the most of his lone year at Stephen F. Austin, though Nacogdoches, Texas, is a far piece from Burlington, Ontario.
It’s in the southeast part of the state, a 35-minute drive to the Louisiana border and three hours to the Gulf of Mexico.
But he’s happy to get closer to home, knowing his parents can now see him play again in person.
“He’s had a very tumultuous start to his career and hasn’t really had solid footing for an environment,” Sargent said.
Pangonis originally committed to Wyoming out of prep school and then decommitted when the staff left. The Lumberjacks went 14-17 last season, and the coach was fired, prompting him to go school-shopping again.
“I feel like our staff has done a great job in terms of helping him feel like, ‘Hey you can come here, and we can handle your failure well. We’re not afraid of it. We know the good and bad in your game. But we feel like you’re at a very awesome point in your career where you can make a big jump,’” Sargent said.
Pangonis believes that, too — in part because the coaches are creating an atmosphere that minimizes pressure.
“You feel it when you’re playing. You’re free-minded. You don’t worry about making mistakes, you’re just focusing on the next play,” he said.
Not that Sargent hasn’t voiced his exasperation at times. Going 15-18 last season wasn’t how he wanted to start his career, but he feels as if his revamped roster is more willing to embrace his core values.
“Coach Sarge said, ‘Previously, the program was offensively entitled.’ He said we’re going to flip the script. Whether the first shot goes in or not, we’re going to be the most physical team. We’re going to rebound. We’re going to guard you,” Pangonis said
The Raiders — who start the season at home Monday against Division III Franklin before a trip west for a Thursday game against Cal of the ACC — put that newfound aggression on display against the Bobcats.
They muscled their way to 16 offensive rebounds and won despite shooting 25.8% in the first half and 36.7 overall.
“I feel like that (mindset) has slowly been translating and building with us. You could see a little bit of it against Ohio. Shots weren’t falling, and we had little turnovers. But we were more physical than them,” Pangonis said.
“We weren’t very good at the foul line when we got there (12 of 26), but it shows you what we’ve been working on.”
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