Ten Best: Castle vs. Evansville Bosse
Evansville Bosse taking on Castle pitted two of the best teams in the state against one another and it took a monster effort from Jack Nunge to push Castle over the edge to beat Bosse, 99-89. Nunge’s 32 point, 11…
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Continue ReadingEvansville Bosse taking on Castle pitted two of the best teams in the state against one another and it took a monster effort from Jack Nunge to push Castle over the edge to beat Bosse, 99-89. Nunge’s 32 point, 11 rebounder performance was the best of the night, however, Bosse was able to keep pace due to Javien Langley’s 25 and 11.
MVP: Jack Nunge (Castle)
Easily the best all-around game that we have seen from Nunge. He was on as far as his jump shot but also really working well with the ball in his hands, driving to the rim and looking as comfortable as ever dribbling. He was very aggressive in key stretches of the game where Bosse’s lack of size made it a complete mismatch. He score his 32 points on 9/16 shooting, 3/6 from behind the arc.
Best Offensive Performance: Javien Langley (Evansville Bosse)
While Javien jump shot isn’t a big weapon for him right now, it only accentuates just how good he is around the rim. The 6’5 athlete played outstanding against Castle, scoring 25 points on 11/14 shooting. He had a few highlight reel plays including a big tip dunk that got the crowd going. He has a ton of room to grow still but you saw just how impactful he can be because he might have been the only player for Bosse that didn’t struggle around their size.
Best Defensive Performance: Jack Nunge (Castle)
Have to give Nunge the nod here. His collectiveness down low made life difficult for Bosse as they struggled to get to the rim and finish with any sort of efficiency. Their usually stellar guards, Chinn and Lairy had some troubles finishing at the rim early on and a lot of that was because Nunge was altering a lot of shots and grabbing any rebound that was within his area.
Best Guy Off The Bench: Triston Wilkinson (Castle)
Wilkinson always seems to be an impactful player in one way or another. Castle’s bench isn’t deep but they have can go to it and find production. Triston scored 17 points off the bench and only missed one three-point attempt. He can give them a little bit of everything. He’s a capable jump shooter from three and has plenty of skill to play in transition and finish around the rim. Pretty athletic kid that just seems to always make plays.
Best Intangibles: Mekhi Lairy (Evansville Bosse)
In terms of what Lairy brings, scoring is not that important although he is pretty good at it and his jump shot seems to be looking a bit more crisp. Really, he brings the fire and aggressiveness that teams feed off of and even in this game, when Bosse was down double-digits, Mekhi never let them get out of it and kept making plays to keep it a game. He’s a fighter and a good one. He finished with 19 points on the night.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Jaylen Minor (Evansville Bosse)
Have really liked Minor for a while now. He’s a long, lean athlete who has a solid jump shot but needs more time to continue to fill in every other aspect of his game. Typically, you aren’t going to see this kind of a body and athleticism matchup with a working jumper and he has that. Will be a guy that colleges could take and hit big with down the road. His 12 points on 3/5 shooting from distance helps show that a bit.
Best Underclassmen: Alex Hemenway (Castle)
Easily not Hemenway’s best game but even still, he was able to produce at a high level and make plays that helped win the game. He showed that he is still only a sophomore and made some mistakes in key situations, things that he will have to clean up if they are going to make a run in March, however I think with all that being said it shows just how talented he is. He had 16 points on 6/11 shooting.
Best Player Nobody Talks About: Payton Mills (Castle)
If Castle didn’t have Nunge, Mills might be one of the most talked about players in Southern Indiana. He’s gone so under-the-radar that he can put up double-doubles every game and you just can’t stop him. He’s not quick, he’s not overly tall, he’s just so efficient with his movements and adds no fluff that the amount of mistakes he makes is nonexistent. He scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds on 8/11 shooting.
Best Improved Player: Brandon Eades (Castle)
Biggest Takeaway: The biggest takeaway from this game was just how complete of a team Castle is. They have a stellar young guard in Alex Hemenway who, even on a bad night, can put up points. They have size at nearly all positions and an All-State post player that can shoot the ball from distance. They have everything you need to win a state championship. The big question moving forward is can they get past the North Central’s and New Albany’s to get their shot in the final game of the season.