The Francisco’s: Mayfair vs Windward
The Francisco’s: Mayfair vs Windward LAKEWOOD, CA—To say there was a plethora of talent in this Division 1 quarterfinal tilt between Mayfair and Windward would indeed be an understatement. When you have the likes of McDonald’s All American Josh Christopher…
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Continue ReadingThe Francisco’s: Mayfair vs Windward
LAKEWOOD, CA—To say there was a plethora of talent in this Division 1 quarterfinal tilt between Mayfair and Windward would indeed be an understatement. When you have the likes of McDonald’s All American Josh Christopher as well as dynamic 2022 point guard Dior Johnson of Mayfair on one side and elite 2022s Kijani Wright and Dylan Andrews suiting up for Windward, it’s a star-studded fest.
Not too mention UNLV-bound Devin Tillis (Windward) stroking jump shots from deep was also a major factor. However, in these types of games there has to be an X-factor—and that was the case with Windward’s Marcus Joseph. He set the tone early with his interior game as he dropped 18-points in the Knights 67-65 win over the Monsoons.
MVP
Marcus Joseph (Windward)
2020, PF, 6-foot-4, 240 pounds
Joel’s Take: From the get-go Joseph set the tone as he dominated the paint area with his size , good feet, and feel for the game. With Kijani Wright playing the high post on certain offensive sets, Joseph flashed middle at they ran the high-low game with aplomb. The grid-iron stalwart dropped 18-points in an efficient manner and thwarted any major runs by the Monsoons.
Best Performance
Dior Johnson (Mayfair)
2022, PG, 6-foot-2, 165 pounds
Joel’s Take: Johnson’s 33-point performance—most of which came in the 1st-half, was electrifying to say the least. His one-step fadaway jump shot was a thing a beauty, although a high-risk shot to say the least. In the open court his ball skills and ability to finish through traffic and length are peerless. He isn’t a pure shooter (flat shot), but his scoring ability and flashy passing are noted.
Best All-Around
Josh Christopher (Mayfair)
2020, SG, 6-foot-5, 200 pounds
Joel’s Take: His jump shot was not on target, but Christopher found a number of ways to impact the game. Manuevering through traffic in transition, powerful finishes through contact, and protecting the rim were just a few of the ways he helped his team. He still dropped 25-points, 9-rebounds, and a number of high-level assists.
Tickle the twine
Devin Tillis (Windward)
2020, WF/PF, 6-foot-6, 195 pounds
Tillis has an excellent touch and a high basketball IQJoel’s Take: The UNLV commit has made a nice comeback after suffering a devastating knee injury during his junior campaign. He may have some questions defensively at the next level—in other words, who does he guard? However, he has a feathery touch from deep and is an elite passer.
Jaren Harris (Windward)
2021, CG, 6-foot-1, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: With Andrews taking over much of the playmaking duties, Harris is allowed to run freely in transition and nail deep jumpshots—and that is exactly what he did. He needs to get stronger converting points in the paint area, but the ball skills and overall feel for the game have improved.
Beast in the middle
Kijani Wright (Windward)
2022, PF, 6-foot-8, 220 pounds
Joel’s Take: Wright is a chiseled power forward that put together an impactful 14-point and 16-rebound performance. He can step out and nail the 3-point shot, but in this affair against the undersized Monsoons, he punished the backboards and converted a number of shots through contact.
Ran the show
Dylan Andrews (Windward)
2022, PG, 6-foot-2, 160 pounds
Andrews has all the scoring skills, but his improved game management was noted as well.Joel’s Take: He may have scored only nine points, but he showed tremendous growth in terms of game managment. Andrews has a nice pull-up game with range from 3-point line and he can get to the rim off the bounce. However, his ability to not force the issue in this game and understanding time and score were other positives from this young guard.