Ten Best: St. John Bosco vs. Windward

Last week’s nonleague clash between two Top-10 caliber SoCal teams marked the first time I had been in the gym for a live game in over a year. The Braves and Wildcats kicked off their seasons in Bellflower with St. John Bosco coming away with a 58-41 win over Windward. Bosco produced a balanced scoring front led by Lamaj Lewis Lamaj Lewis 6'4" | PG St. John Bosco | 2021 State #236 Nation ’ 13 points, while Scotty Washington Scotty Washington 6'4" | SG St. John Bosco | 2021 State #223 Nation , Jeremiah Nyarko Jeremiah Nyarko 6'7" | PF St. John Bosco | 2022 State #72 Nation and Marco Kenz Marco Kenz 6'6" | PF St. John Bosco | 2022 State added 12, 11 and 10 points respectively. Windward was paced by junior guard Dylan Andrews Dylan Andrews 6'3" | PG Windward | 2022 State who finished with 11 points, while star forward Kijani Wright Kijani Wright 6'8" | PF Windward | 2022 State #5 Nation was sidelined much of the game due to foul trouble. Below are the Ten Best performers from that game. Best Floor General: Lamaj Lewis Lamaj Lewis 6'4" | PG St. John Bosco | 2021 State #236 Nation , St. John Bosco - The 6-foot-5, Loyola Marymount-bound guard picked his spots really well and executed Bosco’s offensive game-plan to a T. When Lewis felt the need to take over offensively in the fourth quarter, he turned up the aggressiveness, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the final period. Best Shooter: Scotty Washington Scotty Washington 6'4" | SG St. John Bosco | 2021 State #223 Nation , St. John Bosco - There weren’t a ton of made three-pointers - or perimeter shots for that matter - but Washington showed marked improvements on his stroke from deep. The Bosco senior, who will reclassify into the 2022 class after this season, looks to have moved his release point up and improved his follow through and the overall fluidity of his shooting mechanics. Washington hit two triples on the game. Best Prospect (Pt. 1), Jeremiah Nyarko Jeremiah Nyarko 6'7" | PF St. John Bosco | 2022 State #72 Nation , St. John Bosco (pictured) - The 6-foot-9 forward did a little bit of everything and still has plenty of upside to his game. Nyarko, just a junior, finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and plenty of high level defensive plays. Nyarko scored in various ways from drives and dunks to low block buckets to mid-range jumpers and even knocked in a three-point shot. Best Prospect (Pt. 2), Dylan Andrews Dylan Andrews 6'3" | PG Windward | 2022 State , Windward - Andrews paced the Wildcats with 11 points, but really had his passing dialed in, as well. Andrews dished out four assists in the first half, played with great pace and displayed good shot selection throughout the contest. Andrews didn’t force the issue offensively, as he recognized the Bosco defense was greatly focused on him with Wright battling foul trouble. Best Rebounder, Kijani Wright Kijani Wright 6'8" | PF Windward | 2022 State #5 Nation , Windward - As we mentioned, Wright didn’t get a whole lot of run in this one as he picked up three quick fouls early on and was relegated to the sideline for much of the first half. Despite that, however, the 6-foot-8 five-star prospect grabbed six rebounds and has the potential to be a high-level offensive and defensive rebounder at the next level. Best Glue-Guy, Hunter Richardson, St. John Bosco - Nothing Richardson does can be described as pretty, but the hard-nosed and physical wing is one of the guys willing to put anything on the line to help his team win. Richardson can handle the ball and initiate offense when needed, guard the opponent’s best player, or defend a bigger player with success if there’s a match-up issue on the court. Best Bench Performer: Marco Kenz Marco Kenz 6'6" | PF St. John Bosco | 2022 State , St. John Bosco - Kenz was used sparingly last season, but the dramatic improvements to his three-point shooting have allowed him to be a much more effective player off the bench. Kenz, a 6-foot-5 junior, connected on two triples and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line to score 10 points off the bench. Best Motor: Brandon Richard Brandon Richard 6'7" | PF Windward | 2021 State , Windward - There’s never a moment during a game where you question the level of effort given by Richard. The 6-foot-7 power forward is an active defender and rebounder on both ends, runs the floor hard, established deep post position and is always working hard to gain second chance opportunities for his team. Best Defender: St. John Bosco - This category was tough to give to an individual because of how in tune the Braves’ team defense was throughout this game. Bosco held a talented Windward group to just 41 points and made the Wildcats work hard for all of their shots. Best Scorer, Scotty Washington Scotty Washington 6'4" | SG St. John Bosco | 2021 State #223 Nation , St. John Bosco - It was great to see Washington fully-healthy and in great shape. The rangy 6-foot-5 wing connected on catch-and-shoot jumpers, but also slashed his way to the basket for paint buckets in both transition and half-court settings.