10 Best: St. Joseph’s vs St. Rita
We have seen quite a few St. Joseph’s vs St. Rita games the historic St. Joe’s gym over the years. Tons of great players have played in this rivalry. This one was a little more special. Not only would the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWe have seen quite a few St. Joseph’s vs St. Rita games the historic St. Joe’s gym over the years. Tons of great players have played in this rivalry. This one was a little more special. Not only would the winner advance in the Catholic League Playoffs, but St. Joe’s legendary head coach Gene Pingatore’s 1,000 win was on the line. It was back and forth early in the contest and there were a lot of fouls called throughout. In the end St. Joe’s came up with the win 81-71 to give their coach his historic victory. Check out our 10 Best: St. Joseph’s vs St. Rita to see who stood out in the game!
MVP
PF Jordan Boyd (St. Joseph’s – 2018)
Loved the way Boyd played in this game. The 6’5” lefty power forward isn’t the most athletic post, but knows how to get the job done. He has an outstanding left handed jump hook that is his go to move. Boyd was aggressive especially early in this contest. Hit a pair of mid-range jumpers which is a plus asset in his offensive game. Runs the floor well for a post. Area rebounder that gobbles them up. The crafty junior finished with 15 points. Should be on the D2 radar.
Play of the game
Play of the game was the post-game ceremony and seeing Coach Gene Pingatore honored for winning his 1,000 game.
Best offensive performance
PG Marquise Walker (St. Joseph’s – 2019)
Walker came off the bench to start both the first and second halves, but when in there he definitely made an impact. The sophomore point guard has a strong and physical body which he used early in the game to draw contact and get to the line. St. Joe’s was in the bonus very early and Walker exploited that by playing physical and drawing contact on drives. He then drilled his free throws. Also had a couple nice transition finishes with acrobatic finishes and hit a wing three. Was a bit wild on a couple of three point attempts which he bricked. For the most parts played to his strengths in this one. He had 19 points. Mid-major prospect.
Best defensive performance
SF Jalen Boyd (St. Joseph’s – 2018)
Boyd is an athletic and rangy small forward that is best slashing to the hoop. That is exactly what he did. Got it off the glass and took it to the rack. Rebounds well for a wing and made regular trips to the line. Quality athlete that can defend on the perimeter. He had 15 points.
Best rebounder
Jordan and Jeffery Boyd dominated the glass in this game.
Best passer
PG Ahmad Muhammad (St. Joseph’s – 2018)
Muhammad is a junior point guard who has been up and down throughout the season. He was solid in this contest. Attacked the basket with his quick dribble penetration and hit a corner three. Solid distributor and active defender. Solid, not flashy player. He had 12 points. D2 prospect.
Best shooter
PG Alec Millender (St. Rita – 2020)
Welcome to the 2020 map Mr. Millender! This was our first time evaluating this 5’11” freshman who came off the bench to make an impact. He is an outstanding pull up jump shooter from mid-range with a clean release. Smooth handles when attacking in the half court. Looked very confident with the rock in his hands. Will continue to track his progression as a point guard over the next few years.
Best guy off the bench
PG Jason Towers (St. Joseph’s – 2017)
Towers is one of the top uncommitted seniors in the Catholic League. The athletic and fast senior also didn’t start, but made an impact off the bench. He is smooth with the ball attacking off the bounce and pushes it well in transition. Got on the glass for a pair of put backs. He had 11 points. JUCO prospect.
Best intangibles
PG RaShaad Williams (St. Rita – 2017)
Williams is a 5’10” senior scoring point guard. The combo guard hit a couple deep threes off the catch in this contest. Also got on the glass well for his position. Like the toughness he brings. Projects as a D3/NAIA prospect. He had 13 points.
Best under-the-radar performance
SG Doug Posley (St. Rita – 2019)
Posley is a 6’1” combo guard that put himself on our radar. The rangy guard is slippery through traffic with the ball. Weaves through the defense in the open floor. Hit a pull up three early. Active on ball defender. One to track. He had 7 points.
Best underclassmen
PG Joel Watts (St. Rita – 2020)
We have seen Watts in camps, but this was our first time seeing him play extensively in a high school setting. The 5’10” guard has a long and projectable body to where he should grow past six foot by the time he is an upperclassmen. Strength of his game is his pull up jumper. Watts drilled a few from really deep with a lot of arc on them. Forced a few bad passes, but he is just a freshman. Went for 11 points.
More Scouting Reports
PG Emmanuel Cross (St. Joseph’s – 2017)
Cross is a senior guard that has played well this year for the Chargers. He is a tough kid that isn’t afraid to mix it up despite his size. Best play of the day was a steal that he took to the other end for a score. Finished with 6 points. Small school prospect.
SG Jordan Matthews (St. Rita – 2018)
This wasn’t Matthews best performance. The junior 5’11” scoring guard has had a quality season for St. Rita posting numbers, but didn’t in this one. He is a crafty driver off the bounce that isn’t the most explosive athlete. Had a nice coast to coast drive. Finished with 6 points. Small college prospect.
SF Paul Kingsley (St. Rita – 2017)
Kingsley is a senior wing that is a spot up shooter at 6’3”. He did hit one off the catch and was fouled on another where he connected on all three attempts. Didn’t show much else. He had 6 points. Small college shooting specialist.