A Scout’s Take: St. John Bosco vs Chino Hills
A Scout’s Take: St. John Bosco vs Chino Hills
LONG BEACH, CA— In one of the wildest turn-arounds that I’ve witnessed in evaluating high school basketball, Chino Hills exploded to the Division 1 State Championship with an awe-inspiring 27-2 run in the 4th quarter. The 67-51 victory over St. John Bosco—who by the way dominated the first three quarters—was a sight to see as Onyeka Okongwu, Ofure Ujadughele, and Andre Ball blitzed the Braves in the final period with a relentless onslaught at both ends of the floor.
MVP
Onyeka Okongwu (Chino Hills)
2019, PF, 6-foot-9, 225 pounds
Joel’s Take: This game absolutely showed why Okongwu is considered by Prephoops staff as the No. 1 prospect in So-Cal, regardless of class. St. John Bosco clamped down on Okongwu with a suffocating zone defense where he was corralled much of the game. However, like great players do, he impacted the game in other areas including blocked shots (7) and rebounds (15 rebounds). Despite the constant double-team by the Braves, Okongwu dished out a number of high-level passes and dropped in 12-points.
Clutch Performance
Andre Ball (Chino Hills)…Pictured
2018, WF, 6-foot-7, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: One of the fastest rising players in So-Cal and arguably the most improved has to be Andre Ball. The sleek evolving wing-type had his feathery jump shot working and his explosiveness around the rim is peerless. He dropped in an impeccable 32-point performance on 11-of-17 shooting, including a scorching 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. His ball handling and strength need attention as does his perimeter defense, but his upside is as good as it gets in the So-Cal Class of 2018.
Beast-mode
Jonathan Salazar (St. John Bosco)
2019, PF, 6-foot-6, 225 pounds
Joel’s Take: Salazar struggled from the floor (3-of-16 fga), but he impacted the game in the areas of rebounding (15) and passing (4 assists). His motor always runs hot and he has terrific hands and overall length. His decision making can be erratic at times, but he’ll be one of the more heavily recruited 4-men this coming spring and summer.
On the rise
Christian James (St. John Bosco)
2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 165 pounds
Joel’s Take: James has been one of the more consistent performers for Matt Dunn’s team in the playoffs. His confidence is at an all time high as he led the Braves in scoring with 13-points. Although he is slight-of-built, he did manage to snag 6 rebounds and his overall savvy for the game is quite good.
Basketball Player
Jordan Brown (St. John Bosco)
2020, PF/WF, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds
Joel’s Take: Every team needs a glue-type and Brown is that guy for the Braves. The stock 3/4 plays with energy and savvy at both ends of the floor. He has an orthodox jump shot (low release), but he gets It off quick. Not too mention he affects the game in rebounding (4 Rebs) passing (4 assists/0 TOS), and assertiveness.
Spark off the bench
Joshua Camper (St. John Bosco)
2020, PG, 5-foot-10, 145 pounds
Joel’s Take: Camper gave Coach Dunn a definite spark off the bench in the 2nd half. The Braves are guard-heavy, but Camper came in and knocked in a couple of jump shots and managed the point guard position with aplomb.
Two-way Stalwart
Ofure Ujadughele (Chino Hills)
2018, SG, 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
Joel’s Take: If Ofure is not on a Division 1 roster next season, I’ll be shocked. He is arguably one of the Top 5 Two-Way players in So-Cal. He has the physical tools, motor, and evolving skill to impact a program in the Ivy League or any Mid-Major program around the country.