10 Best: Boylan vs Neuqua Valley

<p>Boylan and Neuqua Valley met up on Saturday afternoon at Rockford Honenegah High School.  This game was a fun one from the start!  Neuqua Valley star John Poulakidas jumped out strong in the first quarter as part of his huge game.  The balance of Boylan however would help them capture the 76-73 victory.  We break down this game in our <strong>10 Best: Boylan vs Neuqua Valley</strong>!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>MVP </strong></p> <p>SF John Poulakidas (Neuqua Valley – 2021)</p> <p>The top 15 sophomore more than lived up to that billing with his play on Saturday.  At 6’5” with long arms he has positional size for the college level.  Big time perimeter sniper that can hit them both pulling up and off the catch from college range.  Poulakidas knocked down an array of threes in this game.  Clean and consistent release.  More than just a shooter he proved he could handle it with creativity off the bounce getting to the rim several times and maneuver through defenders in the open floor.  Solid passer too.  He had 26 points.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Best Offensive Performance</strong></p> <p>F Anthony Brown (Boylan – 2020)</p> <p>This 6’4” combo forward was impressive coming off the bench.  The junior has a thick body and used that several times around the hoop for scores.  Also displayed a face up game drilling a handful of triples which he let fly with a ton of confidence on his way to 13 points.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><br /> Best Passer</strong></p> <p>PG Sentwali Nalls (Neuqua Valley – 2019)</p> <p>Nalls only scored one point on a free throw, but he definitely left an impact on this game.  Plus passer that found multiple cutters for layups throughout the game.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Best Shooter</strong></p> <p>SG Johnny Close (Boylan – 2020)</p> <p>Close is the top prospect for Rockford Boylan.  The 6’2” shooting guard is known as a lights out shooter from deep.  One of the best in the 2020 class.  Bit of a quiet night for him as he only hit two from deep along with a mid-range pull up.  Definitely a big time shooter that moves well without the ball.  He had 10 points.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><br /> Best Bench Player</strong></p> <p>PG Max Rivera (Neuqua Valley – 2021)</p> <p>Another sophomore to watch for Neuqua Valley.  This point guard is best setting others up.  In limited minutes he showed his feel for passing at the lead guard spot.</p> <p><strong><br /> <br /> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Best Intangibles</strong></p> <p>PG Andrew Latino (Boylan – 2020)</p> <p>Junior point guard was effective off the bounce with several takes in both the half court and in transition.  Got to the line.  Also drained a three off the catch for 11 points.</p> <p><strong><br /> <br /> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Best Under-the-Radar Performance</strong></p> <p>SG Connor Davis (Neuqua Valley – 2021)</p> <p>Davis is a thick bodied wing that is excellent at moving without the ball.  He moves without it toward the basket on aggressive cuts.  Consistently caught the ball and put it in the hoop all in one motion over and over.  Finishes through contact around the hoop.  Crafty wing with toughness.  He went for 16 points.  Didn’t show off his usual lethal jumper in this one.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>PG Jake Bergstrom (Boylan – 2019)</p> <p>Bergstrom is a 6’1” point guard who is a capable shooter from three.  Also displayed has a craftiness to the game in the lane with quick passes inside along with making layups and runners.  Finished with 13 points.</p> <p><strong><br /> <br /> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Best Junk Yard Dog</strong></p> <p>PF Mark Gronowski (Neuqua Valley – 2020)</p> <p>This super undersized 6’3” post plays with a lot of physicality in the paint.  Tough and gritty power forward who plays bigger than his height.  Had a pair of impressive alley-oop put ins off out of bounds passes.  The junior scored 8 points.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Best Role Player</strong></p> <p>SG Max Kwiatkowski (Boylan – 2019)</p> <p>A 6’3” utility wing that scored inside several times on layups and back cuts on his way to 6 points.</p>