10 Best: Bowie vs. Bishop McNamara
BOWIE, MD — We got our first look at what could be a very good Bishop McNamara team, who went on the road to scrimmage a scrappy and talented Bowie squad last night. Here we recap this preseason contest with the 10 best.
BEST PLAYER | MEKHI LONG | MCNAMARA ’19
Mekhi Long set the tone throughout the scrimmage with his sheer effort, and was the best player on the floor as a result. Long is a defensive-minded prospect who can guard any position on the floor, and has developed into a bonafide leader for this squad. Expect the Mustangs to go how he goes.
BEST SCORER | KYREE FREEMAN-DAVIS | BOWIE ’20
Kyree Freeman-Davis is a bonafide scorer, and we saw evidence of that in the second quarter, where he rattled off 10 straight points. Freeman-Davis is a crafty shot creator who with good range, but also seeks contact and is fearless on his drives.
BEST MOTOR | BOBBY CARSON | BOWIE ’19
Unsigned senior Bobby Carson was one of the best defensive prospects on the floor last night, and his overall effort level was outstanding. Carson is maturing and developing into a vocal leader as well, which was evident last night.
BEST PASSER | JOHNATHAN MCGRIFF | MCNAMARA ’19
Johnathan McGriff may not be the biggest guard, but he is a skilled handler and certainly has the eye for a pass. McGriff did a great job pushing the ball in transition and getting it ahead to his teammates in dangerous areas.
BEST SLEEPR | NIGEL SANTA CRUZ | BOWIE ’19
Heading into last night’s contest, we didn’t know much about Nigel Santa Cruz, but he immediately caught our attention in the first few plays with his length, athleticism, and motor. A versatile lefty who plays a fearless brand of basketball, Santa Cruz was very productive and brought tremendous energy.
BEST SHOOTER | AARON RUSSELL | MCNAMARA ’20
Aaron Russell shot the ball very well last night. The lefty started by hitting a smooth step back three from the wing, and proved to be a dangerous threat from the perimeter throughout the contest.
BEST GUY OFF THE BENCH | KENNETH WOMACK | MCNAMARA ’20
Kenneth Womack is as good of a backup guard as you will find in the league, and he came in off the bench and provided steady, efficient play from the lead guard spot. Womack demonstrated good paint getting ability and body control when finishing around the basket.
BEST PLAY | MACEO CARSON | BOWIE ’20
Maceo Carson shut the gym down by slamming home a lob pass from Kyree Freeman Davis, but also had another incredible highlight when he rejected an opponent who attempted a layup at the rim. Carson was one of the best athletes on the floor, but he also produced consistently throughout the evening.
BEST UNDERCLASSMEN | FAVOR AIRE | MCNAMARA ’21
Favor Aire is an imposing interior presence for Bishop McNamara at 6-foot-10. His perimeter jump shot is still a work in progress in terms of consistency, but Aire’s immediate value will come on the defensive end and with his inside finishing ability.
BEST STORY TO WATCH MOVING FORWARD
We had Bowie ranked as a preseason top-30 team in the DMV, but left McNamara out because we simply didn’t know much about them. It appears that they are good enough to be ranked in our upcoming top 30 rankings, but they’ll still have to prove it during the regular season.