The second of two James Island Trojans who make my Five Best from SCBCA Live is Bryce Ward Bryce Ward 6'0" | PG James Island | 2027 State SC . Ward had a real argument for being the best player in the gym on Saturday, especially for those who watched the Westwood game. He was at his very best – looking explosive in attack of the rim, hitting jumpers from range off the dribble and the catch, and finishing with tough buckets around the rim. There are plenty of people who forgot about Bryce during his 9 months out with a knee injury, but when he’s playing at the level he was this weekend, James Island is one of the top-tier contenders in Class AAAAA.

Ward is another of the state’s top Point Guards in action Saturday. He was just as productive, racking up 23 points and 4 assists. Bryce is a gifted scorer, confident at all three levels and capable of heating up in an instant. In Day Two’s overtime win, the MHE offense ran through Ward, allowing him to display his speed with the ball, offensive creativity, and basketball instincts. Bryce is a fantastic playmaker and one College Coaches should certainly check in with this Summer.

It was a fair question of if Saturday’s Cathedral Academy vs. Andrew Jackson Academy contest would resemble an earlier December game which was a Generals rout or the earlier January contest which was a Generals nail-biter. Thanks to Ward’s 25 points, it resembled that December contest to the tune of a 73-49 win over the Warriors with more state championship hardware to boot. Ward knows how to organize an offense effectively in a halfcourt set. When he attacks the rim, his speed and quickness makes him difficult to contain. He not only finishes strong at the rim but can get a bit creative with those finishes as well. 

Ward is a high energy kid who plays the game with a good deal of confidence. He helped the Generals win the SCISA Class 2A State Championship a season ago. Bryce is shifty with the ball in his hands. He really looks to excel in the open court and creating plays for himself and his teammates.

Ward really gets to the foul line at a good clip each night. Bryce has a set of quick hands that leads him to be a very good on the ball defender. He will leak out at times for cheapies in transition. Bryce averaged 20 ppg for the Generals (26-9) last season. He currently has 797 points in 2 seasons of basketball.

Bryce is a Top 5 player in the 2027 Class and I’ve been hearing great things, so I was excited to see him for the first time in person on Saturday. He is a gifted scorer who excels at navigating bodies in the lane and creating space with dribble moves and setbacks. Ward has a great handle and makes good decisions while he has the rock, although he is looking to score first. In Cathedral’s first game of the day against Marion, Bryce went for 23 including some clutch moments down the stretch in the win. The shooting is something he can improve as he develops, but he did knock down 2 threes in that game.