Bishop Boswell, Sir Mohammed have Myers Park pursuing first John Wall tourney title
Bishop Boswell says he, simply, is doing his job as the Myers Park point guard.
“I’ve always kind of been able to see the court pretty well,” Boswell said. “It doesn’t happen unless these guys get open and these guys are ready for it.”
Consider the Mustangs ready. Nine-plus months removed from winning the school’s first N.C. 4A men’s basketball state championship, Myers Park — playing in its first John Wall Holiday Invitational — will compete for a tournament championship on Saturday. The Mustangs will meet Christ School in the Day’Ron Sharpe Bracket final at 8 p.m. in Broughton’s Holliday Gymnasium.
Myers Park earned wins against Garner (66-38) and Millbrook (80-46) for the chance at another inaugural championship per the leadership of the 6-foot-4 Boswell and his 6-foot-6 backcourt mate Sir Mohammed. The sizeable guards have signed with Tennessee and Notre Dame, respectively. Boswell had 15 and 14 points, while Mohammed tallied 10 and 25 in the Mustangs’ first two invitational games.
The ambidextrous Boswell passed for four and six assists, respectively. Mohammed secured four steals versus Garner and a team-high nine rebounds versus Millbrook. The pair yielded just one combined turnover versus Millbrook.
“Just being able to pass with both hands,” Boswell said, “these guys do a good job and make it easy for me.”
Boswell’s first-quarter drive from the left wing before passing to a diving Sadiq White for a two-handed dunk versus Garner exemplifies the Mustangs’ collaborative precision, about which Mohammed expounded.
“All three of us working together just makes it easier,” Mohammed said.
White, a 6-foot-9 junior, is among his class’ top 100 prospects, as are Boswell and Mohammed for the Class of 2024. White praised Boswell and Mohammed for holding him accountable for his roles in making things easier.
White’s low post presence demanded attention in the second half versus Garner, when Boswell faded to the left side and received a pass. Having to defend inside and outside helped Ashton King (11 points in each of the first two games) move to the top of the key where Boswell zipped a pass to set up a King three-pointer.
White scored a game-high 21 points versus Garner and added 12 versus Millbrook. Jacob Paraison (14 points) gave the Mustangs a fifth double-figure scorer versus Millbrook.
Scoring and sharing the basketball while defending and rebounding has put Boswell and Mohammed in conversations concerning their historical greatness relative to other Charlotte state championship backcourts. The 1998 holiday invitational included eventual 4A titlist West Charlotte’s Marcus Oliver and Dominique Townes. Providence Day, the 2015-16 N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) 3A state champion featured Devon Dotson and Trey Wertz.
“Those backcourts are talked about because those teams won,” Myers Park coach Scott Taylor said.
Taylor and his student-athletes are focused primarily on continuous improvement, one day at a time. The coach, though, offered a perspective upon which his young men may be viewed retrospectively after this season, provided their outputs yield more landmark achievements.
“When you do something different, there is a different conversation,” Taylor said.
“They should be considered.”