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Nana Owusu-Anane has to be one of the easiest players Tom Espinosa has ever coached.
“One thing with Nana, I never ever have to push him to play hard,” the PSA prep basketball coach said of his star big man. “He always plays hard, he’s always focused, he’s serious. He’s all business.
“He’s ready to go, every time. He’s not a jokester, he’s not messing around. He’s here for a reason, to get better, to take care of business.”
Owusu-Anane did just that over the weekend, registering 20 points and eight rebounds in a 124-76 win over Notre Dame Prep Friday night, then getting 18 points and 15 rebounds in a 123-77 win the next night.
“Coming here is a big opportunity, playing with all these talented guys,” said Owusu-Anane, who is from Ontario, Canada. “I just want to get the most out of every game, whether it’s offensively, defensively, just get the most out of it and get some wins.
“I know next year there’s no excuses and you have to give it your all. Being here at PSA , which has a reputation for winning and getting guys ready, I know if I’m getting ready for college and always going hard on the court, that will translate to next year.”
Owusu-Anane, who played last year at Vermont Academy, is averaging 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds in eight games since joining PSA at the start of the second semester.
“When I was younger, I used to get more nervous,” he said. “But as I’ve gotten older, I just come in with a focused mindset on the little things and I know everything will take care of itself.”
Owusu-Anane got plenty of help in both games. Feb. 19, when PSA (8-0) pulled down 72 total rebounds, Darryl Simmons had 23 points, six assists, and four steals while Alexis Reyes had 20 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Boris Mitkin added eight points and 11 rebounds, Elijah Hutchins-Everett 10 boards, and Mohamed Sanogo 10 points, five rebounds, and three blocks in the win.
It was more of the same Feb. 20. Simmons was two rebounds short of a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 assists, and eight boards, and CJ Anthony added 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Miles Rose had a breakout game with 15 points, and Cherif Diarra did a little bit of everything for PSA, ending with four points, five rebounds, five assists, and a pair of blocked shots.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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