Bolurin Taiwo has ‘come into his own,’ and the junior guard comes through for Lake Forest

Breaking through to prominence is often a process, and Lake Forest’s Bolurin Taiwo can attest to that.

In a matter of 12 months, Taiwo has gone from bit player to first man off the bench to clutch playoff performer.

“I just focus on bringing energy for my team,” he said. “I’m not going to be too flashy or do something I know I can’t do. I try to know my role, and once I fulfill that, it gets fun and it flows from there.”

There was fun for Taiwo and the Scouts on Tuesday, when the junior guard’s game was certainly flowing. He scored a team-high 12 points in top-seeded Lake Forest’s 40-28 win against 12th-seeded Carmel in a Class 3A Grayslake Central Sectional semifinal.

Taiwo’s first two baskets were 3-pointers. His resolve to let fly from long distance has built as the season has progressed and reversed a temporary midseason confidence dip.

“He struggled a little bit early with his confidence, but now he’s got it playing on both ends of the court, and he does a lot of good things for us,” Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala said. “He’s come into his own in the last five or six games.”

That has meant trouble for opponents, as the Scouts (23-10) will take a nine-game winning streak into the sectional championship game against either Grayslake Central or St. Viator on Friday.

The confidence Taiwo has stacked in his favor goes a long way, but athleticism helps as well. That was on display on a nifty up-and-under layup late in the third quarter against the Corsairs (13-21) after a sharp baseline cut to the basket. He was also fouled on the play and made the subsequent free throw.

Taiwo’s 3-point play boosted the Scouts’ lead to 27-17, and their advantage dipped below double digits only once the rest of the game.

“It was just instinct because I was just going up normally,” Taiwo said of the layup. “I felt him on me, and the only thing I knew to do was to reverse it.”

LaScala mentioned Taiwo’s impact on both ends, and his length and quickness certainly factored in the Scouts’ 2-1-2 zone controlling Carmel’s offensive options. The Corsairs were all too often forced to settle for 3-point shots as the zone extended well beyond the arc.

Six of Carmel’s 10 baskets were from long distance, but the volume and low percentage of those converted played a major role.

“His defense is incredible, and he just brings a bunch of energy every day,” Lake Forest senior guard/forward Asa Thomas said of Taiwo. “He plays atop that zone and gets deflections and gets out on the break. He also made some clutch shots tonight.”

Senior guard/forward James Dwyer, who made half of Carmel’s six 3-pointers, said his team was properly prepared for the zone, but the execution didn’t add up.

“We’ve been working against it, and we just needed to knock a few more down,” Dwyer said. “But it didn’t allow us to get it inside like we usually do.”

As far as Taiwo has come, there are still lessons to be learned. With the Scouts holding for the last shot of the first half, Taiwo couldn’t pass up a wide-open 3-point try with 28 seconds remaining. He missed, and although no damage was done on the other end, the misstep didn’t go unnoticed by Lake Forest’s bench.

“I should have waited,” Taiwo said. “I know if I had swung the ball, I could have gotten that same shot. The next time I’m in that situation, I’m going to pass the ball up, run the play and then take that same shot, just later in the clock. I know now.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.