He was a delight to watch over the past couple of seasons both at Canarsie High School and in the IS8 League. Wherever you watched him, Nathaniel Lester always gave you a thrill with his offensive skills.
Lester finished up his high school career with a gutty and gritty effort against Lance Stephenson and the Lincoln Railsplitters. While this site praised Stephenson for his defensive effort, despite a great game, Lester managed to score 30 points.
Nathaniel's ability to score, especially in the fourth quarter, was very impressive last night in the PSAL semifinal playoff game held at St. John's University. And it is because of his ability to score from anywhere on the court that enabled him to pick up a scholarship from Hofstra University.
The coaching staff at Hofstra has to be happy about Lester's senior season. He displayed the willingness to drive against the big bodies inside the paint while showing his skills from behind the three-point line.
Lester should eventually be an impact player for the Hofstra basketball program. The program has done a great job in developing guards and Lester should have an opportunity to create and continue his skills from an offensive standpoint.
What we liked about Lester last night was his willingness to be patient most of the night. He was followed around by a player a few inches taller than him in Stephenson. And when Lester would shake Lance, the Railsplitters did a great job in containing Nathaniel with other bodies.
Despite the stress and extreme defensive pressure Lester was greeted with for most of the four quarters, Nathaniel still had a fantastic final eight minutes and almost helped his team pull off a playoff victory.
Lester has a bright future ahead of himself at Hofstra. It'll be a pleasure to follow his college career since he will be scoring plenty of points for the Hofstra basketball program.
Here is Brian Towey's Scouting Report: Nathaniel shoots it reliably off the catch and sees the floor well. While Lester is the top prospect in the PSAL's class of 2007, he wasn't a guy who had an overwhelming reputation outside of the city. He led Canarsie to the semifinals of the PSAL playoffs as a junior, coached by the well-regarded Tommie Allen and Ted Gustus.