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  • Mater Dei's Bol Bol delivers a slam dunk during his...

    Mater Dei's Bol Bol delivers a slam dunk during his debut with the Monarchs on Friday. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei's Bol Bol, center, moves to block a shot...

    Mater Dei's Bol Bol, center, moves to block a shot by Orange Lutheran Jordan Montrose in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. It was Bol's first game for the Monarchs since transfering to Mater Dei. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei's Bol Bol, center, takes the high pass and...

    Mater Dei's Bol Bol, center, takes the high pass and looks to take a shot over Orange Lutheran Elijah Mojarro, left, in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Bol Bol, left, has some fun with his Mater Dei...

    Bol Bol, left, has some fun with his Mater Dei teammates before the game against Orange Lutheran in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Bol Bol of Mater Dei keeps loose as he warms...

    Bol Bol of Mater Dei keeps loose as he warms up before the start of the game against Orange Lutheran in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Bol Bol, center, shares a laugh with a teammate as...

    Bol Bol, center, shares a laugh with a teammate as the Mater Dei team warms up before the start of their game against Orange Lutheran in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Bol Bol, right, of Mater Dei slaps the ball away...

    Bol Bol, right, of Mater Dei slaps the ball away from Orange Lutheran Chris Williams in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Bol Bol, second from left, stands with his Mater Dei...

    Bol Bol, second from left, stands with his Mater Dei teammates during the National Anthem before the start of their game against Orange Lutheran in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei Michael Wang, left, fights to put up a...

    Mater Dei Michael Wang, left, fights to put up a shot around Orange Lutheran Isaiah Pope in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Orange Lutheran Tre Anderson, right, tips the ball out of...

    Orange Lutheran Tre Anderson, right, tips the ball out of the hands of Mater Dei's Spencer Freedman in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei's Clay Donohue, left, scrambles for a loose ball...

    Mater Dei's Clay Donohue, left, scrambles for a loose ball as Orange Lutheran's Chris Williams picks it up during the Trinity League game in which the Monarchs rolled to an 85-64 victory. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei's Michael Wang pulls down the rebound in front...

    Mater Dei's Michael Wang pulls down the rebound in front of Orange Lutheran's Josh Griffin, center, in Orange on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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ORANGE – Gary McKnight has seen a few prospects in his 35 years as coach of the Mater Dei boys basketball team.

None have stood out like Bol Bol.

The 7-foot junior center made his debut with the top-ranked Monarchs on Friday night, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots in just 17 minutes of the Monarchs’ 85-64 Trinity League victory at Orange Lutheran.

His height certainly catches attention and his name might ring a bell too. His father was Manute Bol, who played in the NBA from 1985-95 and was best remembered for his extreme height. Listed at 7-7, he remains one of the two tallest players ever to reach the NBA. Manute Bol died of kidney failure in 2010 at the age of 47.

Bol Bol, who turned 17 in November, spent his first two high school basketball seasons at Bishop Meige High School in Shawnee, Kan. McKnight didn’t want to discuss the specifics of Bol’s move to Southern California, but confirmed he arrived with his mother, Ajok Kuag.

McKnight said his first exposure to Bol was viewing a YouTube video in which Bol was dribbling through his legs and behind his back, then throwing down slam dunks with his forehead above the rim.

Bol enrolled at Mater Dei on Jan. 3 and was cleared to play Thursday. In between those dates, McKnight learned there was much more to Bol’s game than fancy dribbling and flashy dunks.

“He’s very athletic,” McKnight said. “Long arm span, blocks a lot of shots and alters a lot of shots.”

Bol showed his skill-set during one sequence in the fourth quarter, when he blocked a shot at the rim, recovered the loose ball, passed it ahead to a teammate and then sprinted down the court, catching a lob pass and throwing down a powerful dunk.

“Defensively, he changes everything for us,” said point guard Spencer Freedman. “It deters other people from going to the basket.”

McKnight has coached dozens of blue-chip players over the years, but not many elite centers. Of his former players, McKnight said Bol most reminds him of Jamal Sampson, who stood 6-11 when he led the Monarchs to a state title in 2001.

Bol has a broader skill-set than Sampson, however. Namely, a solid perimeter shot.

“He can make a 15-footer on in,” McKnight said. “I mean smooth.”

Freedman added 14 points for the Monarchs (21-1, 5-0). Chris Williams had 21 points for Orange Lutheran (11-10, 2-3).