Prospect Spotlight 2020: Atwood (Woody) Newton

  As a freshmen for McKinley Tech Woody averaged 14ppg, 8 rbpg & 3 blocks per game and was awarded 3rd team All Washington, DC  by our friends at DMV Elite. Our Senior Analyst Adam Ayalew scouted Woody in December in the McKinley TEch vs DCIAA Champion Wilson HS game. Adam awarded him as the Best Underclassman & said, "Freshman Woody Newton recorded 19 points, 6 boards, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. One thing that stood out about his play tonight was his effort. Newton went hard on every play, and didn't stop until the final buzzer. Expect this young man to emerge among the most coveted recruits in his class." We saw Woody play in the Riverdale Baptist Tournament vs an excellent Bowie HS on 1-21-17 where he scored 20 points & had numerous blocks. He displayed his great ability to attack the rim off the dribble & athleticism. Woody said this week that this was his freshman breakout game in which we saw his tremendous skill-set & upside. This summer Woody played excellent basketball for McKinley Tech in the DeMatha BSN Summer league & for Team Thrill 15u on the Under Armour Grassroots Circuit. Woody averaged 11ppg, 6 rpg & 3 to 4 blocks per game for Team Thrill and he was awarded Defensive Player of the Year for the Under Armour 15U entire circuit. In our DC/Maryland player rankings Woody is ranked #2 in a very strong 2020 class. We believe he will crack the top 100 national rankings as they expand. According to 24/7 Sports 2020player rankings 7 DC/Maryland players are ranked in the 70 players listed. Additionally, Paul VI PG Jeremy Roach is ranked @#16 & #1 ranked 6'10" Isaiah Todd is from MD but  transferred to John Marshall HS in Richmond last year. We agree that all of the Maryland/DC and Virginia players deserve their 2020 national rankings by 24/7 Sports. However, Woody is flying under the radar on the national level possibly because McKinley Tech ha snot received very much publicity. Everything we look for in an elite player/recruit Woody has in his possession. For his height & age Woody has elite athleticism possessing a great vertical, burst, quickness & agility. His physique & length are excellent, and Woody is blessed with perfect frame to build into. He is a very long 6'7.5" and appears he could grow some more. Even if his current height does not change, Woody will be a high major recruit. Kansas State has already offered and we expect more offers coming this season or sooner. When we scout & evaluate players we study a players passion and drive to be a great basketball player, and the frequent name association is the "IT" factor. To have "IT" a player will go beyond the call of duty. They must be a team player & winner, a leader, posses a very high basketball IQ, do the intangibles, want to play & challenge the best competition, & have the ability to make winning plays in crunch time. IT players do not float & take plays off. They always have their head in the game & display good body language. Woody has achieved the "IT" factor and we believe he will have IT for the remainder of his basketball career. However, some players get caught up in rankings & stats & their game diminishes, but we have great faith in Woody. We chatted with Woody this week and we asked him about his offensive skill set & he replied,"I like to attack the rim off the dribble & finish hard. My mid range game is very good, and I can score off dribble on pull ups or a flex cut catch & shoot. I can score at all 3 levels, but from 3 point range I am a spot up 3 point shooter. Playing team basketball & getting my teammates involved is very important for me. My passing skills are very good and I have a high basketball IQ. I have a good ball handling skills &  I am capable of going coast to coast off the dribble and making the correct play."We have witnessed Woody grab a rebound in the defensive paint & get to the rim going full court off the dribble converting on a hard dunk. Woody can accelerate with the ball very quickly from a standstill, loose ball, pass or rebound. He has a great a burst to the rim & with his long stride & Woody covers a lot ground in a short time. With his ability to post up in the post or play on the perimeter, Woody has become a nightmare match-up for his opponents. Winning the Under Armour Defensive Player of the year was a great achievement & proves that Woody is a great all around player. He has some of the same skills as a young Scottie Pippen who is now in the NBA HOF. We asked Woody about his defense & he replied,"Overall I am very good defender & I can cover multiple positions. My rebounding is a strong point & I use my athleticism & at times I box out. One of my passions is being a rim protector & blocking shots." We have seen Woody run down an opponent blocking a shot A La LeBron James numerous times this past season & summer. Playing for Team Thrill this spring & summer was a excellent experience for Woody who says,"I realize how important it is to play with a high motor & energy play for my game & teammates. As I continue my career I will have to play harder each time out because everyone else is is improving. I realized just how hard I have to play to reach my goals, and while I  have achieved some of them, I have raised the bar & set new ones. Playing for Team Thrill I received a lot of playing time at the WG & I realize I could transition to the 2  in college, so this was a great learning experience for me." Since the Grassroots season ended and the school year has just begun at McKinley Tech, Woody is on a very strict itinerary coordinating his classwork & basketball. He works out with a Trainer before & after school. They work on all phases of basketball doing many innovative drills. On Monday & Thursday Woody works on leg strength  & for Tuesday & Wednesday he works on developing his upper body. Woody runs on the track 2 times weekly & incorporates plyometrics, agility drills & explosion exercises into his weekly workouts. Woody adds, "Another goal is to become a more consistent shooter on and off the dribble. I am working on my shot mechanics and I want to get my shooting motion  higher. I am very excited about our team at McKinley Tech this season and I think we can compete with anybody." Today, Woody will be playing in the prestigious DMV Elite 80 showcase featuring many of the best 2018, 2019, & 2020 Washington, DC DMV & Baltimore DMV players. We will be providing extensive coverage this weekend & will be posting articles this weekend an during the week.

We recently wrote Doctors of Dunk part 1 article featuring the best dunkers in the Washington, DC DMV. Part 1 was composed of 5 seniors . Will Woody be one of the 1st underclass players to be awarded a Doctor Dunk? Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3 this coming week. We will be covering McKinley Tech & Woody this season, providing live game reports in addition to individual player articles.