Top Scorers in Newark

<p>Newark is a hot bed for basketball talent as six different schools have participated in the Tournament of Champions since 2010. St. Benedict’s operates outside of the NJSIAA, but the Grey Bees are Newark’s top program having graduated four McDonald’s All-Americans. Precious Achiuwa, Cory Joseph. Tristan Thompson and Isaiah Briscoe also spent time at St. Benedict’s before attending another high school. Newark is filled with big time talent with players capable of filling up the stat sheet. Here are the top scorers from New Jersey’s most populated city.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900302" first="Zaba" last="Bangala"], 6’8 SF St. Bendict’s 2021</strong></p> <p>It should come as no surprise that the top scorer on this list comes from St. Benedict’s. The 6’8 combo forward can score from anywhere on the court and is capable of handling the ball on the perimeter. Bangala uses his strong frame to finish through contact around the basket and has a nice inside touch. The Swedish native also has a nice mid-range game and is unafraid to scrap for offensive rebounds in the paint. St. Benedict’s won the Prep A championship last season and Bangala is looking to continue that trend next season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900311" first="Bakir" last="Cleveland"], 6’4 SG University 2021</strong></p> <p>Cleveland may have struggled in the North Jersey 2 Group 1 final against Dunellen, but he is still one of the better scorers in Newark. The 6’4 guard loves to attack the basket as he knows how to finish around the rim. Cleveland is tough to knock off balance and is relentless when attacking the offensive glass. He has a solid mid-range game and is capable of knocking down a shot from behind the arc. Cleveland was named to first team All-Group 1 for his performance this season and is looking to duplicate the feat next season for the Phoenix.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901950" first="Jahzeer" last="Gaskin"], 5’10 PG Newark East Side 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850338" first="Mikah" last="Johnson Jr."] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896465" first="Gabriel" last="Olaniyi"]</strong> were the Red Raiders’ top scorers last season, leaving a big void for 2020-21. Gaskin looks to be the guy as he was the team’s third leading scorer. He is a good shooter with the ability to knock down triples in bunches. Gaskin has a quick release on his shot and can beat his defender off the bounce due to his quick first step. Classmate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850674" first="David" last="Olaniyi"]</strong> needs to take a step up next year too as Newark East Side looks to improve from its 17-10 record in 2019-20.</p> <p><strong>Zahree Brown, 5’10 CG Newark Central 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>Tahsheem Anderson </strong>may be the team’s most versatile player, but he is not Newark Central’s top returning scorer. That honor goes to Brown, who finished off his sophomore campaign with 214 points. He is a solid shooter as he knocked down 29 three-pointers and rarely seems to play out of control. Brown did not get a lot of opportunities to show off his scoring prowess, but his 26-point performance against North 2 Group 3 champion Irvington proves he can score the basketball. The Blue Devils need some to replace <strong>David French</strong> and <strong>Akil Domino</strong>’s scoring and Brown looks ready for the job.</p> <p><strong>Ty-laur Johnson, 5’10 PG St. Benedict’s 2023</strong></p> <p>The Grey Bees lose NJIT commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850348" first="Adetokundo" last="Bakare"]</strong>, but they should be in safe hands with Johnson. The 5’10 guard is a blur with the ball in his hands and can blow by his defender in the half court. Johnson is not afraid to attack the basket against bigger opposition and knows how to score around the basket. His ability to distribute the basketball opens up opportunities for him to score in the mid-range. St. Benedict’s should be in good hands next season as Johnson looks to run the offense for the Grey Bees.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Other Players to Watch:</strong></span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850754" first="Spencer" last="Joyner"], 6’2 PG University 2023</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900345" first="Justin" last="Harcourt"], 6’5 SF University 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850674" first="David" last="Olaniyi"], 5’10 PG Newark East Side 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>Tahsheem Anderson, 6’2 CG Newark Central 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>Zaire Jefferson, 5’7 PG Payne Tech 2021</strong></p>