Cape-Atlantic League Top Guards to Watch

<p>The Cape-Atlantic League was one of the more underrated conferences in New Jersey last season. Wildwood Catholic, St. Augustine and Atlantic City were all sectional champions with the Crusaders staying as a top 10 team in the state throughout the season. The closure of St. Joseph (Hammonton) hurts the conference as players like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900329" first="Marcus" last="Pierce"]</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900365" first="Jordan" last="Stafford"] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901951" first="Daniel" last="Skillings"]</strong> will finish their high school careers outside the Cape-Atlantic. Despite the loss of the Wildcats, the Cape-Atlantic League is still filled with good guard play. Here are the top guards in the Cape-Atlantic League.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901944" first="Elmarko" last="Jackson"], 6’3 PG St. Augustine 2022</strong></p> <p>The Hermits knocked off two-time defending Non-Public A South champion Camden Catholic behind a solid performance from Jackson. The 6’3 guard finished the game with 13 points, but it was his play down the stretch that made the difference for St. Augustine. Jackson sealed the 51-47 win for the Hermit by hitting a pair of free throws with less than 10 seconds. His composure in a high pressure situation combined with his athleticism and play-making ability makes him one of the top guards in South Jersey. <strong>Keith Palek </strong>and <strong>Matt Delaney</strong> also return for the Hermits, giving St. Augustine a good chance to repeat as Non-Public A South champions.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="927391" first="Martin" last="Anguelov"], 6’1 PG Wildwood Catholic Academy 2021</strong></p> <p>The Crusaders took home the Non-Public B South title behind All-State performers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="766090" first="Taj" last="Thweatt"] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896442" first="Jahlil" last="White"]</strong>. Anguelov looks ready to lead the way in 2020-21 after his play in the state tournament. The 6’1 guard averaged better than 17 points per game in the four state games, including a dominant all-around performance in the final against <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850507" first="Noah" last="Harris"]</strong>. Anguelov has a quick release on his shot and is one of the more underrated defenders in the state. The Crusaders should still be one of the team’s to beat in the Cape-Atlantic League with Anguelov returning.</p> <p><strong>Gannon Brady, 5’11 PG Ocean City 2021</strong></p> <p>The Red Raiders may have lost to Westampton Tech in the South Jersey Group 3 quarterfinals,but they have a bright 2020-21 season with Brady coming back. The 5’11 guard is a scoring machine as he had 15 20-point games. Brady knows how to finish around the basket and is tough to keep out of the lane. He is more than just a slasher as he can also knock down shots from the perimeter. Brady is in store for a monster senior season as Ocean City looks to make a deep run in the state tournament next season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="933047" first="Jahmir" last="Smith"], 5’8 PG Holy Spirit 2023</strong></p> <p>The Spartans closed out the season losing three of their last four games, but their end of season skid should not continue into next season. Smith had a solid debut varsity season and his stock will only go up. He is lightning quick with the ball in his hands and knows how to draw contact around the basket. Smith is a tough on-ball defender and is an underrated rebounder. Holy Spirit will be looking to improve upon its 17-10 record from 2019-20 with Smith getting more touches on offense.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900319" first="DaSean" last="Lopez"], 6’3 CG Wildwood Catholic Academy 2021</strong></p> <p>Thweatt and White are not the only major players that the Crusaders have to replace as TCNJ commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="936552" first="Jacob" last="Hopping"]</strong> was the team’s third leading scorer. Anguelov is slated to be the team’s top scorer in 2020-21, but Lopez will also have to up his scoring in his final varsity season. The 6’3 combo guard is a tough defender who makes it hard for his man to score. Lopez is a good passer and is always looking to set his teammates up in the right positions. Wildwood Catholic Academy has a solid 2021 duo in Anguelov and Lopez, who are looking to keep the Crusaders atop of the Cape-Atlantic League.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Other Players to Watch:</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Jayden Jones, SG Atlantic City 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>Carlos Lopez, 6’0 PG Egg Harbor 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>Ethan Dodd, 6’1 SG Egg Harbor 2021</strong></p>