SEC Colonial Division 2023s to Watch

<p><strong> </strong>The Essex County exploration continues today in the Colonial Division and features several big returnees who will be tasked with keeping programs steady or raising the bar. There are also a host of players listed that played roles last year and will be asked to step into leadership roles this coming winter.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1402082" first="Ray" last="Zamloot"]</strong> |6’1” | G | Caldwell</p> <p>Sharp shooting lefty guard who earned all county honors as a junior. He’s a good ballhandler who can finish with both hands at the rim. Very tough defender who has no second thoughts about doing the dirty work and taking charges. His range extends well beyond the arc. Caldwell returns enough around him to make noise again this year after a 24-4 season and he’ll drive the bus. His top games as a junior were against Newark Eastside(19), Seton Hall Prep(15) and Bloomfield(16). He was over 20 on the regular. Should have interest from D3s throughout the region, though if he repeats his All County level as a senior, there could be some D2 interest as well. High academics will like his GPA.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Shayne Hinton</strong> | 5’10” | G | Bloomfield</p> <p>Hinton received recognition from the newspapers for his play as a junior. A tough defender who causes turnovers and sets his team out in transition, he also is the motor of the Bengals in the half court. He’s a good shooter from beyond the arc as well. He’s got a nice mid range game. He went for 20 against East Orange and 19 against Passaic Tech. Most of the key contributors graduate, including Uma Kalu(Moravian). Hinton will be the leader as a senior. D3s throughout the region should stop by to check him out.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Samir Jordan</strong> | 6’1” | G | North Star Academy</p> <p>Jordan is an explosive scorer, capable of finishing at the rim. He also his the boards hard, is a tough defender who creates turnovers and is a good facilitator in the half court set. Averaged 18PPG as a junior, scoring 25 vs Paramus Catholic and 22 vs Saint Peter’s. A strong senior year will have plenty of D3s checking in and if he continues his big game performances like he did vs SPP and PC, he could possibly see a look from a D2.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Alex Rodriguez</strong> | 6’0” | G | Verona</p> <p>Rodriguez filled a role for the Hillbillies as a junior and is a tough defensive player who also plays football. As such, he’s a bigger bodied guard who’s unafraid of drawing contact while driving to the rim. He’s got a good first step. He had 21 vs Cedar Grove and 16 vs North Star. He’s going to be the key returner for Verona this winter and he’ll be asked to shoulder a heavy load.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Other SEC Colonial Players to Watch for 2023:</p> <p><strong>Rocco Checchetto, Ryan Lawrence, Lorenzo Sozio:</strong> <em>Caldwell</em></p> <p><strong>Johnny Mayers(2025):</strong> <em>North Star Academy</em></p> <p><strong>Ethan Axelrod, Ryan Cubert, Steven Echavarria, Noah Ravitz(2024):</strong> <em>Millburn</em></p>