2023 Backcourt Leaders To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the season approaching, paying attention to under-the-radar players is becoming a trend for our Prep Hoops staff and we're turning over all the stones to find players throughout the state set for big seasons. Today we look at a host of guards who should be on the radar of fans and college coaches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1466415' first='Matthew' last='Nervi']&nbsp;</strong>|6'1” | G | Scotch Plains-Fanwood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The unquestioned leader for Scotch Plains last winter. A solid shooter who can pull up off the dribble or in transition. He has a textbook, old-school head fake that gets defenders off their feet, allowing him to drive past them to the bucket. Runs a picture-perfect fast break to the foul line and can facilitate the ball. Averaged 14ppg as a junior with solid games vs Union Catholic(24) and Summit(21). Hes a very coachable guard as far as fundamentals go and colleges should be taking notice of that leadership ability.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chima Okeoma</strong>&nbsp;| 5'10” | G | Union Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Union County has seen a big shift in the summer and a top headline grabber was Okeoma making a move from Plainfield to Union Catholic. He'll be a senior leader for the Vikes this season. A high scoring guard who is at his best floating around the perimeter. He's got an explosive first step and can finish at the rim against bigger players. Okeoma had 33 on Edison, 25 on Linden and 20 vs East Side and Roselle Catholic. His transfer to UC will see him truly tested at the statewide level every single night. Colleges should be paying attention. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1013066' first='Respect' last='Tyleek']&nbsp;<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/respect-tyleek/"></a>&nbsp;</strong>| G | Jackson Memorial </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tyleek transferred in from Lakewood along with [player_tooltip player_id='933644' first='Samir' last='Padilla'] and powered the Jags to a solid 2021-2022 season. He's a tough on ball defender. He's a good ballhandler who can facilitate and can attack the hoop. For Jackson to maintain that level of excellence this year, he'll have to be consistent—He showed samples of his potential last year with 19 vs Holmdel and 17 vs Trenton, but consistency will shape his senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1013101' first='Chris' last='Ross']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/chris-ross/"></a>&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/chris-ross/"></a>&nbsp;| 5'9” | G| Walkill Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ross is a crafty lefty who has no issues with letting shots go from beyond the arc. Good with the ball in his hands and he can also facilitate in the halfcourt. He's one of the top guards in the state that doesn't have much recognition because he's tucked away out in Sussex County. He had 32 vs Pope John and 30 vs Par Hills and Vernon. D3s should be interested in him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sean Agard</strong> | 6'0” | G| Irvington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Agard had a big junior year for a struggling Irvington side. A versatile offensive player with good dribbling ability and a quick first step at the bucket. He can finish through contact but also can step beyond the three point line to hit shots. He had 31 vs Newark Tech and 24 vs Immaculate Conception as top games last year. He should keep them competitive this winter and D3s should be paying attention. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->