Newark Guards To Watch This Winter

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a rich basketball history in Newark going back to the earliest days of organized high school athletics in New Jersey. That century of excellence has paved the way for the current bumper crop of guards slated to come out of the Brick City in the next few years. Today, we feature several to watch this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1407072' first='Rahmire' last='Sanon-Kelly']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/rahmire-sanon-kelly/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 6'1” | G|&nbsp; Newark University 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An aggressive guard who is not afraid of contact when slashing to the hoop and has good footwork going to the rim. He's a solid ballhandler who can run the offense as well. He was a contributor as a sophomore, dropping 13 on East Side and Central, also chipping in 10 vs Seton Hall Prep. His role will become larger as a junior and colleges should be paying attention to his progress.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411664' first='Malcolm' last='Bragg']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/malcolm-bragg/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 6'0” | G | Newark Tech 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bragg made a name for himself as a freshman. He's a guard who can score at multiple levels and a tough on ball defender who also hits the boards hard. He came out the gate strong with a double-double vs West Side and just churned along. He had 24 vs West Side in their second meeting and 22 vs Montclair. Bragg should end up as a scholarship level prospect when it's all said and done.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1406993' first='Anthony' last='Akande']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/anthony-akande/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 6'3” | G | Newark Arts 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Explosive summer on the AAU circuit has seen Akande's stock shoot through the roof. He's a solid ballhandler who is tough to stop around the rim and can also step back and beat defenders with a variety of jump shots. Arts has several pieces returning this year and Akande has grown into a D-1 prospect. He had 21 vs Orange and 13 vs Bayonne as top games as a sophomore. Big riser in our rankings this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='933715' first='Nasir' last='Wheeler']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nasir-wheeler/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 5'9” | G | Newark East Side</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wheeler is a quick player and a tough defender who does a little bit of everything for the Ironbound school. He's got the ability to hit shots from deep and also is a key piece on top of the press. He's got a high motor. His best game as a junior was 14 vs University. Four year varsity player. D3s should be checking in. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1407084' first='Amir' last='Abdullah']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/amir-abdullah/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 5'10” | G | Newark East Side 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sharpshooting lefty can hit it from beyond the arc. He's a hard worker on defense and can get up and down the floor in a flash. He showed his potential by hitting 5 three pointers in the state playoff loss to eventual Group IV State Champ Elizabeth and finishing the game with 20. He'll have plenty of chances to showcase that shooting ability as a junior. Adbullah has played with the Roadrunners. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->