Essex County Guards To Watch This Winter

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Essex County is one of the top spots to find quality guards in the Garden State and this winter has plenty for college coaches to like. Today we look at several players who will be impact players this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1402082' first='Ray' last='Zamloot']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ray-zamloot/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>|6'1” | G | Caldwell</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sharp shooting lefty guard who earned all county honors as a junior. He's solid with the ball in his hands and a crafty guard who can finish with both hands at the rim. Very tough defender who steps in to take charges frequently. His shooting range extends well beyond the line. Caldwell returns enough talent around him to make serious noise again this year after an incredible 24-4 season and he'll drive the bus for them. 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. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Devin Artis<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/devin-artis/"><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 6'0” | G | Newark West Side 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The crafty guard played a leading role as a backcourt facilitator for West Side in the halfcourt as they made a pretty deep run into the playoffs before losing. A good vision on the court who can move the ball and he also can get into the paint off the bounce and finish at the hoop. With two seasons to go, his skillset should expand as his leadership role also expands. Provided a spark for West Side with 10 in the playoff win against American History. Also had good games vs Orange(17,12) and Millburn(14).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1400494' first='Brandon' last='Rodriguez']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brandon-rodriguez/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 5'11” | G | Newark West Side 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Creative scorer who is dangerous with the ball in his hands and uses a diverse set of skills to finish around the rim. He's also a pretty solid shooter from beyond the arc and completes his all around game by hitting the boards at both ends. He had a breakout year as a junior. Scored 29 vs Verona, 28 vs Millburn. Played well in the state tournament as well, including 19 in the sectional final loss to Glen Ridge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1466418' first='Joe' last='Ganton']&nbsp;</strong>| 6'4” | G | West Essex 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Strong and physical guard who attacks the basket aggressively off the dribble and can finish with either hand through contact at the bucket. Ganton also has good dribbling skills and can hit shots from deep. Great court vision when passing and he has a high basketball IQ. Double digit scorer in all but two contests as a junior and went for 20+ in 6 of his last 10 games. Season high of 26 vs Belleville. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Deon Mingo Jr</strong>&nbsp;| 6'1” | G | Newark Academy 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quick, crafty and lean guard with a good first step. A confident shooter with a quick release on his jumper. He's a threat from deep and proved his worth against top talent when he scored 20 against Hudson Catholic in the state tournament. He's a shooter who could make noise this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->