Big Guards to Watch This Winter

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New Jersey is stacked with lead guards across its classes right now but it also has a host of guards who have some size to them that are going to have big seasons this winter. Today we look at several of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1269777' first='Ryan' last='Leskauskas']&nbsp;</strong>|6'4” | G | Chatham</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Good ballhandler and once Leskauskas gets fired up on offense, he's tough to stop, especially from beyond the three point line. He's a slasher at the core of his game, but he can keep defenders honest from the perimeter. He gets good positioning on rebounds. He had 27 vs Union Catholic, 25 vs Hillsborough and 24 vs Mendham. D3 schools should be in hot pursuit of him as a potential immediate contributor and local D-2s should watch his senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1400496' first='Josh' last='Michigan']&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>| 6'4” | G | Brick Memorial<br>Michigan, along with Scranton bound big man&nbsp;<strong>Luke Braaten</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1466410' first='Brian' last='Starrett']&nbsp;</strong>let Memorial to an impressive 20 win season last year. He's got the ability to beat teams from anywhere beyond the arc and his ablity to attack the rim matches his shooting ability. He's got good ballhandling skills as well. He hit Toms River South for 32, Middletown North for 28 and Jackson Memorial for 23 as top games. He will make a push for 1,000 points and is an All Shore candidate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1153987' first='London' last='Carson']&nbsp;</strong>| 6'4” | G|&nbsp; Elizabeth 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carson came on strong in his sophomore year for the State Group IV Champions. A smooth dribbling guard with a great touch on his shot. With graduations and the transfer of&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1013067' first='Sebastian' last='Robinson']</strong>&nbsp;to top rival Roselle Catholic, Carson is now the Big Man On Campus at Elizabeth High. He had a fantastic state tournament and will be expected to lead the Minutemen this winter. They've added several transfers but Carson is now the go-to-guy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1400500' first='Tarik' last='Bicic']&nbsp;</strong>| 6'5” | G | Rutherford</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bicic is the undisputed top player in the NJIC this season. He's also one of the best in Bergen County that isn't at a major Catholic school program. He paced the Bulldogs to a 22 win season as a junior. A well rounded guard who can excel at all aspects of the game. A good ballhandler for a bigger guard who can break down defenders but also step back and hit it from deep, which makes him a nightmare to stop. He's got scholarship interest and his stats from his junior year were impressive: 400+pts, 200 boards and 200 assists. Bicic is an all-county player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1153277' first='Peyton' last='Seals']&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>| 6'4” | G | Ramapo 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Part of a trio of returnees who will put Ramapo in a position to make serious noise this coming season. Seals is a well built guard who is crafty with the ball. He can attack the basket off the dribble but can also create his own shot anywhere on the floor. He's got a high basketball IQ and can facilitate when called upon. He had 27 vs Bergen Catholic and 25 vs Don Bosco Prep, showing what he is capable of. He should explode the next two years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->