2023 Stock Rising Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a host of seniors who are going to be thrust into major leadership roles who could explode up our final 2023 rankings when they come out. Today we look at a handful of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1017193' first='Augustine' last='McGee']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/augustine-mcgee/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/augustine-mcgee/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 6'3″ | G | Elizabeth</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the highest risers in the Class of 2023 Update which was posted recently. McGee is known primarily as a slasher who can put the ball on the floor and beat defenders off the bounce to get to the rim. He's got a well rounded skillset and is capable of making the step back in the mid range and beyond the arc to hit shots. His transfer to Elizabeth puts him into a major profile situation. With the graduation losses and transfer to RC of&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1013067' first='Sebastian' last='Robinson']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/sebastian-robinson/"></a>&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/sebastian-robinson/"></a>&nbsp;, the Minutemen now need a leader. He's going to have to become an instant offense, go-to-guy for this team in a completely different manner than he was over at Bayonne. The expectations are sky high in Eastwick every season, moreso with a legend at the helm now and even with Robinson is gone, they will expect someone to simply step right in. McGee showed flashes of brilliance last year, hitting Snyder for 27, also putting up numbers vs Union City, Kearny and Newark Collegiate, scoring 18 each night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1466414' first='Adrian' last='Mouzone']</strong>| 5'11” | G | Paterson Charter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mouzone was a multi-sport athlete last year and earned all-county honors in football playing for Paterson Kennedy. He was a sparkplug of energy and emotion off the bench last year for a deep Paterson Charter team. He'll be one of just a handful of seniors on the squad coming back with any type of varsity experience and will be asked to play a leading role. He had 14 vs Hackensack last winter as his top game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1466413' first='Samir' last='Jordan']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/samir-jordan/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;| 6'1” | G | North Star Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jordan is an explosive offensive player who is very capable of finishing at the rim. He also rebounds well for a guard, is a very tough on ball defender who creates turnovers with active hands 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. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267925' first='Jeremy' last='Grospe']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jeremy-grospe/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>| 5'9 “ | G | South River</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After being a role player in his first two years and learning the ropes, Grospe became the lead facilitator in the South River backcourt as they had one of their best seasons in program history. Playing on a team filled with forwards, Grospe provided the ballhandling skills in most situations. He is a well-rounded player with great vision as a facilitator and is a leader in their high tempo offense. He hit 70 shots from beyond the arc last year. He lit up Asbury for 25 and South Plainfield for 21. This is THE YEAR for the Rams and Grospe drives the bus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1150285' first='Owen' last='Denton']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/owen-denton/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;</strong>| 5'11” | G| Williamstown</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Denton came on as a junior for Williamstown and showed himself to be a very capable offensive player who can finish at multiple levels, especially from beyond the arc. He's also got good ballhandling skills and finishes at the basket. He's a tough on ball defender who stands in to take charges and came up with 30+ steals last year. His range extends beyond the college line. He had 24 vs Salem, 20 vs Gloucester Tech and 19 vs Timber Creek as top games his junior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->