Among the more heralded freshmen in the region heading into the season, Coleman proved his status is well-deserved while putting on a show in a tough win over Conwell-Egan (PA). Coleman is as smooth as they come with the ball in his hands, dancing to spots with advanced pace and an airtight skill level attacking to either side. His feathery shooting touch and deep range puts defenses into scramble mode when he comes off ball screens or flows to spots in transition, and he shows a nice feel for letting things come to him while keeping his head up to make plays for open teammates. Coleman isn’t yet the most explosive athlete and hasn’t really begun filling out his frame, pointing to significant upside if his physical tools can gradually catch up to his robust skillset.

James Coleman Jr. James Coleman Jr. 6'1" | PG/CG Camden | 2030 NJ proved to be a seamless offensive fit particularly with his ability to make an impact both with the ball in his hands and playing off it. With an expectation to log significantly heavy minutes in his freshman year, Coleman showcased the poise, versatility, and skillset of a guard capable of operating within a variety of offensive responsibilities— confidence as a perimeter shooter with the range to consistently stretch defenses, hints of creating enough separation off the dribble to get into his pull up along with the coordination to convert on looks on the move from similar distance and with similar efficiency. While also mixing in some attacks of the rim attacking high footed closeouts and knifing into the teeth of the defense and attacking driving gaps when the defense was forced into rotations with pace in different PnR and DHO actions.

Coleman is primed to make a big impact on the hardwood this season with his ability to score the ball inside and out. The 6’1 guard has a quick first step, which he uses to blow by his defender off the bounce and finishes in a variety of ways around the rim. Coleman can also score in the mid-range and rises up nicely on his jumper. He also has the ability to play off the ball and slides his feet on the defensive end. Coleman picked up a pair of D1 offers this summer and is looking to expand his offer sheet throughout the course of the season.

The freshman guard can really score it, with range beyond the three-point line and a good understanding of spacing. Coleman moves well off the ball and is comfortable finding offense without needing to dominate possessions. At this stage, he is more of a scorer than a distributor and needs to improve as a passer and playmaker for his teammates. Getting stronger and continuing to round out his floor game will be important, but his scoring ability gives him a strong foundation.

Slated to be Camden’s lead guard and see a very high usage rate on the ball as just a freshman, point guard James Coleman Jr. James Coleman Jr. 6'1" | PG/CG Camden | 2030 NJ looked more than comfortable seeking out the right play and creating opportunities for his teammates without sacrificing his own ability to score. In Camden’s second matchup on the day versus Virginia Saints (VA), Coleman showed good feel for dissecting a zone defense— finding outlets against the zone on time and on target while at the same time attacking certain driving angles against weak points to finish with craftiness at the rim. Coleman did look to produce offense early in possessions, before the defense could get set and playing with a smooth pace— generating rim pressure for crafty off hand finishes coupled with deep range perimeter pull ups off the bounce.