The Miami Hurricanes have gotten a boost to their 2014 recruiting class with the addition of point guard Ja’Quan Newton. The young man out of Philadelphia committed to Miami today after being pursued by a number teams including Minnesota who really pushed hard for Newton.
Ranked 41st in the nation according to Rivals, Newton projects as a player that should be ready to contribute from day one. While he plays the point, Newton does not have the natural passing instincts that many 1s have and plays more like a combo guard.
As a player, Newton’s best assets are his speed and ability to get to the rim. He is ambidextrous and comfortable at attacking the paint from either side of the court. Newton also has a nice collection of floaters to avoid getting blocked by athletic big man camping the paint. While he is not a solid jump shooter, the consensus is that his jump shot has improved leaps and bounds from what it was and is only getting better.
Combined with James Palmer, who committed to the Hurricanes a few days ago, Newton will be part of some young blood coming to Miami in 2015 in hopes of turning the school into a championship contender.
To get the Miami fans excited and give them a little taste of the future, here is a highlight tape featuring the young Newton.