By Jerry Del Priore
With the boys’ high school basketball season right around the corner, I’ll be taking a quick look at five players from the New York/New Jersey area on ESPN’s preseason top 25 list for 2018-19 campaign.
Cole Anthony – No. 2 (No. 1 at his position)
A six-foot-three-inch, 185-pound point guard, Anthony starred at Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, Queens, for three years. But he decided to take his hardwood talents to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior season.
Anthony has not declared yet, but as you probably guessed, he has many college suitors.
I’ll miss watching the son of former NBA player Greg Anthony at Molloy, as he possesses the skills to take over games with his nice outside shot and ability to drive the hoop almost at will when he’s on point.
Several national high school basketball insiders feel he owns the hoop magic skills to take it all the way to the NBA.
Precious Achiuwa – No. 10 (3rd at his position)
Achiuwa is a senior 6-foot-eight, 210-pound power forward at Montverde Academy (Florida) and from the Bronx, a mecca for true ballers.
The former St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) player is one of the nation’s top forward recruits and hasn’t declared at the moment. But has received several offers from top D-I college basketball programs, including Kansas, Senton Hall, Syracuse and St. John’s, among other schools.
Bryan Antoine – No. 12 (3rd at his position)
Antione is a six-foot-five, 170-pound senior shooting guard at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. He has committed to Villanova University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Antoine is good shooter, with the necessary soft hands and skill set to catch and fire when the game is hanging in the balance.
Scottie Lewis – No. 13 (3rd at his position)
A teammate of Antoine at the Ranney School, Lewis, a senior small forward, is committed to Florida.
The six-foot-five, 185-pound Hazlet resident is third in the state of New Jersey at his position, and third in the country, which speaks volumes of the extremely high level of high school hoops played in the Garden State.
Jalen Lecque – No. 22 (4th at his position)
The North Carolina State-commit is a point guard/combo guard at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
However, several high school basketball sites have the Bronx native as a five-star point guard recruit, so he’ll more than likely suit up at that position for the Wolfpack.
Lecque is the prototypical NYC point guard, as he’s quick and can also shake defenders off the dribble.
