Ja’Quan Newton is headed to Miami, sources told CBSSports.com on Wednesday morning.
Newton, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Neumann Goretti (Pa.), chose the Hurricanes over UCLA, Minnesota, Oregon, Syracuse and Texas A&M.
He is one of the more aggressive guard prospects in the country, capable of beating his man off the dribble and getting to the rim on a consistent basis. Newton is a strong finisher who uses his body to absorb contact and keep control of the ball in traffic. Right now, Newton is more of a scoring guard than a pure point guard, but his decision-making and ability to run a team is improving.
Ranked No. 49 in the 247Sports Composite, Newton is Miami’s third pledge in the class of 2014. In-state guard Adonys Henriquez has been in the fold, while Washington D.C.-area prospect James Palmer pledged on Monday night. Texas transfer Sheldon McClellan is also sitting out the upcoming season, but will be eligible when the aforementioned three players get on campus. Jim Larranaga continues to reload on the perimeter.
This decision could also advance a handful of storylines in the recruiting world. Newton had been a primary target for Minnesota, and now the Golden Gophers will turn to a variety of prospects. Syracuse was also pursuing Newton, but the Orange seem to have made Kaleb Joseph a priority at the point guard spot during the summer. Moreover, what does this mean for the package deal that has been rumored for Newton and Isaiah Whitehead?
