Miami Basketball: Ja'Quan Newton jolts out to hot start
Ja’Quan Newton is off to a roaring start for Miami basketball, and he hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down.
If the first six games of the season are any indication, then it’s official: we’re all witnesses to Ja’Quan Newton’s breakout season.
While it’s a stretch to think Newton can maintain his numbers into and through ACC play, it’s hard not to be impressed with what he’s done so far this season. Overall, the 6’2″ junior guard is averaging 17.2 points per game. He’s scored no less than 13 in any game. Defensively, he has twelve steals in six games.
Newton is also shooting a healthy 50 percent from the field on the year, including two efforts of 69.2 percent or above. He also boasts a strong 74.3 percent from the charity stripe. The breakout star leads the team in minutes and assists per game as well.
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The fact that he is only averaging three assists per game and leading the team is rather concerning for the Hurricanes, but a promising sign for Newton.
One area in which Newton can improve this young season is turnovers. He’s tied for the team lead with Kamari Murphy at 15, and head coach Jim Larrañaga cannot afford to have his best player be a turnover machine.
Newton was one of the best sixth men in the country in 2015-16, averaging double digits off the bench.
“I don’t force anything,” Newton recently told the Miami Hurricane. “I have the mindset that no one can guard me, so I’ll take what the defense gives me.”
With the departure of point guard Angel Rodriguez, Miami needed a leader to step up. Some thought Davon Reed would take the reins, but so far, it’s been the Ja’Quan Newton show.
Miami has a generally easy non-conference slate the rest of the way. ACC play will be Newton’s real test, where we will all see if his improvements are here to stay. If the junior is dominating the floor versus Syracuse, Notre Dame, Duke, and North Carolina, NBA scouts may be booking flights to Coral Gables sooner rather than later.
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