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Miami's Newton flying under radar as 'Canes visit Reading

11/21/2017, 9:30pm EST
By Josh Verlin

Two years ago, Ja'Quan Newton (above) and Miami came to Philadelphia and beat La Salle by more than 40. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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When Miami (Fl.) and La Salle meet on Wednesday night in Reading’s Santander Arena, much of the attention will be focused on Lonnie Walker. The Hurricanes’ freshman will be returning to the city he captivated during a standout career at Reading High, which he capped by leading the Red Knights to their first-ever state championship in March.

And while it might be Walker’s final appearance in his hometown -- though he’s just a freshman, the 6-foot-5 wing is projected to be a first-round NBA Draft selection come June -- there’s another member of the Miami roster who’s also playing his final game in his home region.

Philadelphia is an hour from Neumann-Goretti, but it’s as close as Ja’Quan Newton will get.

“That’s not something I’ve thought about,” he told CoBL by phone on Tuesday, “But (the coaches) mentioned it to me yesterday, I remember thinking ‘this is the last time I’ll be playing close to home.’”

For four years, Newton was one of the can’t-miss players in City of Brotherly Love. At Neumann-Goretti, he became the Catholic League’s all-time leading scorer with 1,972 points, winning four PCL championships and three state titles in his time in a Saints uniform. A fearless 6-foot-3 guard, Newton had the ability to get to the rim almost at will, and though he wasn’t a knockdown 3-point shooter, he had a knack for hitting big shots at even bigger moments.

More than just the pure numbers was his unmeasurable heart and toughness, putting him into that true “Philly guard” category. No performance stands out more than when he scored 33 points in the 2014 PIAA Class AAA state championship game -- the day after his mother passed away following a battle with breast cancer.

Since that performance, he’s been hard to see in this city, at least without catching a ‘Canes game on television.

Two years ago, when he was a sophomore, Miami came back to Philadelphia to play La Salle at the Palestra. In the same building where he’d won four Catholic League crowns -- playing a starring role in the final three -- Newton scored 10 points off the bench in a 95-49 Miami win. Besides that, the closest he’s come to playing in Philadelphia was last year’s ACC tournament, which took place in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center.

Newton averaged 10.5 ppg that sophomore season, serving as the ‘Canes sixth man. Last year, he moved into the starting lineup, averaging 13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.4 apg.

Suddenly -- “it went by so quickly,” Newton commented -- he’s a senior, one of three on a Hurricanes squad currently ranked No. 11 in both the Associated Press and Coaches’ Polls.

Miami’s initial No. 13 ranking was the first time in nine years they’d been in the preseason rankings, and for good reason. The Hurricanes (3-0) are coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances under Larranaga, who’s won 584 games and been to eight dances between stints at Bowling Green (1986-97), George Mason (1997-2011) and now Miami.

La Salle (3-2) comes in having lost two straight, to Northwestern and Boston College, following a three-game winning streak to start the season. The Explorers, under the direction of 14th-year head coach John Giannini, are led by redshirt senior B.J. Johnson (22.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg), though they’ve been looking for a reliable second scorer to step up around the 6-7 wing out of Lower Merion.

Newton has almost the opposite problem. He’s one of four double-digit scorers on the Hurricanes, and Miami’s top eight are all averaging at least 7.7 ppg through the team’s first three games. Sophomore Bruce Brown, a 6-5 wing and one of the most versatile players in the country, is averaging 9.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 6.7 apg.

Walker, who’s averaging those 7.7 ppg in 19.7 mpg off the bench, twisted his left ankle in Miami’s win over Florida A&M last Thursday, but it would take a lot worse to keep him off the court Wednesday night at Santander Arena.

“He's going to play in Reading," Larranaga told media immediate after the Florida A&M game.

Newton said there hasn’t been much he’s needed to say to Walker offensively, as the 6-5 wing possesses a wide-ranging skillset and has fit in smoothly into Miami’s plans. Defensively, Newton said, he’s been able to provide a little more guidance.

“Just on-the-court stuff, things like when we’re going through practices and defensive drills, I’ll try to help him out a little bit, tell him you’ve got to do this sometimes,” Newton said. “Most of the time he gets it, so I don’t have much to say to Lonnie on the court, but I try to help him out as much as I can because I’m supposed to be a leader and I’m an older brother to him.”

Newton mentioned his decision-making and maturity on the court are the biggest changes in his game since graduating from high school, as he’s tried to turn into a pick-and-roll point guard who can also score the ball. He said this offseason he’s worked hard on improving his 3-point shot; in his college career, he’s hit just 31.3 percent and was at 27.5 percent on just 40 attempts a year ago.

With his professional career a year away, he’s in the stretch drive to show scouts and agents what he’s capable of, in hopes of living out every high-level hoops player’s ultimate dream.

“I’ve always been watching NBA games and stuff like that with a different eye, just to learn the game and be a student of the game but I haven’t really thought about it or anything like that,” Newton said. “I just want to get through the year, have the best season I’ve ever had and everything’s going to take care of itself after the season.”


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