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The Never Ending Prodigy: Julian Newman

Julian. The name rings a bell in your head. Normal, though, as we have been talking about him for quite some time now. And “time” here is no small thing, because Julian Newman has been in our mouths and brains and highlight reel YouTube feeds since he came out of the womb.

It feels like it’s been a whole life since the kid broke into the scene with sick moves as a 14-year-old. Real story is, Newman has just turned 17 and is aiming at becoming a top 2020 class nationally ranked baller. Be it a question of word-of-mouth, he’d already be there, because this young gun is damn calling the shots. Literally. One fun thing about Julian is how he’s coached by his father Jamie. The J-J partnership may not be at the level of LaVar’s Triple B Evil Empire, but it is definitely showing out there. How could it not, with Newman becoming the last phenom playing varsity ball at 11 years of age!? Orlando born-and-raised, the Floridan prospect has raised through kids younger and older since day one at Downey Christian. Now let me tell you a story, and bear with me. Today I have sold my XBOX One. Yes. I just had to do it. Don’t ask why. I just sold it, and one of those basketball games that are the rave nowadays among players here and there. And I will miss one thing more than anything. Not winning. But enjoying dribbling and doing crazy stuff with the sticks at hand. I’ve always said Kyrie Irving is the most videogame-character-player among pros. His handles are out of this world. He looks like a constat flick of sticks and an infinite string of pressed buttons. Enter Julian Newman, and you have a videogame-character playing a videogame-character. Basically, doubling down on Irving’s moves. Newman is legit a baller. Yes, call him overrated (he may be a little, I must concede myself), try to bash him, throw him under the bus, criticize him and deem him a ball-hogger. Do you what you want, do what you please, too bad for you, he ain’t gonna flink. Julian has grown on the spotlight. He knows business, and he deals them on a weekly basis. Newman is averaging a crazy 32 points per game shooting 49% from the field (and for three!), he’s getting 5 boards a game and also stealing the ball around 3 times. Oh, and for the haters, he also knows how to share that little rounded thing–he’s putting up 7 dimes a night. Even with all this, Newman’s biggest challenge is still ahead of him, though not much further down the line. Actually, it’s happening this weekend, when he will join forces with nation’s No. 10 2021 overall prospect and No. 1 PG Zion Harmon, from Kentucky, in which is labeled as the game of the year already. No joke, BBB against Prodigy. Melo against Julian. Spire against DCS. I introduced you to this stupidly good Spire team yesterday, and you thought you had seen it all. Well, you better hold your horses. Yes, DCS is nowhere near Spire on paper. The LaMelo-Rocket-Isaiah trio is way ahead of Newman and Zion, both in age, frame, building, ability and strength. They aren’t nationally ranked, yet they haven’t lose a game. But they may ultimately turn to be your Monstars to Newman-&-Zion’s Tune Squad. Will it be hard for the youngins to beat the team from Ohio? Sure. Will Newman and Zion shoot up to 30 shots each trying to kill Spire with otherworldly volume? Don’t doubt it. It may look ugly after the final horn, the stats’ sheet will probably be ridiculous (and maybe on both sides), but we’re up for a massive showcase, not just a game. No wonder this battle might field a minimum of five future pros, if not more. In just a single game. In just a packed court. Forget about hating and enjoy hoops at least once. We may be witnessing history this weekend.

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Read the full feature at HoopFocus.

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Introducing your freshest three-headed monster

LaMelo was a head case. He still is, mind you. Only in 2017 there was no doubt he was on the goofy, careless, youngish and cheerful mood 24 hours a day, even while sleeping–that when able to catch the bed. And you could expect what happened to Los Osos when facing Chino Hills. They went empty. Turned black. Fooled by the Ball.

That chilly night in SoCal, Melo made history and dropped–not cherry-picked–the mere amount of 92 points while handing 7 assists and capturing 5 boards. “Nah, no big deal, he just an indulged kid”, haters said. Two years later, and a few round-world trips after that match, Melo finds himself at the spotlight again, and not only because of his surroundings. LaVar’s game keeps going strong, yes. Lonzo is partnering LeBron just around the corner, right. LiAngelo, well, LiAngelo is part of the triple B, which is something. But it is all about LaMelo now. Now lanky and sporting a shiny-trimmed hair, the small of the Balls is just doing that, Ballin’. His family still brings the fanfare, for sure, but he’s undoubtedly the leader of a Spire Academy team nothing but full of talent. He may not be ranked by most scouting services because they see them as a pro, but the kid could be easily the leading PG of this year’s class. Don’t sweat it tho. As in the past, time will put everyone in his spot, and Melo ain’t gon be far from the L much long

What are you supposed to explain when talking about someone sought by the likes of UConn, FSU and Michigan State? Most probably greatness. Ask Rocket Watts, the No. 1 prospect coming out of Ohio in 2019 and future MSU Spartan. And yet, with all of this, we can consider him only the second-best player in a Spire team led by Melo (yes, bullies are coming packed in full.) It ain’t a unique routine, for sure, but don’t get surprised if you catch Rocket awake and putting up shots in the gym barely by the time your father gets to bed. Watts is ahead, and he only wants more. Actually, what started as a middling career with a dubious future ahead (he was ranked No. 100+ in the nation just one year ago) has turned into a sure-thing waiting to hit the NBA. Excuse me, I better say smash it. Just check this out. This summer playing for The Family on the summer Nike U17 tourney, Rocket hung 20 buckets per game. He can handle the ball, move it around and find his targets, spot on. You know the best thing about playing along LaMelo Ball? He can hook you up anytime. Tell Rocket about it and he’ll show you an endless string of killer dunks, so start getting some free time in your schedule cause it may take a while to cover all of them. And still, he shares the court with yet another stud. Spire can’t stop, won’t stop. The class of 2020 looks strong. Michigan State, well, they pounded on Watts and could strike gold on Isaiah. Why would you get satisfied just scoring one of them? Bring Rocket in 2019, build a solid team around him, hope he stays for a second year (sorry Spartans, he won’t) and pair him again with Jackson later. One can dream and East Lansing looks like the place of dreamers nowadays, to be fair. Don’t get fooled by that messy hairdo though. Isaiah is ditching offers from top-dog colleges and looks like he would be pleased to greet Sparty every week in a couple years when he arrives in campus. Can’t say he doesn’t deserve it now, and much less that he won’t deserve it even more in 12 months time when he finishes his high school run. Melo could be anywhere, Rocket is NCAA-bound, but Isaiah Jackson will keep bringing his game to Spire. No little business. The kid is putting up 15.2 PPG and it is hard to watch him drop below the 10-point mark. And then, there are the rebounds. The rock can’t escape Isaiah’s hands in the paint. He’s turning the ball over no more than he’s sharing dimes and we’re talking about a big guy. And don’t look now, but he’s blocking almost five shots per outing while also getting a good couple of steals a game. Complete package, they say. So yes, this is Spire Academy 2019 and if you don’t know, now you know. Being undefeated is a thing. Coasting is another, and the Academy is surely bringing flair to the game.

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Read the full feature at HoopFocus.