One of the top performers of the Empire Invitational in New York City was sophomore guard JaQuan Carlos of Thomas Jefferson. Carlos led Jefferson in a major second-half comeback against Cardinal Hayes with a 36-point outing in an overtime 85-83 loss.
My @EmpireInvite player of the day has to go to JaQuan Carlos (@iamJaquann) — the sophomore guard put up 36 and nearly led Thomas Jefferson to an overtime comeback win against Cardinal Hayes.
Hit four threes, got to the free throw line regularly, showed high-IQ feel.
— Martin S. (@marsoaries) January 14, 2019
Carlos stands about 5’10 and has the ability to cripple you with pure instincts and decision-making. As a small guard, he’s not necessarily lightning quick. He’s able to blow by defenders with a calm poise. He doesn’t kill with sheer speed — he kills by reading the floor, turning corners and with a true scoring repertoire.
JaQuan makes the conscious effort to make the sideline pitch-ahead pass, and if he’s not handling the ball he runs the floor and takes the opportunity to be the recipient himself. He makes quick decisions and reactions off the bounce, including an ability to catch-and-shoot on the move.
Those instincts trickle into his passing. He has a sharp feel for the floor and knows where to find his teammates ahead of time.
247 Sports has JaQuan rated as a 3-star prospect with some cool interest from the likes of Cincinnati and NC State. As a sophomore, he has time to expand his abilities and prove how valuable he’ll be at the next level.