7/22/14

Newark East Side guard Akbar Hoffman signs with Hutchinson Community College

One of the key pieces of last season's Newark East Side squad that made it to the Tournament of Champions final has found his college home. First Team All-State guard Akbar Hoffman, who led the Essex County Tournament champions with 15.8 points per game last season, has signed to play for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.
"We've preached to all our kids to go and think beyond East Side and try to do something positive with their lives," Newark East Side co-head coach Anthony Tavares said. "So him going to junior college in Kansas, he was comfortable when he visited over there. Hopefully he can take advantage of going there and continue his education."
Hoffman was an electric scorer for Newark East Side, going off for a career-high 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting, including making six of seven 3-pointers to lead the Ironbound squad to a second straight Group 3 championship, 83-56, over Ewing. He then had a team-high 13 points in the Tournament of Champions semifinals to down defending  champion Roselle Catholic.
There is no question that Hoffman has the ability to join teammates Abdul Lewis (South Alabama) and Ismael Sanogo (Seton Hall) at the Division 1 level. He is garnering interest from several Big East and Atlantic 10 programs, and Huchinson has a history of sending players to elite programs. Hoffman academics will have to improve to make the next step, and Tavares is confident he can replicate the success he had both on and off the court as a senior.
"He had a workman-like approach his senior year," Tavares said. "If he does as well in the classroom and on the court as he did his senior year, the sky is the limit for Akbar."

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