Newcastle Eagles appear to have found their new starting point guard in Dwayne Cohill.

Dwayne Cohill may assume much of the responsibility left behind by Ray’Sean Taylor, but Newcastle have not recruited a carbon copy of their former one guard. Cohill is a scoring-first guard whose greatest strength lies in manipulating defenders through the pick-and-roll.

Replacing Ray’Sean Taylor was never going to be as simple as finding another guard and handing him the keys to Tyneside.

Taylor led Newcastle in scoring and regularly carried the burden of manufacturing offence when possessions began to collapse. His departure left a vacancy at point guard, but also removed one of the Eagles’ primary sources of individual shot creation.

Cohill appears likely to inherit much of that responsibility. However, it would be disingenuous to describe the two guards as like-for-like replacements.

He is replacing Taylor’s role, not impersonating his craft.

How Dwayne Cohill attacks the pick-and-roll

The standout feature of Cohill’s game is his ability to navigate the pick-and-roll.

Defenders can’t simply retreat beneath screens and invite him to shoot. Cohill is willing to let the three-pointer fly when space is conceded, forcing opponents to remain attached as he moves around the pick.

When defenders fight over, he uses his handle to maintain the advantage. Cohill keeps his dribble alive rather than hurrying towards the basket. This allows him to manipulate angles and wait for the defence to reveal its next move.

He’s comfortable pulling up from the elbow. He repeatedly reached that area during his 43-point performance for Youngstown State against Wright State. Cohill can also continue downhill, absorb contact and finish around the rim without being knocked from his intended path.

Cohill is not an explosive guard relying solely on raw athleticism. His finishing contains craft, with changes of pace, adjusted release points and a soft touch allowing him to score when the direct route is unavailable.

The appeal is not merely that he can score from multiple areas. It is that those areas connect through the same initial action.

Go underneath the screen, and he can shoot. Chase over it, and he can reach the mid-range. Step towards him and he can attack the space behind the defence.

Cohill has an answer for several defensive coverages.

A scorer operating at point guard

Cohill should be viewed as a scoring point guard rather than a conventional pass-first organiser.

That doesn’t mean he’s incapable of running an offence. During his final season at Youngstown State, he averaged 18 points and 4.8 assists, becoming the first player in programme history to record at least 600 points and 150 assists in one campaign.

His playmaking continued professionally in Slovakia, where he averaged 17.5 points and 4.1 assists for Spišskí Rytieri.

His passing generally develops through the pressure created by his scoring. He bends the defence by threatening the basket, then finds teammates when help arrives.

He can make the necessary pick-and-roll reads, but Newcastle shouldn’t expect each possession to resemble the work of a pure floor general. His first instinct is often to locate the weakness he can attack himself.

It’s not inherently a limitation. Modern point guards are increasingly required to create their own offence, particularly when structured possessions break down.

Cohill also appears capable of remaining useful off-ball. He can convert catch-and-shoot opportunities and maintains encouraging body language during stretches where another guard controls the possession.

This should allow Mitch Clarke and other secondary creators to initiate without removing Cohill from the offence entirely.

A career built through added responsibility

Dwayne Cohill’s route to Newcastle has not been entirely straightforward.

A highly regarded scorer coming out of high school, he initially occupied a smaller offensive role at Dayton, where he developed a reputation for his defensive work. A torn ACL then ruled him out for the entire 2020–21 season.

His transfer to Youngstown State offered the chance to rebuild his NCAA Division I career.

Cohill developed from a complementary guard into the centre of the offence, helping Youngstown win its first regular-season conference championship and reach the National Invitation Tournament for the first time.

His 43-point performance against Wright State demonstrated the full scoring package. Cohill finished 16-of-19 from the field, made all six of his three-point attempts and did not miss a shot during a 30-point second half.

Professional basketball has continued that progression.

After beginning in Italy, Cohill accepted greater offensive responsibility in Slovakia before spending time with the Delaware Blue Coats in the NBA G League. His opportunities in Delaware were limited, meaning his strongest professional evidence remains the role he held for Spišskí.

Newcastle aren’t signing an established G League contributor. They’re signing a guard who has proved capable of carrying possessions in both college and European basketball.

Replacing responsibility, not style

The natural comparison will remain Taylor because, as things stand, Cohill is the leading candidate to become Newcastle’s starting one guard.

Both can carry a scoring load, create late in possessions and assume responsibility during important moments. Yet the method is different.

Cohill appears more methodical in the pick-and-roll, frequently using the screen to examine the defence before selecting his route. His game is based around manipulating coverage and reaching favourable scoring areas rather than recreating Taylor’s individual style.

That distinction could signal a broader change in Newcastle’s offence.

The Eagles do not need Cohill to replicate Taylor’s offensive prowess. They need him to carry a similar level of responsibility while allowing Steutel to construct a system capable of competing domestically.

What must translate?

There are still multiple questions to be answered.

Dwayne Cohill shot 32.7% from three during his season in Slovakia, despite stronger percentages at previous stops. Newcastle will need his outside shooting to remain credible enough that defenders cannot consistently step under screens.

The standard of help defence and physicality will also test his decision-making. Cohill can make functional passing reads, but opponents will test whether he can consistently punish rotations when the scoring route closes.

His defensive contribution will matter too. His early college career demonstrated an ability and willingness to defend, but Steutel will demand buy-in on the defensive end from day one.

Dwayne Cohill should enter the season as the favourite to start at point guard and one of the players entrusted with Newcastle’s most important possessions.

He should not be judged by how closely his game resembles Ray’Sean Taylor’s.

Newcastle have signed a guard capable of creating through the pick-and-roll, scoring at multiple levels and embracing offensive responsibility.

The responsibility Taylor leaves behind is substantial.

Cohill now has the opportunity to carry it in his own way.