Rutgers Prep looks to finish strong after enduring Patterson’s early departure, two COVID shutdowns

Rutgers Prep’s Cam Piggee (left) and Ryan Pettit (Photo credit: Griffin Hooper, Rutgers Prep)

Less than two weeks before the COVID-truncated high school basketball season was set to begin, Rutgers Prep coach Matt Bloom got some news that he was wonderfully happy about, but knew would present a challenge to his team.

Trey Patterson – a Villanova signee – would be graduating Rutgers Prep early, and enrolling right away down on the Main Line.

The 6-7 forward averaged nearly 20 points a game last year and led the Argonauts to their first Somerset County Tournament title since 1983.

Rutgers prep sophomore Jordy Atkins (Photo credit: Griffin Hooper, Rutgers Prep)

As if that wasn’t difficult enough, Rutgers Prep didn’t get to start the season on time, the victim of a COVID stoppage. While (most of) the rest of New Jersey started the season on January 26th, the Argonauts didn’t get to start until February 4th, when they hosted top-ranked Camden, and came out with an 83-66 loss.

After three more games – and just one against a Skyland Conference foe, a 40-point drubbing of Phillipsburg – they would shut down again due to COVID.

And now, Mother Nature may throw a new roadblock. Snow in the forecast has at least moved its scheduled return to the hardwood – a home game against North Hunterdon – from Thursday to Friday at 4:30 pm. The Argos also are scheduled to visit Franklin Saturday at 1 pm.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s conversation with Rutgers Prep head coach Matt Bloom:

NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW WAS RECORDED BEFORE THURSDAY’S NORTH HUNTERDON GAME WAS MOVED TO FRIDAY AT 4:30 PM.

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