NJSIAA announces boys’ state tournament brackets, four CJSR-area teams earn top seeds

A total of 36 boys’ basketball teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area – the GMC and Somerset County – have qualified for the NJSIAA state tournament, with four of them – Ridge, South Plainfield, South River and St. Thomas Aquinas – earning top seeds in their respective sections.

State tournament play begins on Monday, February 20th, with first round sectional games at higher seeds in Groups 1 and 3, while Group 2 and 4 begin the following day. All non-public sections begin play on Wednesday, February 22nd. There is no Tournament of Champions this year, so the state tournament will conclude with four public group champions and two non-public champions.

Following are all the first-round games in each section involving CJSR-area teams, with those squads in bold. Times are determined by the higher seed, the host school.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 4
#16 Sayreville at #1 Trenton
#9 Montgomery at #8 West Windsor-Plainsboro South
#12 Manalapan at #5 Middletown South
#13 East Brunswick at #4 Jackson Memorial
#14 Princeton at #3 North Brunswick
#11 Old Bridge at #6 South Brunswick
#10 Hightstown at #7 Marlboro
#15 Howell at #2 Freehold Twp.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 3
#16 Freehold Boro at #1 Ewing
#9 Hopewell Valley at #8 Ocean Twp.
#12 Lawrence at #5 Colts Neck
#13 Burlington Twp. at #4 Brick Memorial
#14 Somerville at #3 Hamilton West
#11 Allentown at #6 Robbinsville
#10 Carteret at #7 Matawan
#15 Red Bank Regional at #2 Nottingham

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2
#16 East Brunswick Magnet at #1 South River
#9 Point Pleasant Boro at #8 Spotswood
#12 Roselle Park at #5 Rumson-Fair Haven
#13 Holmdel at #4 Bound Brook
#14 Johnson at #3 Raritan
#11 Bordentown at #6 Delaware Valley
#10 Middlesex at #7 Roselle
#15 Monmouth at #2 Manasquan

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1
#16 STEMCivics at #1 Eagle Academy
#9 South Hunterdona at #8 Keansburg
#12 Brearley at #5 Highland Park
#13 Asbury Park at #4 Keyport
#14 Somerset Tech at #3 Point Pleasant Beach
#11 South Amboy at #6 Manville
#10 Henry Hudson at #7 Florence
#15 Dunellen at #2 Shore

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4
#16 Woodbridge at #1 Ridge
#9 Bayonne at #8 NEwark East Side
#12 Watchung Hills at #5 Westfield
#13 Scotch Plains-Fanwood at #4 Elizabeth
#14 JP Stveens at #3 Hillsborough
#11 Phillipsburg at #6 Columbia
#10 Irvington at #7 Franklin
#15 Piscataway at #2 Linden

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3
#16 Voorhees at #1 South Plainfield
#9 Fort Lee at #8 Summit
#12 Cliffside Park at #5 Chatham
#13 North Hunterdon at #4 Colonia
#14 Randolph at #3 Menham
#11 Millburn at #6 Snyder
#10 Orange at #7 Payne Tech
#15 Warren Hills at #2 West Morris

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 2
#16 Becton at #1 Caldwell
#9 Lyndhurst at #8 Science Park
#12 Verona at #5 McNair
#13 Dayton at #4 Newark Collegiate
#14 West Side at #3 Rutherford
#11 Bernards at #6 Hackettstown
#10 Hanover Park at #7 New Providence
#15 Newark Central at #2 Madison

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH A
#9 Notre Dame at #8 Red Bank Catholic, winner at #1 Camden Catholic (bye)
#12 St. John Vianney at #5 Union Catholic
#13 Donovan Catholic at #4 Paul VI
#11 Pingry at #6 St. Joseph-Metuchen, winner at #3 Immaculata (bye)
#10 CBA at #7 Rutgers Prep, winner at #2 St. Augustine (bye)

NON-PUBLIC NORTH B
#9 Eastern Christian at #8 Timothy Christian, winner at #1 St. Thomas Aquinas (bye)
#12 Morristown-Beard at #5 Morris Catholic
#13 Koinonia at #4 Roselle Catholic
#11 Pioneer Academy at #6 Montclair-Immaculate, winner at #3 St. Mary (Rutherford)
#10 Hawthorne Christian at #7 Saddle River Day, winner at #2 Gill St. Bernard’s (bye)

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH B
#9 Wildwood Catholic at #8 Holy Cross Prep, winner at #1 St. Rose of Belmar (bye)
#12 Doane Academy at #5 Calvary Christian
#13 Moorestown Friends at #4 St. Joseph-Hammonton
#11 Princeton Day at #6 Gloucester Catholic, winner at #3 Ranney (bye)
#10 Trenton Catholic at #7 Holy Spirit, winner at #2 Bishop Eustace (bye)