Somerset County Tournament tips-off earlier, moves back to Saturdays for last four rounds

A few years ago, Somerset County basketball coaches decided to make their basketball tournament more like the GMC, with games every few days instead of each round being a week apart, as had been done for years..

For some who got knocked out in the quarterfinals, that might have meant a week of scrambling to find games, or risk getting rusty.

This year, the coaches have decided to go back to the “old” format with each round being played on consecutive Saturdays. That, of course, will mean an earlier start to the tournament, and earlier seeding, with fewer games having been played.

Last season, the seeding meeting was on February 5th, and the SCT started on Thursday, the 8th with the opening round, second round on Saturday, and then the quarterfinals Tuesday the following week, with semis on Thursday, all at higher seeds. The finals were held on the 17th at Montgomery High School.

This year’s calendar will be much different, with the seeding meeting on Monday, January 27th. Play will begin with the first round on Tuesday, the 30th, and the second round on Saturday, February 1st.

That sets up the quarterfinals the next Saturday, the 8th. Semifinals will be played at Franklin HS on Saturday, the 15th, at 10 am, noon, 2 and 4 pm – with game assignments to be determined depending on who advances – and the finals will be back at Montgomery at 1 and 3 pm on Saturday, February 22nd, the day after the GMC Tournament ends.

The handful of coaches we talked to like the idea.

Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo says it makes things easier for scheduling purposes, and it “makes the tourney feel more important on weekends. When I first started, that’s how it was. It gives the tournament more life.”

He also likes the idea of having the semifinals on a neutral court.

Rutgers Prep girls’ coach Mary Klinger also is in favor of the change.

“You had a week of really big games, kind of like the state tournament,” Klinger said. “That I’m gonna miss. “But I also like that you get a little more time to prepare for your next opponent.”

Klinger also believes the tournament also will be better attended with all the semifinal games in one place: “It makes it more of a championship atmosphere. That’s what I like.”

Montgomery coach Kris Grundy, whose school has hosted the finals for several years now, is also on board.

“I like it,” Grundy says. “It allows you to schedule games the last couple weeks of the season leading up to the state tournament. If you got knocked off on Tuesday, it’s impossible to find a game Thursday to keep on top of your game getting ready for the state tournament.”

He also believes having all four semifinals in one place is “a great showcase for our county and the kind of basketball that we have.”

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s live coverage of the Somerset County Tournament will include the semifinals, with broadcasts to be determined depending on matchups and times. The finals will air live on CJSR as well.