Colonia’s Nashaleah Hooker drives up the floor against Middlesex in a GMC Red American Division game on January 13, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
With playoff qualification in high school basketball closing Saturday at the NJSIAA cutoff, four Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area teams appear to have earned top four seeds, including a top-seed for Somerville in the Group 3 section of North Jersey, Section 2.
Below is a look at all the area teams in the Central Jersey playoff brackets, based on NJ.com power point standings as of 2 pm on Sunday, February 15, 2026. It should be noted that the standings could change as the NJSIAA confirms records and details of the formula heading into Tuesday’s seeding meeting in Robbinsville, at which point the brackets will be announced. They become official (pending any discrepancies) as of noon on Wednesday.
First round action begins on Tuesday, March 24th.
Below is our analysis of the sections, and unofficial projected matchups, in the North Jersey, Section 2 playoff sections. Click on the header for each section to visit the NJ.com standings for that section. Please note that unlike football, there is no “head-to-head” jump of teams, unless they are tied in power points, in which case head-to-head is merely the first of several tiebreakers.
Top eight seeds get first round home games, the top four are guaranteed the first two rounds, and top two get home court advantage through the semifinals.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4:
Bayonne (19-4) and Westfield (15-7) remain the top two here, just as they were a week ago, but a big run by Piscataway (15-7) to the GMC Tournament semifinals Tuesday night appears to have helped the Lady Chiefs skyrocket from sixth to third in the span of just a week. That means they could host at least two home games in this section, if they advance that far. Their rise knocked Plainfield (13-10) down one peg to fourth, rounding out the first four.
There were major changes in the next four, too. Columbia (16-7) dropped from four to five, Elizabeth (14-9) fell from five to six, and Bridgewater-Raritan (12-11) used a 2-0 week to shoot up three places to seventh, with North Star Academy (10-11) holding in the next spot to finish up the top eight, all of whom are guaranteed at least a first-round home game.
Woodbridge (16-7) went 1-1 since our last update and fell from seven to nine, while Watchung Hills (10-12) dropped from nine to ten. Union (12-7) gained a spot to get to 11, and Linden (9-17) held in 12th. The rest are Ridge (9-14), Perth Amboy (12-9) and JP Stevens (9-14), all up one spot apiece to 13, 14 and 15, while Scotch Plains-Fanwood fell three spots from 13 to the 16th and final playoff position.
Here are the projected first round matchups:
- (16) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (1) Bayonne
- (15) JP Stevens at (2) Westfield
- (14) Perth Amboy at (3) Piscataway
- (13) Ridge at (4) Plainfield
- (12) Linden at (5) Colulmbia
- (11) Union at (6) Elizabeth
- (10) Watchung Hills at (7) Bridgwater-Raritan
- (9) Woodbridge at (8) North Star Academy
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3:
The lead was larger a week ago – just over two points – and now it’s down to fractions, but it appears Somerville (18-6) had enough padding between them and second-place Colonia (19-2) to keep the Patriots at bay. They finish just 0.354 points apart. Millburn (16-8) rose from five to three, while Cranford (12-13) dropped a spot to fourth. The top eight is rounded out with Chatham (12-12), North Hunterdon (10-13), Mendham (10-11) and Summit (11-13), with only the top three teams out of the top eight having above .500 records.
Carteret (13-9) is four games over .500, but will have to settle for the ninth-seed and open on the road, along with tenth-place South Plainfield (8-17), which moved up one spot from a week ago. Fort Lee and Randolph are next, then North Plainfield (5-18) at 13, followed by Orange, Cliffside Park and Warren Hills to finish the top 16. JFK was 6-18 last week, and with one loss, and other teams winning, dropped out and fell to 18 to miss the playoffs.
Here are the projected first round matchups:
- (16) Warren Hills at (1) Somerville
- (15) Cliffside Park at (2) Colonia
- (14) Orange at (3) Millburn
- (13) North Plainfield at (4) Cranford
- (12) Randolph at (5) Chatham
- (11) Fort Lee at (6) North Hunterdon
- (10) South Plainfield at (7) Mendham
- (9) Carteret at (8) Summit
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2:
No change in the top two here, where Caldwell (19-2) hold on to its No. 1 position over Bernards (20-3), the only Central JErsey Sports Radio coverage area team in the section.
Here are the projected first-round matchups:
- (16) Harrison at (1) Caldwell
- (15) Lyndhurst at (2) Bernards
- (14) West Side at (3) Madison
- (13) Weequahic at (4) Voorhees
- (12) West Morris at (5) Rutherford
- (11) Hoboken at (6) Hackettstown
- (10) Newark Collegiate at (7) Hanover Park
- (9) Ridgefield Park at (8) Snyder
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