Colonia hosts Piscataway in a GMC Red American Division game on December 22, 2025. Both will open play this week in the state tournament as top seeds in their respective sections. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
This story has been updated after the NJSIAA Monday postponed Day One of the high school basketball tournament to Thursday. As of 6pm Monday, play in all other sections of the tournament remain “as is.” Check back with Central Jersey Sports Radio for the latest.
The 2026 NJSIAA state tournament gets underway this week for basketball, and already we’ve had some schedule changes, as Tuesday’s opening round for Groups 2 and 4 has been shifted to Thursday, with the quarterfinals bumped to the weekend. Wednesday play remains untouched, for now, for Groups 1 and 3. In the non-public Sections, North and South A begin Thursday, while North and South B begin play Friday.
Sectional semifinal rounds take place the following week, with sectional finals for publics on Friday, March 6 (Groups 2 and 4) and Saturday, March 7 (Groups 1 and 3), all at high seeds. Non-Public sectional finals are Monday, March 9 at neutral sites.
Here’s a section-by-section look at the state tournament, with full schedules at the end of this story, organized by day.
Central Jersey Group 4
Montgomery – the two-time defending champion in this section, and a Group 4 finalist last year – has some bulletin-board material for what it hopes is a long state tournament run. The Cougars (21-4) feel they got a bad break from the seeding formula, ending up No. 3 behind Marlboro and Hillsborough, with the Raiders getting the top seed. And they should feel that way. After all, they beat Hillsborough twice, by 16 on the road on January 13th, then again at home in the Somerset County Tournament, 53-38. All four losses this year have come to state-ranked teams: Rutgers Prep twice, and once each to Linden and now-SCT champion Gill St. Bernard’s. The Raiders did beat Rutgers Prep, but shouldn’t head-to-head count for something, too?
In any event, Montgomery is still the favorite here, and the team to chase. Hillsborough should be a contender to get to the title game, but a rematch with Franklin – which they lost to, 62-57, back on December 18, just three games into the season – potentially awaits in the second round if the Warriors can pick up a first-round road win at Freehold Twp.
Fourth-seed East Brunswick also should be a contender, and we could see a Bears-Raiders semifinal matchup for a trip to the finals if things go according to chalk. Sayreville is also very good, and the seventh-seeded Bombers could be a dark horse here.
Central Jersey Group 2
There are only a couple area teams here, and on opposite ends of the spectrum – and the bracket. Wall earned the one-seed here, while Metuchen got the two. The 23-4 Bulldogs will open with 15-seed Delran, and – if they advance – would get the winner of the 10/7 game between Point Pleasant Boro and Rumson-Fair Haven. They have a favorable path as the two-seed, with home court through the semifinals, if they get that far. Spotswood is on the other side of the bracket as the 13-seed, and they get Delaware Valley, the four-seed at 19-8, which beat Group 4 Hunterdon Central Friday night, 69-62 in overtime, for their first-ever the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament championship.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
What a brutal section! Two excellent state powers in Linden and Plainfield – the second of which won Group 4 last year – got the two- and fourth-seeds, respectively. GMC Tournament runner-up Piscataway gets the top-seed here, and after 16th-seed JP Stevens, they would get either ninth-seed Columbia or eighth-seed Dickinson. Linden, at least, is in the other half of the bracket from Piscataway, but the Chiefs – if they make it to the semifinals – would likely get four-seed Plainfield. They draw four-seed Bridgewater-Raritan in the opening round, which would be a huge upset for the Panthers if they pull it off. Bridgewater had won eight straight to start the season, then lost eight of their next 13, but have since won five straight, albeit not against anyone in the same stratosphere as the Cardinals.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
Bernards is the only area team here, and they’ll open up on the road with Weequahic. A win should pit them against the top-seed Newark Collegiate in the quarterfinals.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
Four-time defending champion Colonia got off to a 2-6 start, then went 14-2 the rest of the way heading into Wednesday’s GMC Tournament semifinals. They dropped that game to Piscataway, and in a state tourney tune-up, they lost Saturday at Northern Highlands, 57-54. But the bottom line is this team figured it out, after losing so many key players in the off season – the biggest of which were Aiden Derkack and R.J. Wortman – and have the horses to compete and get to another final. They could get last year’s title game opponent, Mendham, in the semis this time, if it works out, with the highest seed on the other side of the bracket being Chatham, the two-seed.
Don’t count out 6th-seed South Plainfield here; anyone who can knock off now-GMC Tournament champion St. Joseph-Metuchen – as they did, 55-54, at home on January 27th – has a chance to win a title. And if they get to the final, it could be against Colonia. And while the Patriots beat them in the North 2, Group 3 title game in 2022, and knocked them out in the semis in 2023 and 2024, the teams split this year. South Plainfield beat them on January 6th at home, 56-42, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. That was Colonia’s sixth loss in their first eight games. But the Patriots returned the favor in a GMC Tournament rematch, 51-48, in the quarterfinals. Round 3 anyone? In Colonia’s gym? Best playoff atmosphere in the GMC in that cramped, deafeningly loud gym? We’ll take it!
Central Jersey Group 1
Dominated by College Achieve Central two years ago, they’re no longer in the NJSIAA. Dominated by Thrive Charter a year ago, they’re still here, but likely not for long, under the NJSIAA’s playoff success formula, which moves non-traditional public schools to larger sections based on playoff wins and titles. That’s no solace to all the other tiny public schools in the bracket, like nine-seed Bound Brook, which will be on the road to open against eight-seed Henry Hudson, and – if they win – would likely have to go down to Trenton to face Thrive (formerly Trenton Catholic).
Manville also has had a fine season – they beat Bound Brook twice after having not beaten them in two decades – and gets the six-seed here, opening up at home with 11-seed Dunellen. But before they get a crack at Thrive, they’ll have to get by a strong second-seed in the semis, Point Pleasant Beach.
Non-Public South A
GMC Tournament Champion St. Joseph-Metuchen will open up as the four-seed here, hosting 13-seed Donovan Catholic in the opening round Thursday night. After that, they’d get the winner of five-0seed Red Bank Catholic and 12-seed St. John Vianney, then would have to beat the top-seed Paul VI before a potential final against two-seed CBA, which would be down at Lenape High School in Medford Lakes, a neutral site. No doubt it’s a gauntlet, and a big step up in the later rounds from what they play in the GMC. Time to really give the program a test in the first season back for Mark Taylor’s rejuvenated program.
Non-Public North B
Gill St. Bernard’s lost to Roselle Catholic in last year’s final, with a controversial ending that cost head coach Mergin Sina the first two games of the season. But whatever, he got his money’s worth, and it didn’t affect the Knights at all. With just two losses – to St. Peter’s Prep and Linden, neither of whom could they face in the states – and winners of 20 in a row, we should be looking at a rematch between top-seed Gill and the second-seeded Lions. Both have opening round byes, and should likely cruise to the finals. We’ve seen the Knights several times this year; they are no joke. They play big boy basketball. See ya in Paterson on March 9th, where Kennedy High School hosts the neutral site boys’ and girls’ North B finals.
Non-Public South B
And while Rutgers Prep may have lost three times to Gill St. Bernard’s this season – most recently in the Somerset County Tournament final Saturday, 84-73 – they’re very good, too. They got the top seed and a first-round bye with a 16-9 record, and could potentially face 8th-seed and defending champion St. Rose in the second round, if things go to chalk. It may not be easy – the state tournament never is – but anything short of a finals appearance would be a disappointment. If they get to the neutral court finals at Lenape, they should face either two-seed Holy Cross Prep or three-seed Holy Spirit.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Please note that early-round dates and/or times could be affected by school closures due to the weekend blizzard. This list will be updated, if necessary, as any postponements are announced.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
- (16) North Hunterdon at (1) Colonia, 7 pm
(9) Somerville at (8) Randolph, 5 pm - (12) Payne Tech at (5) Mendham, TBA
- (13) Summit at (4) Warren Hills, 7 pm
- (14) Nutley at (3) Millburn, 5:30 pm
- (11) Cliffside Park at (6) South Plainfield, 6 pm
- (10) North Plainfield at (7) Cranford, 7 pm
- (15) Fort Lee at (2) Chatham, 7 pm
Central Jersey Group 1
- (16) Keansburg at (1) Thrive Charter, 7 pm
- (9) Bound Brook at (8) Henry Hudson, 5:30 pm
- (12) New Providence at (5) Piscataway Magnet, 4 pm
- (13) Roselle Park at (4) Shore, 4 pm
- (14) South Hunterdon at (3) Middlesex, 5 pm
- (11) Dunellen at (7) Manville, 7 pm
- (10) Dayton at (7) South Amboy, 6 pm
- (15) Perth Amboy Magnet at (2) Point Pleasant Beach, 5:30 pm
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Central Jersey Group 4
- (16) Old Bridge at (1) Hillsborough, 6:30 pm
- (9) Franklin at (8) Freehold Twp, 6 pm
- (12) Hightstown at (5) Jackson Twp., 6:30 pm
- (13) Edison at (4) East Brunswick, 5 pm
- (14) Manalapan at (3) Montgomery, 5:30 pm
- (11) Hunterdon Central at (6) Trenton, 5:30 pm
- (10) South Brunswick at (7) Sayreville, 7 pm
- (15) Princeton at (2) Marlboro, 6 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
- (16) JP Stevens at (1) Piscataway, 7 pm
- (9) Columbia at (8) Dickinson, TBA
- (12) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (5) Bayonne, 4:30 pm
- (13) Bridgewater-Raritan at (4) Plainfield, 7 pm
- (14) Ferris at (3) Union, 6 pm
- (11) North Star Academy at (6) Perth Amboy, 6 pm
- (10) Ridge at (7) Elizabeth, 7 pm
- (15) Westfield at (2) Linden, 7 pm
Central Jersey Group 2
- (16) Bordentown at (1) Wall, 5:30 pm
- (9) Robbinsville at (8) Holmdel, 5:30 pm
- (12) Roselle at (5) Manasquan, 7 pm
- (13) Spotswood at (4) Delaware Valley, 7 pm
- (14) Governor Livingston at (3) Ocean Twp., 5:15 pm
- (11) Monmouth at (6) Johnson, 7 pm
- (10) Point Pleasant Boro at (7) Rumson-Fair Haven, 6:30 pm
- (15) Delran at (2) Metuchen, 6 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
- (16) Newark West Side at (1) Newark Collegiate, TBA
- (9) Bernards at (8) Weequahic, 7 pm
- (12) Hanover Park at (5) Hackettstown, 7 pm
- (13) Rutherford at (4) Madison, 6 pm
- (14) Snyder at (3) Ridgefield Park, 7 pm
- (11) Becton at (6) Caldwell, 7 pm
- (10) Hillside at (7) Voorhees, 7 pm
- (15) McNair at (2) Lyndhurst, 6 pm
Non-Public South A
- (9) Union Catholic at (8) St. Augustine, 4 pm; winner at (1) Paul VI
- (12) St. John Vianney at (5) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
- (13) Donovan Catholic at (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 7 pm
- (14) Notre Dame at (3) St. Peter’s Prep, 6 pm
- (11) St. Thomas Aquinas at (6) Immaculata, 7 pm
- (10) Pingry at (7) Camden Catholic, 7 pm
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Non-Public North B
- (9) Wardlaw-Hartridge at (8) Pioneer Academy, 4:30 pm; winner at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
- (11) Franklin School at (6) Montclair-Kimberley, 4:30 pm; winner at (3) Morris Catholic
- (10) Koinonia at (7) Timothy Christian, 5 pm; winner at (2) Roselle Catholic
Non-Public South B
- (9) Princeton Day at (8) St. Rose, 6 pm; winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
- (12) Noor-ul-iman at (5) Bishop Eustace, 6:30 pm
- (13) Moorestown Friends at (4) Doane Academy, 6 pm
- (11) Calvary Christian at (6) Ranney, 4:30 pm; winner at (3) Holy Spirit
- (10) Wildwood Catholic at (7) Gloucester Catholic, winner at (2) Holy Cross Prep
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