Category: Boys Basketball

Colonia celebrates a North 2 Group 3 sectional final win over Chatham (Photo: Nick Hart)
by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA moving Colonia boys’ basketball up to Group 4 based on new success formula

With the prevalence of charter schools live Thrive Charter and College Achieve Asbury Park in basketball, as well as public schools that draw students from outside their traditional geographical boundaries, the NJSIAA created a success formula, that moves team up in Group size for playoff qualification.

And now, Middlesex County has seen its first team be affected by the new rule, as the Colonia boys’ basketball program – which has won five straight sectional titles and six of the last seven – is moving up to Group 4. The news was announced Wednesday by the NJSIAA at its monthly meeting in Robbinsville, first reported on Twitter by Darren Cooper of Varsity Aces, and confirmed by Colonia Athletic Director Lou Grasso.

Though the official classifications won’t be out until late in 2026, right before the season starts, it’s most likely the Patriots will end up in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. It’s a brutally difficult section that this past season included Linden, Elizabeth, Piscataway, and two-time state Group 4 champion Plainfield, which beat Montgomery for a second straight year in the state final at Rutgers.

Eight other boys’ basketball teams will move up as well, according to Varsity Aces. Moving from Group 1 to Group 2 are Thrive Charter, Shabazz, and Essex County Tech. Moving from Group 2 to 3 are Middle Twp. and Camden. Besides Colonia, gGoing from Group 3 up to Group 4 are Ramapo – which had knocked out Colonia in the Group 3 semifinals four years straight from 2022 through 2025 – and Colts Neck.

Only four girls’ basketball programs made the move: Arts (Newark) from Group 1 to 2, Manasquan and Middle Twp. from Group 2 to 3, and Cherry Hill West from Group 3 to Group 4.

The Colonia boys have been in Group 3 for years, but as part of the Woodbridge Township Board of Education – which also operates Woodbridge High School and JFK Memorial High School in Iselin – they are permitted in certain special situations, but not for athletic reasons – to take students from parts of town that would normally send high schoolers to Woodbridge or Kennedy.

In the eyes of the NJSIAA, that makes them a “non-traditional public school,” and coupled with their playoff success this year, that prompted a move up, essentially saying that their success was predicated on pulling students from other areas of town who would not normally attend Colonia.

Already, one Big Central Conference school got moved up in football, as Phillipsburg will be playing in Group 5 next year instead of Group 4. The Stateliners won North 2, Group 4 each of the past two seasons, 2025 and 2024. Prior to that, they were in Group 5, and reached the sectional finals in 2023 and 2022, losing both times.

Other football schools to move up in 2026 based on the new success formula include Glassboro moving up to Group 1, Camden and Shabazz moving up from Group 2 to Group 3, Cedar Creek moving from Group 3 to 4, and Ramapo going from Group 4 to 5 along with Phillipsburg.

The moves have no bearing on league divisions in the Big Central, GMC, or Skyland Conference, nor for conference tournaments in basketball.

The idea of the formula is to deal with public schools that can take students from beyond their normal geographical boundaries, but are not non-public schools, which can admit anyone from anywhere in the state. Charters are considered public schools, based on how they are funded and accessibility. There are also choice and tuition schools, among others, like county vo-techs, academies, and magnet schools.

The success factor awards one point for each in through the sectional semifinals of the state tournament, two for winning a sectional title, three for a state semifinal and four for a state title. Those with three or more non-resident athletes on the roster while accumulating seven or more points in basketball (six in football) move up the next season, depending on the type of school. 

According to the rules, choice schools, those that accept tutition-paying students, and those with satellite campuses for county academies must meet both criteria.  Charters, county Vo-Tech, magnet/academy schools and those with open enrollment policies only need to meet the points criteria.

Responding to an email requesting information under which category Colonia was affected, NJSIAA Chief Compliance Officer Paul Popadiuk told Central Jersey Sports Radio Wednesday evening Colonia was classified as open enrollment, “allowing students outside its geographical borders.  

That means Colonia only needed to meet the point requirement, which it did, accumulating eight points as the Patriots went all the way to the Group 3 finals for the first time in program history.

Popaduik further explained that because Woodbridge has three high schools and students are permitted to attend a school outside their zone, making Colonia an open enrollment school, the issue of residency is irrelevant; Colonia only needed to pass the point threshold.

The issue first came up three seasons ago when longtime Roselle Catholic head coach Dave Boff went down the Shore to lead College Achieve Asbury Park. That raised the profile of the tiny school, as Boff brought in major Division 1 prospects.

Traditionally, many charter schools, often small, have not achieved great success in the state tournament. But Boff’s team steamrolled through the playoffs in 2023-24, beating tiny Manville for the Central Jersey Group 1 title, and Newark Tech in the state Group 1 final.

Now, College Achieve has a “regional” and national team, with the national team not playing in the NJSIAA, while the regional squad does. But it only won six games combined the last two seasons since its inception, with the most talented players being on the national team roster.

Thrive Charter also became an issue with public school coaches for similar reasons. Manville ran into them in 2025, a year after losing to College Achieve, falling to Thrive in the Central Jersey Group 2 semis to cap a 19-9 season, one of the program’s best ever in terms of wins, and certainly its best in years.

“I am in favor of the success formula,” Manville head coach Bill Rooney told Central Jersey Sports Radio Wednesday. “I think it will help even out the non-traditional publics and allow for a competitive balance for the true public schools. I wish it would have happened a few years ago, but what are you going to do?”

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery’s Kris Grundy honored with John Wooden Legacy Award from state, national Basketball Coaches Associations

After a third straight sectional championship in Central Jersey Group 4, and a second straight trip to the Group 4 state finals, Montgomery boys’ basketball coach Kris Grundy has been honored with the John Wooden Legacy Award, given annually to one boys’ and girls’ coach in every state.

It’s from the New Jersey and National High School Basketball Coaches association in conjunction with the John Wooden Family and the Wooden Foundation.

The award goes to a “long-time, active basketball coach who also serves as an outstanding educator and who, through their excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community, embodies the characteristics of coach John Wooden – Excellence, Longevity, Character, Leadership and Service,” according to the NCBCA website.

Grundy told Central Jersey Sports Radio Monday he was “extremely honored and surprised” when he got the news.

“Obviously, to win an award that has Coach Wooden’s name attached to it is something I never would have dreamed of when I started this journey over 20 years ago,” Grundy said.

Grundy received the award at the NJBCA North/South All-Star Game at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, where Penn-bound senior point guard and two-time Central Jersey Sports Radio Somerset County Boys’ Player of the Year Ethan Lin represented Montgomery on the South squad.

Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy (left) with Penn-bound senior Ethan Lin at the NJBCA All-Star Game at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, NJ, on March 29, 2026. (submitted photo)

“What made the day even more special,” Grundy added, “other than the fact that I had family members there to celebrate with me was the fact that one of my mentors, Jim Baglin, the legendary coach for Mendham High School, also got honored with a lifetime achievement award. So it was cool for him to be able to see me receive this award, considering how instrumental he has been in my development as a coach.”

The Cougars went 26-5 this past season, with only two public school losses – to Linden in the regular season by two, and to Plainfield in the state final – while winning the Central Jersey Group 4 title in an overtime thriller on the road against neighbor and rival Hillsborough. They finished the year with a No. 3 ranking in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.mon

“Obviously, this was a very emotional season for a variety of reasons,” said Grundy, “and I know that my dad, although not here in person, was looking down with so much pride when I received the award.”

Grundy’s father, Michael, passed away at the age of 77 on February 23rd of this year, three days before the Cougars’ opening game in the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional playoffs, in which they beat Manalapan, 76-40.

Grundy says he “can’t stress to everyone enough that this award would not have been possible without the support of my wife, Megan, my three boys – Jack, Ryan and Matty – and a coaching staff, administration, booster club and an alumni base that is second to none.”

by Mike Pavlichko

Edison native, JP Stevens alum Dylan Brett gets call of a lifetime with Hofstra basketball’s run to the Big Dance

It all started for Dylan Brett when he was nine years old.

Edison Pop Warner couldn’t find anyone to do the public address during a game. Someone asked him.

He wound up calling every play, like it was on the radio, not just announcing who carried the ball or made the tackle.

It wasn’t quite the assignment, but the parents loved it, and it stuck.

Fast forward more than a decade, and the JP Stevens grad is at Hofstra University’s student radio station WRHU, one of the top college radio stations in the nation.

How it started, and how it’s going, as they say.

Brett was at the microphone just a few weeks ago, as the Flying Dutchmen won the CAA Tourney, on the call as they beat Monmouth in the final to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It was Hofstra’s first trip to March Madness in 25 years.

Now a senior, he recently called his final college basketball game, a loss to Alabama in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

But there could be plenty of college basketball games in his future. His Twitter post of the overtime game winner by Preston Edmead with just tenths of a second left has gone viral, leading to many connections he hopes will bear fruit soon after graduation.

An improbable run for a kid from Edison, remember that name Dylan Brett. Next time you hear him, it might be on ESPN.

Click below to hear Edison native Dylan Brett talk about getting his start behind a microphone, and his wild ride with the Hofstra men’s basketball team on campus radio station WRHU, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Edison native and JP Stevens grad Dylan Brett of WRHU Radio at Hofstra at the NCAA Tournament, as the team made its first appearance in 25 years. (Source: @DylanBrxtt on Twitter)
by Alec Crouthamel

Jose Rodriguez wins CJSR’s GMC Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year after yet another breakthrough year at Colonia

Jose Rodriguez’ accomplishments at Colonia could fill a book in his eight years at the helm.

Six sectional championships – including the Patriots’ current run of five straight – back-to-back GMC Tournament titles, multiple Division I talents, and a whole lot of wins.

And yet, the only thing missing was an appearance in the state final.

Colonia did just that this season, a remarkable feat after losing four starters from last year’s sectional and GMC Tournament champions. Even after a 2-6 start, the Patriots improved and developed every day, responding with a 17-4 stretch with a ten-game win streak in the middle of it. They made it to the GMC Tournament semifinals before falling to Piscataway, and then worked through the North 2, Group 3 bracket to finish off the five-peat.

After losing to Ramapo in the previous four state semifinal appearances, Colonia finally broke through and made it to the Group 3 final for the first time with a win over Montville. Though the Patriots’ season ultimately ended in a loss to Ocean City in the state final, their response to adversity and youth development earned Rodriguez CJSR’s GMC Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

The Rodriguez family did plenty with the ball in their hands as well. Son Jayce broke out as a sophomore after playing key depth minutes off the bench as a freshman, earning All-GMC honors, averaging 20 points per game, while scoring in double-figures in every game this season.

New to the rotation were underclassmen forwards, freshman Desmond Rudanovic and sophomore Teagan Amponsah. Rudanovic led the team in rebounds at 6-foot-7, while Amponsah improved drastically in front of the Patriots’ very eyes, including a dynamite defensive game in the sectional final win over Chatham. Guards Jayden Johnson and Tyron Holloway — a junior and sophomore, respectively — played big minutes as well, relied on to handle the ball and play solid defense whenever they came into the game.

While the Patriots were a primarily young team, they did have some key experience leading the way. Rodriguez has raved about senior point guard Dylan Chiera — headed to the University of Charleston in West Virginia to play quarterback — at every opportunity. Fellow senior forward Nfa Clyne saw a leap of his own in playing time and responsibilities as one of the team’s top wing defenders and rebounders. Senior wing Tyler Herman also found himself in the starting lineup after his time as a reserve last season, but served as a key defender and leader on the floor.

Not many people could have imagined that Colonia would work itself to Jersey Mike’s Arena for a state title after a 2-6 start on January 6th.

But those in the Patriots locker room never lost faith. And that faith was rewarded with yet another hurdle leapt over in the small-but-raucous confines of the Colonia High School gym.

Click below to hear Colonia boys basketball coach Jose Rodriguez talk about the Patriots’ 2025-26 season, their postseason run, and the program’s future with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

by Alec Crouthamel

Mergin Sina named CJSR’s Somerset County Boys Coach of the Year after Knights’ first state crown

Mergin Sina has coached plenty of great teams at Gill St. Bernard’s, with talented players that went on to achieve great things at the collegiate level.

But there’s one thing he hadn’t done as the head coach of the Knights’ boys’ team, one thing the program as a whole had not done before.

Hold up the state championship trophy.

This year’s Gill team did just that, rattling off 24 consecutive wins to end the year, winning the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, the Somerset County Tournament, the Non-Public North B sectional crown, and finally, the Non-Public B title at Rutgers last week.

For the team’s efforts, Sina earned CJSR’s Somerset County boys Coach of the Year.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Knights early on. They dealt with some tough tests amid a rugged schedule in and out of conference play, with losses to St. Peter’s Prep and Linden before the new year.

But all of a sudden, Gill turned it around. It started with a New Year’s Day victory over St. Mary’s (Ruth.) — who the Knights later defeated in the sectional semifinals. One win turned into three, which turned into five, which turned into ten, which turned into… well, you get the point.

Some wins came easily, taking a big lead from the jump and cruising to the finish line. Others were true grinders, including the sectional final win over Roselle Catholic, avenging last year’s loss on the same stage.

No matter the style, Gill ran the table in the 2026 calendar year, and relied on a battle-tested core of major contributors. Seniors Dorsett Mulcahy, Declan Corrigan, and Prosper Sonkoua went out on top to end their high school careers, while juniors Jahmal Dixon and Niko West, and sophomore Connor Junker set another building block to work from as the Knights will defend their title next season.

But for now, the Gill St. Bernard’s boys stand at the final mountaintop, for the first time in Sina’s illustrious career.

Click below to hear Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mergin Sina talk about the Knights’ 2025-26 season, the state final, and the long winning streak to end the year with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Group 3 Finals (Boys): Ocean City, Montgomery 40

Despite a 22-point game from sophomore Jayce Rodriguez, North 2, Group 3 champ Colonia lost to South Jersey Group 3 champion Ocean City, 55-46, in the NJSIAA state Group 3 title game, giving the Red Raiders their first state title since 1964.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway on March 15, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Heady Montgomery point guard Ethan Lin repeats as CJSR Somerset County Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year

Basketball is a team sport, but without Ethan Lin, it’s highly likely Montgomery isn’t Central Jersey Group 4 champions three years running.

The smart, skilled, and unflappable point guard was the Central Jersey Sports Radio Somerset County Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year in 2024-25, and now he’s repeated the feat in 2025-26.

Last season, he was coming off a horiffic broken leg injury that truncated his sophomore season. He came back stronger than ever for his junior year, and that trajectory continued this season.

He’s the first back-to-back winner since another pretty good player did it in 2022, and 2023: Mikayla Blakes of Rutgers Prep. She’s doing alright these days, only the leading scorer in the nation in D1 women’s basketball, scoring 27 points per game for Vanderbilt, where she was just announced Thursday as a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy, given to the Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year. A two-seed in the NCAA Tournament, they open play at home Saturday against High Point.

Lin reminds us – in the way he runs the game – of former East Brunswick standout point guard Amir Bell, who lead the Bears to a Central Jersey Group 4 title in 2013 as a junior. He then went on to be a standout at Princeton, where he was a thousand-point scorer, and most recently played in the German Bundesliga.

In the Group 4 semifinals against Cherry Hill East – a 30-point blowout win, 67-37 – Lin scored “just” nine points. And while many would look at that and say he was “held” to nine, he more realistically held himself to nine points. An unselfish player, he saw opportunities to get the ball to teammates Shree Mallavarpu and Connor Benedict, who scored a career-high 23 and a near-career high 28 points, respectively, as they dominated the game.

Or, as his father said to us afterward, “I think they game planned a lot for Ethan, but they forgot everyone else.”

That’s what makes Lin special, his feel for the game that not every player has.

Lin will be headed to play at the University of Pennsylvania next year. The Quakers of the Ivy League won the Ivy Madness Tournament title, and are in the NCAA Tournament as 15 seed, playing third-seed Illinois of the Big Ten Thursday evening at 9:25.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Basketball two-time Player of the Year Ethan Lin:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Prosper Highlander, Gill St. Bernard’s: The senior from Cameroon – full name Prosper Highlander Sonkoua, who dropped the Highlander this year and went by Sonkoua – averaged 15.6 points and 72. rebounds a game this year, and emerging as a big prospect in the class of 2026, currently uncommited. He also hit 37 treys and had 33 blocks and 74 steals for the first-time Non-Public B state champs.
  • Dorsett Mulcahy, Gill St. Bernard’s: The senior point guard – who will head to Canisius next year – has been a rock for Mergin Sina’s Knights, even during a downturn a couple of years ago during a season where the roster was very much in flux. But this year, he upped his game and scored career-high 502 points, averaging 18.6 points per game, with a career-best 66 treys. The Knights finished second in the state – behind only Rutgers Prep – with 254 triples on the year.
  • Will Brunson, Rutgers Prep: Merely a sophomore, Brunson scored 22.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season for a squad that reached the Somerset County Tournament finals. He also hit 53 treys, part of a 282-three barrage by the Argonauts that led the entire state of New Jersey
  • Riley Gorman, Immaculata: A senior, Gorman graduates with 1,238 points, cracking the 1k barrier in the Somerset County Tournament, in a win over Bernards. Averaging 22 points a game, he hit 91 threes, and finished his career with 168. And in 28 games played this season, he scored in double figures in all but one, a two-point effort against Westfield where he wasn’t feeling well and sat the second half.
  • Aaron Feath, Hillsborough: Also just a sophomore, he plays on a team with his older brother Derek, but not at all in his shadow. The kid hit big shots all year for a team that won 22 games and lost just eight, and scored at a team-best 18.5 point per game clip, while dishing out 103 assists.
  • Josh D’Ambrosio, Manville: Going 19-9 for a second straight year, D’Ambrosio – also an excellent football player – brought that physicality to the hardwood. He averaged 14.5 points per game, dished 100 assists for the second straight year, and hit 66 treys, giving him 219 in a four-year varsity career.

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph’s Aidan Carter helped lead Falcons to the top of the heap, named GMC boys’ basketball Player of the Year

There are a lot of good boys’ basketball players in Middlesex County. Some, you’ll see at the end of this article.

But one in particular got all the hype in the preseason, and it turns out none of it was hot air.

Injuries hobbled Aidan Carter last year at St. Thomas Aquinas, which had some of its own upheaval going on around the basketball program after the departure of Bob Turco, who moved on to Piscataway and took the Chiefs right to the county finals. He managed to play 13 games, and averaged 12.8 per contest, hitting nine treys on the season.

But he was perhaps the biggest prize Mark Taylor picked up upon his return to St. Joseph-Metuchen during the off-season. Sure, Joel Patrick from Union made a splash, and Andrew Kretkowski – who came from Rutgers Prep – asserted himself as a leader early on.

And with Carter having to sit the first 30 days due to NJSIAA transfer rules, the Falcons were still 7-0 before he could step foot on the floor. Minus an opener against Wesley College (Australia), the St. Joe’s was winning games, but with Carter, they began to dominate.

Wins by ten and 20 points turned into wins by 20, 30 or more. They had height, and would fly all over the court.

But a 6′ 7″ junior guard who could do it all? He turned out to be perhaps the most valuable piece for St. Joseph, and he’s the Central Jersey Sports Radio GMC boys’ basketball Player of the Year.

Carter upped his game, not having to be bothered by an injury. He played in 24 games, only sitting out what he was required to, and finished with an 18.2 point per game average, nine boards per contest, and 23 triples on the year, to go along with 188 assists, 40 blocks and 63 steals.

Click below to hear from St. Joseph-Metuchen’s Aidan Carter, the GMC Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year:

GMC Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year Honorable Mentions:

  • Andrew Kretkowski, St. Joseph-Metuchen: A transfer in who started his first two seasons at Rutgers Prep, Kretkowski was the second-leading scorer for the Falcons at 17.5 points per game, with 8.2 rebounds. Like Carter, he has in infectious energy that helped rejuvenate his teammates in a huge bounce-back year for St. Joe’s
  • Jayce Rodriguez, Colonia: Along with Dylan Chiera, Jayce was one of two returning starters for a Patriot program that lost major pieces in the off-season, including Aiden Derkack and R.J. Wortman. But his steady demeaner – along with his 20/2 points per game and 79 treys – helped lead Colonia to a fifth straight North 2, Group 3 title, and to its first state championship game in school history.
  • Sam Jones, Sayreville: Scoring a personal best 617 points this season (22.1 ppg) with 66 treys, Jones will graduate as the all-time leader in scoring – boys or girls – at Sayreville, first passing 1970s standout Steve Makwinski’s boys’ record, then Rhonda Rompola’s school record, set in 1978. He finished his career 1ith 1,853 points and 233 triples.
  • Donald Nwaigwe, Piscataway: A thousand-point scorer in four varsity seasons for the Chiefs (who only scored three points in nine games his freshman year, making it even more impressive) Nwaigwe is an energetic ballplayer who averaged 15.7 points per game this season and 8.2 rebounds, leading Piscataway in both categories.
  • Matt Mikulka, East Brunswick: The Bears had their best season since the Bo Henning era, winning 21 games, with Mikulka a big reason why. The senior point guard averaged 20.7 points per game this season, and connected on 83 triples.
  • Yandel Susana, Perth Amboy: Susana was the most prolific scorer the Panthers have had in a single season since Josh Cabezudo scored 544 in 2017-18. He scored 484 points for a 17.2 point per game average as Amboy won its first division title since 1993.
  • Cameron Hayes-Durina: Averaging 16.3 points a game for the Bulldogs (he’s also a solid football player) helped Metuchen to a 24-5 season, 7-0 in the GMC’s White National to win the division, its first title since winning the GMC Blue in 2006, a year the Bulldogs went all the way to the GMC Tournament title game, ultimately falling to Colonia.

by Mike Pavlichko

Smooth sailing in winter championships welcome for NJSIAA, with more experiences at Rutgers to come

Someone will always complain about something – a seed, a snow day – but on the whole, things seemed to go quite swimmingly these last few weeks in the state tournaments for the NJSIAA.

After some hot controversies over the last couple of years, it’s welcome news.

There was Manasquan-Camden’s controversial ending in basketball two seasons ago, then the Anthony Knox wrestling saga last season. But the best news to come out of this week’s state championships – whether it was wrestling at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, or 12 state title basketball games at Rutgers – was that it was all about the champions.

NJSIAA Executive Director Collen Maguire was at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway Sunday for the last day of championships, after spending the last few days down in Atlantic City with the wrestling tournament. And nearly every official with the NJSIAA was nearly all smiles all weekend.

No pointed questions from reporters, no challenges working its way through the courts. The way it should be.

About the biggest challenge for the NJSIAA was dealing with a massive winter snowstorm a couple of weeks ago as the basketball tournament got underway. Originally slated to begin on Tuesday, February 24th with the opening round for public schools in Groups 2 and 4, the blizzard not only postponed those games, but also the opening round for Group 1 and 3 publics on Wednesday.

The NJSIAA smartly had enough breaks baked into the schedule, and it simply moved those days – and the sectional quarterfinal rounds – back two days. Some didn’t like it, and would have preferred to play on time, but the move essentially allowed referee assignments to stay the same, and keep everyone on the same track, rather than having some teams play earlier and have more of a break before the next round. It was the most fair and equitable decision it could make.

And the state athletic association even adjusted is non-public game sites on the fly when some teams – like St. Joseph-Metuchen and St. Peter’s Prep, which are designated Non-Public “South A” schools – had quite the distance to travel. St. Peter’s is in Jersey City, for example, and was faced with traveling far past the home court of its lower-seeded opponent.

Add to all that, a few years into Maguire’s tenure leading the state athletic association, the NJSIAA isn’t sitting still on its championships. A few years ago, she brokered a deal to keep all the state championships in basketball at Rutgers, a central location in the state, rather than have some there, and others down at the RWJBarnabas Arena in Toms River.

It’s a great facility, but it’s not Rutgers, and it just doesn’t have the same cachet. The NJSIAA says it wants a world-class experience for its student-athletes, and Rutgers is it. Plus, it’s as Central a location as you could get.

Sure, some will complain about the price of parking. But those things come with having such a big event. Is $20 really that bad when you can stay and watch four great high school basketball games over eight hours? That’s about $2.50 an hour, maybe a bit more than your average parking meter.

Back in late January, the NJSIAA announced it would move its baseball finals from picturesque Veterans’ Park in Hamilton to Bainton Field at Rutgers, right across from Jersey Mike’s Arena. The park was beautiful, but as the NJSIAA has said, it simply outgrew the park, which had limited parking, a curfew (that provided a controversy of its own last year over a long-running game that had to be suspended and picked up the next day, no tarp (which led to games frequently being rescheduled), and scant cell service that often forced reporters to file stories from their cars, where there could maybe get one more bar – or one at all – on their mobile hotspots.

On Saturday, after the state Group 4 final, we ventured over to see the new facility, which actually is more impressive than any picture released online has even shown.

Brand-new elevated bleachers wrap around from beyond both dugouts, with 400 seat-back chairs directly behind the plate, and a new press-box replaces the antiquated one that used to sit at field level behind home plate, now with plenty of room inside and out for media.

Some of the credit goes to Rutgers here, too. The baseball move happened on the watch of new Athletic Director Keli Zinn, who only began the job last summer, and was hired by similarly-new University President William Tate. They seem to understand the value of having such events on campus.

Even the Greater Middlesex Conference has had discussions with Zinn, and we hear at least one of the topics was to bring the basketball championship doubleheader back to RU. The county finals had been held there for decades, predating the formation of the GMC for the 1985-86 season. (In fact, the first live basketball game this reporter ever attended was the 1984 Middlesex County Tournament final, at age six, when St. Peter’s of New Brunswick beat St. Joe’s-Metuchen in the final.

But the GMC moved to Middlesex County College in 2019 and 2020, citing cost issues at Rutgers. And after COVID, the league began holding the semifinals and finals all at Monroe Township High School, where it has remained since.

But with all due respect, what sounds better as a preseason mantra? “We want to make it to Monroe” or “We want to make it to Rutgers?”

by Mike Pavlichko

From 6-16 to GMC Tournament champs, rejuvenated St. Joseph-Metuchen named CJSR Boys’ Basketball Team of the Year

A year ago, St. Joseph boys’ basketball was a mess. Karl Towns, Sr. – the father of Falcon great Karl-Anthony Towns, who brought the Metuchen school a Tournament of Champions title in 2014 – was on his way out after a disastrous 6-16 season, where he barely coached the team, and seemed to spend more time watching his famous son play at Madison Square Garden after being traded from Minnesota to the Knicks.

Oh, how things changed quickly.

St. Joseph went with a known commodity: Mark Taylor, a 1983 graduate who later coached Jay Williams and Andrew Bynum and won two GMC titles in his first go-round, then later coached at Ridge and St. Benedict’s Prep.

He brought in key transfers, including Aidan Carter from nearby St. Thomas Aquinas, Andrew Kretkowski from Rutgers Prep, and Joel Patrick from Union, among others. The last two played right away, but Carter had to sit 30 days due to NJSIAA transfer rules.

A beautifully-voiced singer once told us it’s “never as good as the first time,” but this one proved the exception to the rule.

The Falcons won their first 16 games before taking a loss, a 55-54 defeat on the road at South Plainfield. It prompted a nearly 45-minute postgame meeting in the visiting lockerroom, but Taylor later called it the best thing that could have happened to his team.

It must have been, because they won their next 13 games, too – blitzing through the GMC Tournament to win the championship, making it all the way to Jackson for the Non-Public South A finals, where they eventually lost to St. Peter’s Prep, a juggernaut that beat five different Central Jersey Sports Radio-area squads this year.

And while they may not have finished the year No. 1 – that went to Gill St. Bernard’s, which won its division, county tournament, state sectional and first-ever state championship – the Falcons’ turnaround and league title earns Team of the Year honors from Central Jersey Sports Radio.

By the way, the Falcons aren’t done yet. Who knows what Taylor has up his sleeve for next year, with Alijah Muprhy the biggest senior graduation, as the core of Kretkowksi, Carter and Patrick will return.

Click below to hear from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Boys’ Basketball Team of the Year, including juniors Aidan Carter and Andrew Kretkowski, along with head coach Mark Taylor: