Category: Boys Basketball Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

Few changes in Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten, but Hillsborough joins the pack

Once again,m there were few changes in the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7, as Gill St. Bernard’s and St. Joseph-Metuchen remain Nos. 1 and 2, while Hillsborough joins the back having won eight of its last nine games. No one dropped out this week, with two teams tied for tenth.

At No. 1 is Gill St. Bernard’s (15-2), winners of eleven straight. The Knights went 3-0 in the week gone by, with an 88-63 win over Hunterdon Central Tuesday, a 79-41 victory at Watchung Hills Thursday, then another win over CBA, 64-52, at the Big Jersey Showcase at Caldwell University Saturday.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (16-0) holds in the No. 2 spot. The Falcons won a pair of GMC games during the week – 81-25 at Woodbridge Tuesday and 59-45 at No. 6 East Brunswick Thursday – then followed it up with a 39-35 win over Coatesville (PA) in a showcase Saturday at Paterson STEAM

Holding in third is Pingry (11-4), also with a 3-0 week. The Big Blue were 46-44 winners at Phillipsburg Tuesday, then 71-53 home winners over Ridge on Thursday, before winning a non-conference matchup Saturday against South Plainfield, 54-50. Tuesday at 5:30, they have a meeting at No. 5 Montgomery.

Rutgers Prep (11-6) checks in at No. 4, after a 2-1 week. They won a GMC crossover at East Brunswick Tuesday night, 77-63, then won at Immaculata Thursday back in Skyland Conference play, 93-87, before falling Saturday, 74-52, to Roselle Catholic in the Big Jersey Showcase at Caldwell University, snapping a five-game winning streak.

Montgomery (14-3) has won six straight and holds in fifth after going 2-0 this past week. They won Tuesday at Ridge, 44-37, then beat Franklin at home, 70-44.

Holding at six is East Brunswick (15-3), despite a 1-2 week, but those two losses were to teams above them in the rankings. Tuesday, they lost 77-63 to fourth-ranked Rutgers Prep, then Thursday, lost to undefeated No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 59-45. The Bears got back on the winning side of things Saturday with an 88-55 blowout of Old Bridge.

Still in seventh is Immaculata (12-3), after a 2-1 week. They had a Tuesday 60-55 win at Franklin and a Saturday 82-71 win at Irvington sandwiched around an 93-87 loss Thursday to No. 4 Rutgers Prep.

Jumping into the top ten this week is Hillsborough (11-4), which has won four straight.They beat rival and then-No. 8 Bridgewater-Raritan handily on Tuesday, 53-35, then got a 67-41 win Thursday at Hunterdon Central before beating Ewing at home, 57-44, Saturday afternoon.

Piscataway (12-5) holds steady at No. 8, after a 2-0 week, with a big one coming up this Tuesday. Last week, they beat St. Thomas Aquinas 61-58 in Edison on Thursday, then won 82-46 Saturday at Monroe. The Chiefs are back in action with a big one Tuesday at No. 6 East Brunswick.

And Hillsborough’s debut this week bumps Bridgewater-Raritan (11-4) down into a tenth-place tie with Somerville (11-5). The Panthers lost Tuesday at Hillsborough, 53-35, then bounced back with a Thursday home win over Phillipsburg, 50-36. The Pioneers, meanwhile, lost at North Hunterdon Tuesday, 60-41, then rebounded with a 62-59 win Thursday at Delaware Valley. And the two will meet later this season, on February 12th in Bridgewater.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7:

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten holds steady; Gill, St. Joe’s remain 1-2

Six of the teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving boys’ basketball rankings had perfect weeks last week, and it led to no changes in the Week Six Top Ten.

Gill St. Bernard’s (12-2) picked up a pair of league wins in the week gone by – 69-38 over No. 3 Pingry Tuesday, and 74-46 at Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday. The Knights have won eight straight and – absent a big upset loss in the next week – should be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Somerset County Tournament, which will be seeded next Monday, January 26th. In the past couple of weeks, they’ve beaten Rutgers Prep, Montgomery, Pingry (which knocked off Prep two weeks ago) and Bridgewater-Raritan (which was 9-1 heading into last week).

St. Joseph-Metuchen (13-0) remains undefeated and holds at No. 2, coming up with two GMC wins this past week: Tuesday at Colonia, 54-50, and Thursday over Piscataway at home, 64-57. On Saturday, they gained a 56-44 win over Berkmar (GA) in the Hoops for Harmony showcase at William Penn H.S. in New Castle, Delaware.

Holding in third is Pingry (8-4), despite a 1-2 week. The Big Blue – who jumped up big into the rankings a last week after beating Rutgers Prep, lost Tuesday at No. 1 Gill St. Bernard’s, 69-38, and at home Thursday to Hillsborough, 53-48, before winning Saturday at Princeton Day, 43-29.

At No. 4 again is Rutgers Prep (9-5), which was 3-0 in the week gone by, but has a head-to-head loss to Pingry from a couple weeks ago. This past week, Prep beat Bridgewater-Raritan at home, 72-56, then won 74-60 at Hunterdon Central. Saturday, the Argonauts beat Holy Cross, 77-59 in the Jimmy V. Classic down at Central Regional in Bayville.

Fifth is Montgomery (12-3), which is on a four-game win stream, picking up a trios of dubs in the week gone by. Tuesday, the Cougars won 53-37 at Hillsborough before grabbing a pair of home victories: Thursday over Phillipsburg, 74-48, and Saturday 62-57 over St. Thomas Aquinas in a GMC-Skyland crossover.

Holding at six is East Brunswick (14-1). The Bears won three games this week to extend their current winning streak to eight. Tuesday, they won at South Plainfield, 56-46, then beat Governor Livingston at home on Thursday, 59-27, before picking up a Saturday win at Woodbridge, 73-49.

In seventh again this week is Immaculata (10-2). The Spartans topped Hunterdon Central at home Tuesday, 64-56, then won Thursday at Watchung Hills, 61-59, before coming back home Saturday to beat in-town rival and No. 10 Somerville, 83-51, dropping eleven three-pointers in a game for the third time in their last four outings.

Holding at No. 8 is Bridgewater-Raritan (10-3), which had a brutal schedule this past week. First, it was a 72-56 loss at Rutgers Prep Tuesday, then a 74-46 loss to Gill St. Bernard’s at home on Thursday. The Panthers rebounded with a 66-50 win at South Plainfield on Saturday.

In ninth is Piscataway (10-5). The Chiefs won 77-57 at Old Bridge Tuesday, but then dropped two in a row, falling Thursday at No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 64-57, and Saturday to Colonia, 65-62,

And holding in tenth is Somerville (10-4), which went 2-2 this past week. Monday, they won at College Achieve Central, 63-32, then they picked up a 73-64 win Tuesday at American History. But the Pioneers dropped their next two, including a 57-53 loss against Bernards on Thursday, and an 83-51 defeat at in-town rival and No. 7 Immaculata Saturday afternoon.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Six:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top Ten losses reshuffle the entire deck in Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball rankings

For the first time this season, the entire Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten got a complete reshuffle.

It was a challenging week to be sure, as a few top ten teams suffered multiple losses this week, whether in conference play or at showcase games. And the end result is one new team in the rankings, and a new No. 1 squad.

Gill St. Bernard’s (9-3) is the new top team after getting through a heck of a schedule this past week. They opened with a 79-46 win over Ridge, then passed tests from two of the Skyland Conference’s elite – winning 64-53 Thursday at Montgomery (in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio) and again Saturday at home over Rutgers Prep, 90-84. The Knights should have the inside track at the top seed in the county tournament, but first will have to get by Pingry Tuesday; the Big Blue knocked off Rutgers Prep Thursday, and would have a legitimate argument for that top seed if they can beat Gill on the road.

Meanwhile, St. Joseph-Metuchen moves up to No. 2, as they remain undefeated at 10-0. The Falcons went 4-0 in the week gone by; they were 61-45 winners over St. Thomas Aquinas at home Tuesday and beat Old Bridge 75-35 on Thursday in GMC play. Then, Saturday at the Iverson Classic Breakout Series at Paramus Catholic, they beat Archbishop Carroll (PA) 61-50. And on Sunday, they beat Wings Academy (NY), 77-36.

With an upset of Rutgers Prep Thursday, Pingry enters the top ten at No. 3. The Big Blue are 7-2, and last week, knocked off one of the league’s heavyweights in the Argonauts at home. That followed a Tuesday win over then-No. 10 Immaculata, which came back Thursday to hand Bridgewater-Raritan its first defeat of the season. Pingry took a loss Saturday, however, at Oratory Prep, 60-58.

Falling one spot to fourth was Rutgers Prep (6-5), which opened the week with an 89-73 win over Montgomery, but then lost three straight – at Pingry on Thursday, 64-58; Saturday at Gill, 90-84, and Sunday, 79-64, to St. Francis (NY) at their Shooting Stars Shootout showcase event.

Falling from No. 1 back behind Prep is Montgomery, which lost two league games during the week, at Rutgers Prep on Tuesday, then to Gill at home on Thursday. But the Cougars ended a three-game skid with a 66-45 home win over an eight-win Overbrook team from the Tri-County Conference in their own Coaches vs. Cancer Classic down in Skillman.

East Brunswick (11-1) has won five straight, and rises one spot to six this week. The Bears beat Woodbridge 80-54 on Tuesday, Monroe 72-40 on Thursday, then used a big second-half rally to win at Sayreville, 48-47, on Saturday, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Immaculata (6-2) climbed to No. 7 this week from ten. After a loss to Pingry, 64-59, back on Tuesday, they rebounded by knocking off undefeated and then-No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan on the road, 64-57. They also won Saturday, beating Hamilton 77-42.

Down two spots to No. 8 is Bridgewater-Raritan (9-1), which took its first loss of the year Thursday against Immaculata at home. That was sandwiched in between a pair of wins: Tuesday, 69-50, at Watchung Hills, and Saturday at Hillside, 69-54.

Piscataway (9-3) is down to nine after a two-loss week. They fell 68-67 Thursday to previously-ranked Sayreville, then lost Sunday afternoon to East Orange at nearby Plainfield in the Stay Public Basketball Showcase, 74-53.

And down one spot to tenth is Somerville (8-2). The Pioneers lost Tuesday 48-24 to Delaware Valley, but bounced back with a pair of wins: Thursday at home over College Achieve Central, 71-26, then Saturday, 52-20 over Westfield in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Montgomery.

Dropping out this week is No. 8 South Plainfield. The Tigers (8-3) beat Colonia Tuesday at home, 56-42, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then Woodbridge 88-68 on Thursday, but fell twice over the weekend: Saturday to Ramapo 54-30 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Montgomery, then Sunday 67-46 to Westfield in the Stay Public Basketball Showcase at Plainfield.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Five:

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery holds at No. 1 despite first loss, but there’s much shuffling elsewhere in Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten for Week 4

Only three teams – Montgomery, Somerville and Immaculata – held their ground this week in the latest Bellamy & Son Paving boys’ basketball Top Ten, the first of the New Year.

Montgomery (8-1) holds at No. 1 after a 2-1 week. In their own Cougar Holiday Classic, they beat Princeton 70-33 on Monday, then North Hunterdon 71-47 on Tuesday. Monty took its first loss of the season Saturday, 53-51, falling to Linden in the Warrior Classic down at Manasquan.

Gill St. Bernard’s (7-2) used a 3-1 week to edge up to No. 2. After a Monday loss to Linden, 73-52, at the Jingle Bells Jubilee at Paterson STEAM Academy on Monday, they went back there Thursday for the New Year’s Jump Off and beat St. Mary-Rutherford, 76-56. Saturday, they beat Don Bosco Prep on the Ironmen’s home floor, 65-58 in the Big Jersey Basketball Showcase, before finishing out the week with an 85-61 win over Trenton in the New Year’s Jump Off II at Newark Collegiate.

Rutgers Prep (5-2) split a pair this week, and falls one spot to third. The Argonauts were 96-79 winners over Cardinal Spellman (NY) in the New Year’s Eve Jump Off at Paterson STEAM Academy, then lost in the Big Jersey Basketball Showcase at Don Bosco to St. Peter’s Prep, 78-72.

The fourth and fifth place teams flip-flopped this week as well, with St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-0) having beaten Piscataway on the road Saturday, 64-53 in overtime, handing the Chiefs their first loss of the year. The Falcons also beat Middle Township on Monday, 69-37, and St. Mary’s Ryken (DC) 69-48 on Tuesday in the Winter Showcase at Paul VI in Wayne.

Piscataway (9-1) – which falls to five – had been unbeaten before the Joe’s game, winning three times in the week gone by before that matchup. They beat Ferris 62-38 Monday, and Dickinson 72-52 Tuesday in the Joe Silver Holiday Tournament at Hillside. They also beat state-ranked No. 12 Teaneck in the BWB Resolution Bumble up at FDU-Madison on New Year’s Day.

Bridgewater-Raritan (7-0) – the only undefeated team remaining in the rankings – moves up two spots this week to No. 6. The Panthers were 2-0 over the break, beating North Hunterdon, 64-63 on Monday, then Princeton, 61-33, on Tuesday in the Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery.

Down a spot to seventh is East Brunswick (8-1). The Bears took their first loss of the season Monday in the championship bracket semifinals of the Albert E. Martin Buc Classic at red Bank Regional, but bounced back with a win over host Red Bank regional, 64-42, in the third-place game. Saturday, they came up with a gusty road win, a 72-70 overtime victory at Cranford.

Jumping in at No. 8 this week is South Plainfield (6-1). The Tigers were 2-0 in the week gone by, beating Edison 73-45 on Tuesday, followed by an 87-77 victory at previous No. 7 Sayreville. The Tigers will be on Central Jersey Sports Radio Tuesday night at 7 pm when they face Colonia (2-5) – click here to listen – as part of a doubleheader starting with the South Plainfield girls taking on JP Stevens at 5:30.

And the last two teams held their spots.

Somerville (6-1) stays at nine after a 2-1 week that began with a 62-47 loss to Woodbridge on Monday in the JP Stevens Holiday Tournament, followed by a 58-23 win Tuesday over Perth Amboy Magnet, and a 59-21 win over Dunellen on Saturday.

And Immaculata (4-1) holds in tenth after a 2-0 week, winning the Battle at the Bomb Shelter at Sayreville with a 48-47 victory over Union Monday, and a 71-61 win over the host Bombers Tuesday.

Sayreville dropped out from No. 7 after a 1-2 week, which began in fine fashion with a 66-57 win over New Dorp (NY) in their Battle at the Bomb Shelter tournament Monday. But after the Immaculata loss in the final, they also fell 81-77 to South Plainfield on Saturday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Four:

Image of the Bellamy & Son Paving basketball Top Ten rankings for boys' basketball, Week 4, featuring team names, records, and previous rankings.
by Mike Pavlichko

Unbeaten Montgomery retains No. 1 spot in Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten, Rutgers Prep, Bridgewater edge up, Somerville joins

The combination of the winter break – and a winter storm that blew through the area Friday into Saturday this past weekend – meant a light schedule for many of the boy’s basketball teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

As a result, there was very little movement in the Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten.

Montgomery (6-0) held on to the top spot, winning its only game of the week, 75-27 over Hamilton West. The Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery was moved from Saturday to Monday due to the storm.

Rutgers Prep (4-1) moved up a spot on the strength of a win over defending South Jersey, Group 2 champion Camden Sunday at the Pete & Jameer Nelson Classic at Widener University outside of Philly. That dropped Gill St. Bernard’s (3-1) down one to third, as they were idle this week.

The next four teams all held court. The first of the bunch is No. 4 Piscataway (6-0), which won on Monday at Colonia, 75-73 in double overtime, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They followed it up with a win over previously unbeaten Perth Amboy on Tuesday, 80-52.

St. Joseph-Metuchen held in fifth, but we’ve updated the Falcons’ record to 3-0 after their December 8th opener against Wesley College of Australia – a 101-37 win – was posted.

East Brunswick (6-0) holds at six after a 2-0 week, with a 75-71 win over Franklin on Tuesday, and a 78-69 victory over Ranney Saturday in the Alfred E. Martin Buc Classic at Red Bank Regional, which puts them into Monday’s semifinals.

And holding at No. 7 is Sayreville (4-1), which was a 68-47 winner over Monroe on Monday in their only game of the week.

Bridgewater-Raritan (5-0) moves up a spot to No. 8, though they did not play, as previous No. 8 Colonia (2-4) drops out. The Patriots lost to Piscataway Monday in double-OT at home, 75-73, then fell to Friendship Tech Saturday in the Governor’s Challenge showcase event down in Salisbury, MD.

Somerville (4-0) joins the rankings at No. 9 , after a 1-0 week in which they beat Manville, 48-23, on the road.

And Immaculata (2-1) – idle last week – holds at No. 10.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Three:

A digital ranking table displaying the Week 3 standings for the 2025-26 boys' basketball season, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. The table includes team names, records, and previous rankings, with highlighted spots for the top ten teams.

by Mike Pavlichko

A New No. 1, and two new teams join the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten

The first full week of play in high school basketball didn’t have anything in the way of seismic upsets, but there is a new No. 1 team in the Bellamy & Son Paving rankings – with a very fine line and little room for error among the top five teams, which are a combined 17-2 following this weekend’s action – as well as two new teams joining the bottom half of the rankings.

None have necessarily come up with any stunning or signature wins, but are playing very good basketball at the moment.

We start, of course, at the top, where 5-0 Montgomery takes the top spot by a nose, with an unblemished record. The Cougars won four games this week, starting off their league slate with an 81-55 win at Watchung Hills on Tuesday. Thursday, they beat Immaculata, 72-62 at home, then won twice over the weekend. Saturday, it was a 60-36 win over Haddonfield at the Jimmy V Classic down at Cherokee High School, then a 72-33 rout of Paramus Catholic in The Battle at the Dunn Center in Elizabeth.

Monty’s move leaves Gill St. Bernard’s (3-1) in the second spot. After a Tuesday win over Hillsborough, 51-49, then a 66-36 rout at Phillipsburg, Gill fell to unbeaten St. Peter’s Prep, 59-43, at the Big Jersey Showcase down at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft.

Holding in third is Rutgers Prep (3-1). The Argonauts bounced back from a season-opening loss with a 64-51 win over Phillipsburg Tuesday, a 62-60 win at Ridge Thursday, and a 70-60 win at Don Bosco Prep on Saturday.

Piscataway (4-0) is in fourth for a third straight week. The Chiefs beat West Orange Wednesday – as head coach Bob Turco picked up his 400th career win – then topped his old school, St. Thomas Aquinas, 90-66 on Thursday, before beating Old Bridge Saturday, 82-58.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0) edges up one notch to five, after winning its opening two games (their December 8th game has not been officially recorded as a regular season win, so we’re not considering it here). The Falcons won 89-70 at Old Bridge Tuesday, and got by then-No. 5 Colonia at home, 58-40, Saturday afternoon.

Joining the Top Ten for the first time this season, at No. 6, is East Brunswick (4-0). The Bears won three games this week to stay perfect, starting with a 63-35 road win over Monroe. On Thursday, they topped No. 7 Sayreville, 58-53, then beat South Plainfield at home Saturday, 77-72.

That leaves Sayreville (3-1) in seventh, with a Tuesday win at St. John Vianney, 54-42, and a Saturday 81-58 win at Woodbridge sandwiched around the previously-mentioned loss to the Bears.

At No. 8, it’s Colonia (2-2), down three spots. The Patriots were 2-1 this week, starting with a pair of wins: 59-49 over St. Thomas Aquinas, and 71-60 over Old Bridge. Saturday, the Patriots took their second loss of the season, falling 58-40 at St. Joseph-Metuchen.

Checking in at No. 9 is Bridgewater-Raritan (4-0), also making its debut. The Panthers were 3-0 in the week gone by, starting with a 70-63 win at Franklin on Tuesday, followed by a 51-40 win over Hunterdon Central on Thursday, and a 64-19 win over College Achieve Central.

And still in the ten-spot is Immaculata (2-1). The Spartans beat Ridge Tuesday, 68-53, at home, then lost 72-62 at Montgomery Thursday, before bouncing back with a 61-53 win over Delaware Valley on Saturday.

Two teams dropped out to make room for East Brunswick and Bridgewater-Raritan. Ridge (0-4) fell out from No. 8 after an 0-3 week, with losses at Immaculata, 68-53 on Tuesday, Rutgers Prep 62-60 on Thursday, and against Delbarton in the Rose City Classic at FDU-Madison on Sunday, 50-47. St. Thomas Aquinas (1-3) fell out from No. 9 after a 1-2 week, including a 59-49 loss to Colonia Tuesday, and a 90-66 loss at Piscataway Thursday. They rebounded with a 49-35 win over 0-4 St. Joseph-Montvale Saturday in the Dr. Gerald Glisson Classic at Paterson Eastside. It’s the first time in the history of the CJSR/Bellamy Top Ten (dating to the COVID-shortened 2020 season) that the Trojans are not in the rankings, snapping a 50-week streak.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Two:

Image of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten rankings for high school boys' basketball for the 2025-26 season, displaying the current standings, records, and previous rankings of the teams.

by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernards, Montgomery remain Nos. 1, 2 in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten after light schedule on Opening Weekend

There weren’t a lot of games on Opening Weekend across high school basketball, even though teams could have begun play as early as Monday, as St. Joseph-Metuchen did.

The upshot was there was little movement in the Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, as the first five teams stayed in the very same spots, with just three of them in action.

Gill St. Bernard’s won its opening game in Montgomery, topping Madison in the NJBCA Tip-Off Challenge. The defending Somerset County Tournament champions won without point guard Dorsett Mulcahy – who assistant coach Jaren Sina says is banged up, but should be back soon – and with Jaren, himself, leading the team. Head coach Mergin Sina is out for the first two games after getting ejected from the Knights’ last game of last year, a 43-25 loss to Roselle Catholic – with a controversial ending – in the Non-Public North B Final.

Montgomery remains at No. 2 after a huge win over Don Bosco Prep at home, 66-47, in the NJBCA Tip-Off Challenge. The two had been ranked ninth and seventh in the statewide preseason rankings entering the game. Sophomores Connor Benedict and Mike Simborski had 21 and 23 points respectively in the win for the defending Central Jersey Group 4 champs.

Rutgers Prep dropped its opener Saturday, 70-61, to Linden in the NJBCA Tip-Off Challenge at Montgomery. The Argonauts got 19 points and nine rebounds from William Brunson, and another 11 from Nicholas Nsenkyire in defeat.

Staying in fourth is Piscataway, which rolled to a season-opening 76-20 win over McKee/Staten Island Tech in the Outerbridge Crossing Challenge, played at Edison High School, and heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Senior Isaiah Fowler scored a career-high 14 points, eleven of which came in the opening quarter as the Chiefs got out of the gate early to a 28-2 lead in the first eight minutes.

Colonia – which stays at No. 5 – dropped its opener, 62-35 to St. Peter’s Prep in the NJBCA Tip-Off Classic at Montgomery. The Marauders are the No. 4 team in the state. The Patriots were led by sophomore Jayce Rodriguez, who hit three triples in the game and finished with 17 points.

St. Joseph-Metuchen moves up a spot to sixth after a season-opening loss by Ridge and a 101-37 rout at home Monday over Wesley College of Melbourne, Australia.

Sayreville – which won 75-64 Saturday in the Friends of South Amboy Charity Games at South Amboy High School – moved up a spot as well, to seventh, after beating Oratory behind two monster nights. Sam Jones led the way with 33 points and three treys, while Chidi Chukwura had a double-double of 29 points and 20 rebounds.

Ridge falls to No. 8 after a season-opening 50-42 loss to Ewing. Gabe Kielb scored 10 points, while Dan Rafanello grabbed ten rebounds in defeat.

Holding in ninth is St. Thomas Aquinas. The Trojans sow coach Tim Weiler’s debut spoiled by Franklin, 64-54 in the Friends of South Amboy Charity Games at South Amboy High School. Joshua Anane had a double-double – 16 points, 14 rebounds – in defeat, while Sean Duncan had a big game for Franklin: 27 points including five treys.

And in tenth, it’s Immaculata. The Spartans open up Tuesday in Somerville against No. 8 Ridge, in an early season top ten Skyland Conference matchup.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week One:

Graphic displaying the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for high school boys' basketball for Week 1 of the 2025-26 season, including team names, records, and previous rankings.
by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernard’s, Montgomery boys lead stacked preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten

Coming up with a preseason Top Ten is never an easy proposition, but one thing seems pretty certain – or maybe it isn’t: the first rankings of 2025-26 very likely will look nothing like the final one.

The group includes a team that won just six games a year ago – St. Joseph-Metuchen, which brings back alum and former coach Mark Taylor – but will have to prove itself early and either soar up the rankings if they win as many expect, or quite possibly fall out if they don’t jell in December.

At the top is Gill St. Bernard’s, which finished 22-7 last season, won the Somerset County Tournament, and made the sectional finals in the state tournament’s Non-Public North B section. They return a solid core, including senior guard Dorsett Mulcahy (9.6 ppg, 30 treys), senior Jakub Malecki (6.3 ppg), and sophomore Connor Junker (9.25 ppg), who played out of his mind in the SCT final against Rutgers Prep – scoring 15 points, including four triples – and hit a team-best 49 treys last season.

Montgomery at No. 2 has the talent, but with some key losses, may be a little less proven. The Cougars didn’t lose to a public school all last season until the Group 4 state final at Rutgers, where they faced Plainfield. And even the year before, they only Lost to Lenape – in the regular season and in the Group 4 semifinals. Gone to graduation are big Bohdan Biekietov and guard Christian Hill – the team’s second and third leading scorers – but back is point guard Ethan Lin for his senior season. At 19.7 points per game last year, he had an amazing bounceback after breaking is leg the season before and missing the entire postseason run.

In third is Rutgers Prep. The Argonauts also made a sectional final last year – in Non-Public South B – and also went to the Somerset County Tournament final, falling to Gill. A mostly young team in 2024-25, third-leading scorer and post player Andrew Kretkowski (15.3 ppg, 34 blocks) transferred over the summer to St. Joseph-Metuchen, and senior Myles Parker (14.8 ppg) graduated. But Jacob Canton, the team’s leading scorer at 15.3 ppg and with a team-best 47 treys returns, along with senior Logan Franz and junior Rocco Loomis.

At four and five, respectively, are the two GMC Tournament finalists from a year ago, runner-up Piscataway and champion Colonia. Both teams lose significant parts from last season.

The Chiefs graduated top-scorer Nate Davis (14.5 ppg, team-best 53 treys) and swing Vaughn Turner (9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg), but other key pieces like junior Landon Pernell (7.9 ppg) and seniors Donald Nwaigwe (11.7 ppg) and Josh Lima (10.3 ppg, 40 treys) return.

Colonia was dealt a double-blow, first when Aiden Derkack (24.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg) left to play his senior year at Spire Academy in Ohio, then last week when R.J. Wortman (12.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg) signed with Greg Schiano, getting a football scholarship at Rutgers, where he will enroll in January. Zach Smith graduates, too, but Dylan Chiera is back for his senior season, along with Julien Jones. Both are top-notch athletes, and will see increases scoring roles, along with the coach’s son, Jayce Rodriguez, who had a fantastic freshman season, scoring 7.7 points per game, and led the team from beyond the arc with 58 triples.

At No. 6 is Ridge, which was 22-7 last season. Seniors Luke Kreitz (16.2 ppg, 74 treys) and Quinn Dashefsky (11.9 ppg) have graduated, but Gabe Kielb and Sidd Narayanabhatia were also key contributors last season as juniors.

St. Joseph-Metuchen makes its debut at No. 7. After a difficult year finishing 6-16 under Karl Towns, Sr. – the father of Falcon great Karl-Anthony Towns, currently of the New York Knicks – the school hired 1983 alum and former coach Mark Taylor back to Metuchen, and he’s made progress before the team even steps on the floor, bringing in a number of transfers to shore up the ranks. Word around the league is they will be the team to beat. The question is: will they mesh right off the bat, or take some time to find their footing?

The final three teams all fell one spot from the final rankings last year to make room for St. Joe’s.

2024-25 GMC White Division champion Sayreville is eighth, coming off a 22-7 season. The Bombers’ top two scorers return, including seniors Chidi Chukwurah (18.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and Sam Jones (16.6 ppg, team-best 61 threes).

St. Thomas Aquinas starts the year at nine, after a 15-12 campaign, but they also have a new coach, and a bunch coming back. Dan Jennings is the top-returning scorer at 11.1 ppg, and he’ll be back for his senior season after spending his first two up the road at St. Joe’s; he also was one shy of the team lead in treys with 43; graduated senior Aiden Ur had 44. Albion Ahmetaj (7.8 ppg) also should be a big part of things under new head coach Tom Weiler, a mentee of former Aquinas coach Bob Turco, who’s now at Piscataway.

And in tenth is Immaculata. The Spartans were 20-8 last season, and will return top scorer Riley Gorman (18.1 ppg, team-best 72 treys), along with junior Nick Swartwood (7.2 ppg), the team’s top rebounder at 7.5 per game.

Below is the complete preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten:

A table displaying the preseason rankings for the 2025-26 boys' basketball top ten teams, including team names, records, previous rankings, and notes about their achievements.
by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernard’s hangs on to No. 1, Old Bridge joins final Bellamy & Son Paving boys’ Top Ten before the end of the season

In the final Bellamy & Son Paving boys’ basketball rankings before the end of the regular season, Gill St. Bernard’s remains No. 1, while red-hot Old Bridge joins the rankings for the first time this season.

Gill St. Bernard’s (17-4) went 4-0 in the past week, opening with a 58-43 home win over Delbarton Monday. They followed it up with a second win this season over Rutgers Prep, 77-64, on Tuesday, then were 54-35 winners over Manasquan in the Metro Classic at Franklin Friday, and beat Watchung Hills 52-32 in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday. The Knights will play Ridge in the SCT semis this Saturday at 4 pm.

Holding at No. 2 is Colonia, which opened the week with a 62-56 win Monday over Newark Collegiate, then stunned national power La Lumiere (IN) with a late comeback to win 51-50 in the Metro Classic at Franklin. They lost their second game at the showcase to Camden, 62-55, on Saturday.

Rutgers Prep (14-8) stays at No. 3 after a 1-1 week. After the 77-64 loss at Gill St. Bernard’s on Thursday, they were 80-44 winners over Hillsborough in the SCT quarterfinals Saturday. They’ll play Montgomery in the semis Saturday at 12:45 pm, in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Speaking of the Cougars, Montgomery (17-4) went 3-0 this week to hold in fourth. They beat Pioneer Academy 82-51 on Tuesday, won 64-44 at Hunterdon Central Friday, then edged Pingry 67-58 in the SCT quarterfinals on Saturday. They get Rutgers Prep in the semifinals this Saturday at Franklin.

Holding at five is Ridge (17-4), whose two wins this week both came over Immaculata: Tuesday, 64-53, in a regular season game, then again in the SCT quarterfinals Saturday, 58-49, sending them into the semis against No. 1 Gill St. Bernard’s Saturday at 4 pm at Franklin High School.

Piscataway (19-4) stays at No. 6 after a 3-0 week. The Chiefs topped Monroe 53-40 on Wednesday, won 80-49 at Franklin in the Metro Classic Firday, then knocked off previously-undefeated AL Johnson, 87-43, on Saturday.

Staying at seven is St. Thomas Aquinas (13-7). The Trojans lost Tuesday at Arts (Newark) 68-62, before rebounding with a pair of wins, 72-55 Thursday at Point Pleasant Boro, and 69-62 at home against College Achieve Asbury Park’s regional team.

Sayreville (18-2) holds in eighth after a 2-0 week. They beat South Plainfield at home Tuesday, 79-66, then won a non-league game against Ferris, 70-43, on Saturday.

Moving up one place to night is Somerville, which went 3-0 last week. The Pioneers beat Roxbury Monday, 64-38, College Achieve Central 59-41 on Wednesday, before closing out the week with a 43-37 home win over Manville.

Making its season debut at No. 10 is Old Bridge (12-9), which has won six-in-a-row, including a win two weeks ago against then-No. 1 Colonia. The Knights topped Perth Amboy 59-32 on Tuesday, and won 71-59 at Woodbridge Thursday, before winning a non-conference game over Middletown South on Saturday, 55-28.

Dropping out was Immaculata, which only had those two losses to Ridge last week.

Below is the complete Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten, the final rankings before the end of the regular season:

by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernard’s takes over top spot in Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten

There’s a new team atop the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball rankings for Week 8, as Gill St. Bernard’s wrested the top spot away from Colonia in the week gone by.

It’s the first No. 1 ranking for the Knights since the finished the 2021-22 season at No. 1, going 20-7. They won the Somerset County Tournament that year, beating Rutgers Prep in the finals, and reached the Non-Public North B Final. Gill St. Bernard’s (13-4) won its only game last week, beating Hillsborough, 52-36. Saturday, they’ll open play in the 2025 SCT as the No. 1 seed, playing host to 9th-seed Watchung Hills (9-9) in the quarterfinal round.

Down to No. 2 is Colonia (16-3), which went just 1-2 in the week gone by. After a 50-40 road win at Monroe Tuesday, they lost at Old Bridge, 65-59, in a GMC Red Division game, and Saturday in a non-conference matchup at Phillipsburg, 64-58. The Patriots, though, are the Red Division champs, and should receive the No. 1 seed when the GMC Tournament is seeded Friday morning.

Holding at No. 3 is Rutgers Prep (13-7). The Argonauts swept two games this week, first getting a 78-41 win at Watchung Hills, then beating No. 4 Montgomery on Thursday, 63-59, in a rematch of last year’s Somerset County Tournament final. Prep is the third seed in this year’s tournament, and will face 6th-seed Hillsborough (10-8) Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Also holding in fourth is Montgomery (14-4), which went 2-1 this past week. Tuesday, they got a 65-53 win at Bridgewater-Raritan before falling to Prep Thursday, 53-59. Then came back with a win Sunday over Notre Dame, 62-44 in the Investors Bank Showcase at Kean University. The second-seed in the county tournament, the Cougars will host 7-seed Pingry (6-8) in the SCT quarterfinals on Saturday.

Up one spot to fifth is Piscataway (16-4). The Chiefs won both their games last week, 73-49 over St. Joseph-Metuchen on Tuesday, following a Monday non-conference win over Lincoln (Jersey City), 75-41.

Flip-flopping with them, down to sixth, is Ridge (15-4). They won at Pingry Tuesday, 60-47, then again Thursday over Newark Tech, 68-48, but fell to Westfield 61-53 on the road Saturday, giving them a 2-1 week. The Red Devils open SCT plat in the quarterfinal round Saturday at home against 5-seed Immaculata (15-4).

The next four teams all stayed the same.

St. Thomas Aquinas (11-6) remains in seventh after a 1-1 week, in which they took an 81-54 loss at Paul VI on Tuesday, before bouncing back with an 80-52 Red Division win at Monroe.

Sayreville (16-2) holds at No. 8 after a 2-0 week, with a 62-54 win over East Brunswick Tuesday, and a 69-46 win at Princeton Saturday.

Immaculata (15-9) holds in the ninth slot after a 72-55 win over Hunterdon Central on Tuesday, and a 52-39 win over 12-seed Somerville in the first round of the SCT. The 5th-seeded Spartans will visit 4th-seed Ridge (15-4) Saturday in the quarterfinals.

And Somerville (13-6) remains at No. 10, despite Saturday’s loss to the Spartans. They beat Bound Brook twice last week, the first 72-38 in the regular season Tuesday, then again 48-37 on Thursday in the first round of the Somerset County Tournament.

Below is the complete Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 8: