Category: Boys Basketball Top Ten

February 20, 2021March 3, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

SPONSORED: Basketball Warehouse helps players of all ages improve their skills and confidence in a personal setting

The following is sponsored content from Basketball Warehouse. Please support our sponsors, who make our coverage of high school sports on Central Jersey Sports Radio possible.

It was 2013, and brothers Bobby and Mark Timinski – standout high school basketball players in their day – had a mattress and furniture business, with a warehouse in Edison. And they had a lot of extra space.

Basketball junkies their whole lives – Bobby played at St. Joe’s and Colonia while Mark played scholastically in Florida before playing for the Gators in College – they decided to open a training facility with the leftover space.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

*Basketball players can work in small groups as seen here, or individually, at Basketball Warehouse in Edison.*

Bobby says they noticed while there were a slew of travel and AAU teams around, there were few places to work on the fundamentals of the game.

Basketball Warehouse welcomes basketball players ranging from age 8 through those already in college, and hosts summer camps, as well as individual and group sessions, where players can work at their own pace.

*One of the practice courts at Basketball Warehouse in Edison.*

Mike Pavlichko got a chance to talk with Bobby Timinski about the origins of Basketball Warehouse, and why it’s the ideal place to go for anyone looking to up their game on the court, at any level.

Click below to hear more with Mike Pavlichko and Bobby Timinski:

Follow Basketball Warehouse on social media: They’re on Twitter at @BballWarehous and on Facebook. Visit them at www.basketballarehouse.net.

February 15, 2021March 3, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Split week still enough to keep Gill at No. 1; Montgomery launches into rankings

It’s difficult to tell a teams body of work three games into a high school basketball season when they’ve only played three games.

Couple that with only one of those games coming against one of the peers they’re compared against in the Central Jersey Sports Radio rankings makes it doubly difficult.

Still, despite an 11-point loss to the Patrick School Saturday afternoon, 78-67, Gill St. Bernard’s remains the Number One team in the CJSR Boys’ Top Ten.

St. Joseph of Metuchen gained on the strength of a three-win week, while Rutgers Prep dropped two spots after a two-loss week against non-conference opponents, and ahead of a second COVID-related stoppage.

But the biggest gain belonged to Montgomery, which jumped from being an unranked team to No. 7 after a three-win week that doubled their perfect record to 6-0. The Cougars have held three opponents under 40 points this season: Bordentown, Bridgewater-Raritan, and previously-ranked Ridge, which dropped out of the rankings from its No. 9 spot this week after the loss to the Cougars.

Look out for a special story on Montgomery’s hot start tomorrow on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Below are the full Week 3 Central Jersey Sports Radio Week 3 rankings:

February 8, 2021March 3, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Gill splits a pair, but keeps top spot in Week 2 boys’ rankings

A loss to Bergen Catholic – an out-of-area team ranked No. 3 statewide – wasn’t enough to knock Gill St. Bernard’s from its perch atop the Central Jersey Sports Radio boys’ basketball rankings.

The Knights went 1-1 in their opening week of play – with Week One cancelled due to COVID protocols – beating Hunterdon Central in their opener 77-64 as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, powered by Bellamy & Son Paving.

The Knights weren’t the only Top Ten team to open the season this past week, as Rutgers Prep – also out due to COVID contact tracing – went 1-1 just like Gill, and held on to the third spot.

New this week, hear Mike Pavlichko’s audio version of the Week 2 Top Ten by clicking below:

The only two teams that moved this week were St. Joseph-Metuchen and South Brunswick, which flip-flopped the 5th and 7th positions after the Falcons – previously ranked 7th – knocked off the Vikings Saturday afternoon 69-64.

View the full Week 2 Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Basketball Rankings below:

February 1, 2021March 3, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernard’s remains No. 1, but has yet to play

Despite having all three games cancelled in Week One of the high school basketball season, Gill St. Bernard’s holds on to the top spot in the Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ Basketball Top Ten.

Gill was in contact tracing quarantine last week, with basketball activities paused, much like Rutgers Prep, which also remained in place, staying at No. 3.

In fact, the Top 8 all stayed the same, with only one of those teams dropping a game, as St. Joseph of Metuchen dropped a 101-75 decision in its Thursday opener at Roselle Catholic. The Falcons’ original opening game was to be Tuesday against Monroe on Central Jersey Sports Radio, but Monroe shut its program down due to COVID in the program.

Below is the full Week 1 Top Ten.

How the Top Ten fared…

Of the teams that played, No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas won its opener, rolling past JFK 90-39.

No. 4 Watchung Hills – which had a game against Gill cancelled – blew by Sinai Christian of Linden 92-46.

South Brunswick – the defending Central Jersey Group 4 champions – had a 2-0 opening week and remain in the No. 5 spot – beating JP Stevens 64-44 and winning at East Brunswick 55-53. The Vikings have won six straight overall dating back to the start of last season’s state tournament. They’ve also won eight straight regular season games going back to last year.

No. 6 Colonia is the only squad to play three games in the opening week. The Patriots won at Eastside (Paterson) 63-44, beat North Brunswick at home 66-49, and won at in-town rival Woodbridge 75-45.

No. 7 St. Joseph-Metuchen – after dropping its opener on the road – rebounded to beat Piscataway in its first home game of the season, 92-69.

Bound Brook – which checks in at No. 8 – had a two-win week, beating rival Somerville at home 64-37, and winning 61-51 at Warren Hills.

New to the Top Ten this week are Ridge (No. 9) and South Plainfield (No. 10).

The Red Devils are 2-0 after a 48-37 win at Immaculata and a 44-30 victory against Phillipsburg.

South Plainfield won a pair of road games: 55-47 at JP Stevens and 54-49 at Dunellen, which dropped out of the Top Ten (previously ranked No. 10) after a two-loss week, that also included a defeat in their opener 69-56, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

MORE: Postgame reaction as Barnes’ 29 powers Edison boys past No. 10 Dunellen

Also dropping out of the Top Ten was previously-No. 9 Somerville, which finished the opening week at 1-2. In addition to losing to Bound Brook, the Pioneers beat Voorhees 55-39, but lost to Immaculata 67-63.

Montgomery also received consideration for the rankings after a 2-0 Week One. the Cougars beat Phillipsburg at home 68-43, while winning a non-league game at Bordentown, 64-36.