Tag: HS Basketball

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Thomas Aquinas moves quickly, stays in house, elevating Austin Whitehurst to succeed Turco as head boys’ basketball coach

For Athletic Director Jerry Smith, it was a no-brainer.

St. Thomas Aquinas – seeking continuity after the departure of head coach Bob Turco to Piscataway – has named Austin Whitehurst, an assistant with the Trojans for the last four seasons, as its new head coach.

Whitehurst played scholastically at Monmouth Regional, graduating in 2009. He got a scholarship to Drexel, but injuries cut short his playing days, and he spent two seasons at Brookdale Community College.

After some time as an assistant and coaching AAU ball, Whitehurst landed in North Edison four seasons ago, where some of his AAU players were already with Turco.

Now, he’ll head a program that won three straight GMC Tournament titles in six years under Turco, going 123-34. Several of his AAU players – including Jalen Pichardo – were on the most successful team under Turco’s tenure, in 2021-22, when St. Thomas went 27-2 with only one loss to a New Jersey opponent, to eventual Non-Public South A champion Rutgers Prep.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with new St. Thomas Aquinas coach Austin Whitehurst:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bob Turco departs St. Thomas Aquinas to lead Piscataway hoops program in return to his roots

Bob Turco grew up in Carteret, played at Carteret, and coached under his brother Dave at both Carteret and South Brunswick.

When he broke out on his own, his first head coaching job was at another public school at the southern end of the Greater Middlesex Conference, at Monroe.

Now, after runs at Notre Dame, and for the last six seasons at Bishop Ahr/St. Thomas Aquinas, Turco is back with a public school.

Turco will take over the Piscataway boys’ basketball program, with his hire having been approved Thursday night by the Board of Education.

He leaves St. Thomas Aquinas after a half-dozen seasons with a record of 123-34, having won three straight GMC Tournament titles in 2020, 2022 and 2023. (There was no full tournament in 2021, the COVID-shortened season.) The Trojans’ best season under his tenure was 2021-22, when Aquinas went 27-2 with only one loss to a New Jersey opponent, to eventual Non-Public South A champion Rutgers Prep.

Turco was 154-46 in seven seasons at Notre Dame in Lawrenceville, where he won two Mercer County Tournament titles.

Before that, he spent five years at Monroe, his first head coaching stop, going 97-42, where the Falcons went as far as the GMC Tournament title game in 2010, falling to his brother’s St. Joseph-Metuchen team in their first of five straight titles and nine in a span of ten seasons from 2010 through 2019. Turco is 3-2 as a head coach all-time in the GMCT title game.

Overall, Turco has a record of 374-122 in 18 seasons as a head coach.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Bob Turco about taking the Piscataway job, and his immensely successful run at St. Thomas Aquinas:

by Mike Pavlichko

We’re looking forward to getting out on the diamond, but here are some ideas to fix the two big issues in H.S. basketball

by Mike Pavlichko

The dust has settled, the legal filings have gone away, and high school basketball in New Jersey for 2023-24 is officially in the rear-view mirror.

But that doesn’t mean the NJSIAA’s work there is finished. It never is.

And when all is said and done, two big issues that arose during the state tournament must be dealt with by the association that governs high school sports in New Jersey. And one of them isn’t the shot clock.

Sure, many – including me – believe New Jersey needs a shot clock, if anything to prepare student-athletes for the game when they get to college, but that’s not even a top two issue right now.

Charter schools, and end-game situations with the clock and buzzer-beater shots need to dealt with, and before next season starts. There’s time to do it, but they’ll need to act now.

Remember when Ridge was disqualified from the state baseball tournament last year after a pitch count violation? (We’ll have more on that tomorrow.) Coaches across the state said confusion always reigned because the NJSIAA had two versions of the same rule. In some instances, pitchers could finish an at bat when they reached their limit, in others they could not.

What did the NJSIAA do? Within four months, they smartly amended the rule, and now, pitchers can finish any at bat they start. Good job.

Now, the NJSIAA has nine months until basketball season starts. Time to get to work!

Manasquan-Camden

No need to go into the weeds here, but if you were living under a rock a couple of weeks ago, the basics are this: Manasquan appeared to upset Camden on a buzzer-beating shot in the Group 2 semifinals. The shot was initially ruled good, then the referees conferred and the call was incorrectly overturned. The ball had been released by the shooter at least with at least :00.6 seconds left on the clock, according to many media photos, fan videos, and a live video stream of the event.

The NJSIAA needs to help its officials in end of game scenarios. Sure, travel calls, fouls, etc. are missed all the time. Officials are human; it happens. But a time issue, when clearly visible, shouldn’t cost anyone a game.

We get that not every school has video streaming like Hudl. Some streams are also subscription-based and not free. But the NJSIAA could start with implementing simple replay for clock-based scenarios in end-of-game situations. Red, LED backboard lights would help before it even gets to replay, too, since it’s much easier to see out of the corner of an eye than the game clock, which can be in different places in every high school gym.

Our solution? We know it will cost the NJSIAA more money, but hold all events in the Group tournament at small college sites. North 1 vs. North 2 games could be held at Kean University, South vs. Central games could be held at Monmouth, Rider, or the College of New Jersey.

There are two benefits here: First, all NCAA schools – Division I, II or III – must have backboard lights to signal the end of a period. That already will help officials with getting the call right in real time. Second, the larger gyms will have facilities and room for cameras and a video replay setup.

The NJSIAA could use its own closed-circuit camera system to help officials only with calls at the end of a period, within a certain time window. Perhaps 10 or 30 seconds could be that window, checking only on time issues, such as whether a clock wasn’t started or stopped appropriately, or whether a buzzer-beater – at the end of any period, regulation or overtime – should count.

And with the red LED backboard lights? You don’t even need the clock overlay on screen. As long as the lights are in frame, we can all see!

There was also an issue in the regular season. On February 1st, Bound Brook led Phillipsburg by three points late in the game, in what would have been a major upset for the Crusaders. The Stateliners tied the game on a three at the buzzer and won it in overtime. But a look back on Hudl shows the basket shouldn’t have counted; the ball was easily still in the Phillipsburg player’s hands with the clock at :00.

The NJSIAA could also implement some of these changes statewide for regular- and post-season games, but on a deferred basis. For example, requiring backboard lights – which at least one Athletic Director told me can’t always simply be added, since their scoreboard wouldn’t work with it – could be phased in over a four- or five-year period, to allow schools time to budget for it.

Charter Schools

Officially considered public schools, charters haven’t been a big issue in high school basketball in the past. But this season, College Achieve Asbury Park hired Dave Boff away from Roselle Catholic, and the move attracted major talent to the tiny school that plays essentially in a tiny Catholic elementary school gym.

With their public designation and wee enrollment numbers, they participated in the state tournament in Central Jersey Group 1, with small public schools that can’t draw from a large geographic area like College Achieve, which won the state Group 1 title. They blew out the competition en route.

The NJSIAA would have been jumping the gun to make a change before the season. Rules can’t be rewritten just because one coach jumps from one school to another, or on the assumption that something might happen. What if Boff walked away after one season? It would have been a knee-jerk reaction.

But now that College Achieve had the success we figured they would when we wrote about them as the season got underway, it could be the model moving forward: big-name coach, top-flight talent. And Central Jersey Group 1 clearly isn’t where they belong.

Earlier this year, the NJSIAA addressed classification issues with charters for 2024-25. Tiny charters often push small “true” publics – like a Spotswood or South River – from Group 1, where they belong, to Group 2. But starting next season, the NJSIAA will classify the “true” publics first, then put the charters wherever they fall, large or small.

Our solution? A third non-public section – or call it something else if you want – that would be solely for charter schools. They’re not really non-publics, which can draw from anywhere, but they’re not really public either in that they can draw from multiple towns. Call it a “charter” group if you want. Call it the “Jabberwocky” section. But they need to be separate from true public schools with smaller geographical boundaries.

Sometimes, bad things have to happen for change to take place. There’s no doubt the officials blew the end of the Camden-Manasquan game, and there’s no doubt College Achieve had an advantage over any other contender it met in the state playoffs.

Nothing will be perfect, but both these moves will at least improve high school basketball in New Jersey and level the playing field more than it is now.

And after all, isn’t that what the NJSIAA is there for?

by Mike Pavlichko

OPINION: New Jersey needs a shot clock in high school basketball, but not for the reason you may think

As another high school basketball season in New Jersey wraps up, the debate continues among coaches, administrators and fans over whether or not to institute a shot clock in the Garden State.

The NJSIAA generally follows the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules, such as it did this year with changes that got rid of the one-and-one bonus, and resets fouls at the end of each quarter, with only two-shot bonus sets. It also followed uniform rule changes, requiring home teams to wear dark colors and road teams to wear white.

But the NFHS rules only say state associations may utilize a shot clock, meaning it’s not mandatory. As of this season, 27 states utilize the shot clock. And New Jersey is not one of them.

Some of the reason is financial. Schools would have to not only purchase the equipment, which comes at a cost, but also pay an additional game official to operate it, besides the person who runs the game clock and scoreboard.

There are also some who suggest that game clock/scoreboard operators don’t always get that job right, and that adding another clock would mean more things that potentially could go wrong in a game where officials already are under heavy scrutiny for calls gone wrong.

But those in favor point to end-of-period or end-of-game situations where a teams just holds the ball. And of course, it takes two to tango. If the defense were to step up and force the action, officials would begin their five-second count on the player with the ball, but they can still play catch to run down the last minute of a half.

This came into play in the controversial Manasquan-Camden Group 2 semifinals, where ‘Squan ate clock with a lead and didn’t score until the final play of the game, a basket that was initially ruled good but waved off after officials conferred near the scorer’s table. Some said maybe Manasquan shouldn’t have held the ball in that scenario, but then again, if they don’t maybe they’re not even in a position to win it.

But this isn’t about one particular game. Or about instant replay, which is another issue.

Earlier this season, St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Bob Turco told Central Jersey Sports Radio in a pregame interview that he had initiated some zone defense into his game plan this year, something he doesn’t traditionally do. Some of that was due to personnel, but he also admitted he’s had players who go on to college and say something to the effect of, “Coach, we never played any zone in high school, so wasn’t prepared for it.”

Preparation is key. Teaching is critical.

So whether there’s a question about the cost, or the skill level of a clock operator, or whether watching a team take the air out of the ball at the end of a game is boring and “not really basketball,” let’s put all those arguments aside.

Sure, not every high school basketball player in New Jersey will go on to play in college. A few go to big-time schools every year. But many will go and play at smaller schools, or at junior colleges. Having a shot clock in New Jersey will prepare them for the next level of basketball, wherever it may be.

And that is why New Jersey needs the shot clock.

by Mike Pavlichko

Updated schedule for 14th annual Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout at Montgomery

For 13 seasons, the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Montgomery has been a staple of the New Jersey high school basketball season. This year will be no different.

Well, maybe a little. The potential for a snowstorm Saturday night has forced some changes to the schedule, and you can read about them below.

Started in 2011 after then-Hillsborough head coach Ian Progin – a former Rutgers walk-on – was diagnosed with cancer, the event has raised tons of money, with proceeds going to the Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick.

Progin is now a cancer survivor, though he left the coaching game several years ago to spend more time with his family.

The event – which begins Friday with a boys game and a couple of girls’ games – will continue Saturday with a full, albeit slightly-altered schedule due to potential snowfall. 

Last year, the event raised $13,000, according to organizer Kris Grundy, the boys’ basketball coach at host Montgomery High School, and the Cougars’ Athletic Director. 

Grundy says the goal this year is $14,000, a target he says will be greatly helped by the fact that two participating teams did their own fundraiser and donated over $1,000 each. 

Grundy says fans can donate online, and there will be a donation table at the entrance. He says the entire gate will be dedicated to the fundraiser, and some officials are donating their fees as well.

Click here to donate online

Below is the full schedule of games for the 2024 Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout:

FRIDAY: 

  • 5 pm – Girls: Voorhees vs Watchung Hills
  • 6:30 pm – Boys: South Plainfield vs. Watchung Hills
  • 8 pm – Girls: Manville vs. Montgomery

SATURDAY (Boys Varsity only, except where noted):

  • 9 am – Bridgewater-Raritan vs. Montgomery
  • 9 am – Bridgewater-Raritan vs. North Hunterdon (JV, in auxiliary gym)
  • 10:30 am – Haddon Township vs. Voorhees
  • 12 pm – Sparta vs. Immaculata
  • 2 pm – Nottingham vs, Somerville
  • 3:30 pm – Ocean Township vs. Hunterdon Central
  • 5:00 pm – Robbinsville vs. Hillsborough
  • 7:00 pm – Lenape vs. Montgomery
by Mike Pavlichko

The race to a top seed: What does Rutgers Prep’s win over Gill St. Bernard’s mean for SCT seeding?

A year ago, Gill St. Bernard’s won its first meeting with Rutgers Prep in what’s called a “waw.” That’s Mergin Sina-speak for a “war,” which is what every battle between the two schools seems to be lately, year-in, year-out.

Prep won the rematch by more and got the top seed in the 2023 Somerset County Tournament, where they met again, and the Argonauts prevailed in a thriller, right down to the wire.

Neither team had lost to a public school in Somerset County in two years, since March of 2021, when Watchung Hills beat Gill in the semis and Prep in the finals of the COVID-year Skyland Conference “Blue Pod.”

But Hillsborough opened 2023-24 with a bang, knocking off the Knights at home, in its first year “up” in the Delaware Division.

Now, all of a sudden, Gill has two division losses, and may have played itself out of the running for a top seed in the 2024 SCT. At best, they’re going to need some help.

The main reason is Gill St. Bernard’s and Rutgers Prep won’t face each other again before the seeding meeting on Monday, February 5th. They rematch the next night in Somerset. And while that will be a huge game for playoff power points, it can’t factor into the county seeding meeting.

So, where do things stand?

After Thursday night’s action – which also saw the Raiders win again, beating Immaculata by eight – it’s Hillsborough and Rutgers Prep both in first with 3-0 division records. Gill is 2-2, with the Spartans and Franklin both 0-3.

The Raiders and Argonauts will meet next Tuesday night in Hillsborough, with a rematch in Somerset on February 1. Barring any other losses by the two to anyone else in the division, that should settle the Delaware.

A Rutgers Prep sweep should give the Argos the top overall seed. A split could make things interesting, and make it come down to point differential, the eye test, or both, plus how well each did against Gill. Hillsborough beat them by one, Prep by ten.

Hillsborough also travels to Gill next Thursday, January 11th. A loss there still doesn’t get the Knights back in the race, depending on how Boro and Prep fare against each other.

One more wrinkle: What about Montgomery? The Cougars are 7-0, 4-0 in the Skyland Valley Division, but they also crushed Bridgewater-Raritan 88-46 in the finale of the Cougar Holiday Classic. They also get a crack at Rutgers Prep on January 30th at home, and Hillsborough just a few days later on February 3rd, two days before the seeding meeting.

The Cougars are really good, and did we mention they’re the only undefeated team left in the Skyland Conference at this point?

There’s a lot of basketball to be played for sure, and despite their talent, Gill looks like it has the hardest road. But everyone else – Hillsborough, Rutgers Prep and Montgomery – will have their shots.

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 9 Ridge toughs one out at Bound Brook in first game of the New Year

Having joined the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the first time this week at No. 9, Ridge had a fresh target on its back to start 2024.

The Red Devils put that ranking and 5-1 record on the line Thursday night, traveling to Bound Brook against a team that has dominated the Valley Division for several years, but is finding it tough adjusting to its move this season to the Skyland Conference’s Raritan Division.

And they came through with a 59-42 win in the end.

It was a tight first half, with Ridge ahead by four after one quarter, and at the half.

For most of the third, Jackson Morrison fought tooth and nail to keep The Brook in it. And he was the only Crusader to score, through most of those right minutes.

And a Jackson layup on a drive with 5:31 to go got Bound Brook within nine. But Ridge extended the lead to 15 on a drive and a quick jumper from Luke Kreitz, and another jumper from Quinn Dashefsky for a mini 6-0 run, that turned into a 10-2 spurt by the 2:55 mark to make it 57-40.

Ridge never looked back over the final three minutes, which saw the Crusaders play perhaps a little more desperately than they needed to, taking some uncharacteristic ill-advised shots, while the Red Devils converted buckets on the other end with ease.

Kreitz, a junior, finished with a game-high 19 points, including two triples.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Big 2nd quarter Rutgers Prep run powers No. 1 Argonauts past No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s

Make it 21 straight for Rutgers Prep over Gill St. Bernard’s.

Thursday night’s big Skyland Conference Delaware Division battle wasn’t without its moments for Gill. The Knights took a 6-0 lead early, forcing Prep coach Mary Klinger to call a time out. They played even for a while.

And after the first 8 minutes, GSB led 15-13, the first time they outscored Rutgers Prep in a quarter in 15 of them, dating back to the first quarter of their Somerset County Tournament final of 2022, an eventual 64-35 Prep win.

But in between quarters, Rutgers Prep adjusted to great defense by Gill, which was breaking up passes and blocking shots on D, and finding good looks on offense, too. They went on a big run in the first 3:13 of the second quarter to take a six-point lead, and never looked back.

Senior Mikayla Blakes led all scorers with 27 for the Lady Argonauts, including five threes, in her first game back after missing the last four, including all three at the prestigious John Wall Classic in North Carolina. Sophomore Ava LaMonica chipped in 19, including a triple.

Rutgers Prep improved to 6-2, 3-0 in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division with the win. Gill took its first loss to drop to 8-1, 3-1 in the Delaware. 

Click below for postgame reaction with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge boys pull off big win, Devine nets 1,000 for Middlesex girls, as holiday tourney week wraps up with Friday, Saturday games

Unranked in the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten, the Ridge boys’ basketball team came up with a huge victory Friday, topping No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 70-60, to take the title in their very own holiday tournament, the Whitey Dukiet All-American Holiday Classic in Basking Ridge.

It was the Falcons’ first loss of the season, dropping them to 5-1. Ridge is also 5-1.

The Red Devils rallied to come back in this one, down ten at the end of the first quarter, managing just eight points, and they trailed 32-21 at the half. But Ridge exploded for 49 points in the second half against St. Joe’s, which was also ranked in the statewide Top 20.

Ridge was led by Owen Chwatek with 21, one of three players in double figures, including Luke Kreitz, who not only scored 20, but also was a perfect 13-for-13 from the foul line, key down the stretch to the rally.

Here’s a closer look at Friday action on the boys’ side. Scroll down further for a look at girls’ holiday tournament action.

FRIDAY BOYS’ RESULTS:

Butch Kowal Tournament at Rahway: An all-GMC consolation game saw North Plainfield hand Timothy Christian its second straight loss after a 4-0 start, 59-58 in overtime. Nfii Bannavti led the Canucks with 18 points, while Chukwudi Raphael Mamah finished with a double-double, leading all scorers with 27 points, adding 15 rebounds. North Plainfield rallied from a 45-40 deficit heading into the final eight minutes to send the game to overtime.

Cougar Classic at Chatham: After splitting its first two games in the three-day round-robin format event, Watchung Hills (7-1) got a season-high 24 points from John Kelly, while three other players scored in double figures, en route to a 68-55 win over Cranford.

Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery: The host Cougars used a three-point barrage – 14 of them – to beat visiting Bridgewater-Raritan in the finale of the round-robin event, 88-46. Steve Donahue matched a career high of 27 points and set a new career high with six triples in the game. Read the full game story and hear postgame reaction here. Montgomery (6-0) is the last undefeated team left in the Skyland Conference. Bridgewater falls to 4-3 with the loss.

Falcon Holiday Tournament at Monroe: The host Falcons (5-1) took the trophy with a 47-40 win over Carteret (3-3), in a low-scoring game that was tied 15-all at the half. Mark Laughery and Nick Cicchetti each had 11 points to lead Monroe. The consolation game saw South Brunswick (1-4) cruise past New Brunswick (2-4) for its first win of the season, 72-21.

Mike Shello Holiday Tournament at Dunellen: Friday’s final saw Manville (4-2) get past host Dunellen at the Faber School, 44-31, behind 15 points from Tyler Kesolitz and 11 from Edryn Morales. Joel Cruz-Maiza had 12 in defeat for the Destroyers (1-5). In the consolation game, Highland Park (4-2) got by Academy for Urban Leadership Charter in overtime, 59-57.

Manville celebrates a win over Dunellen to take the Mike Shello Holiday Tournament title at the Faber School in Dunellen on December 29, 2023. (Source: @manville_bball on Twitter)

North Warren Holiday Extravaganza: The consolation game here went to Perth Amboy Magnet (3-4), which beat Somerset Tech (2-4) in an all-GMC matchup, 58-49.

Ravens Winter Classic at Robbinsville: After a 14-13 first quarter lead, North Brunswick (4-3) fell to their undefeated hosts (5-0) in the title game, despite a 19-point day from Brandon McCain, and 15 each from Tommy Koroma and Jack Garbolino.

Voorhees Holiday Tournament at Voorhees: A deep hole of 20-5 after one quarter doomed Wardlaw-Hartridge (0-6) in a 78-35 defeated to Mount Olive in the consolation game Friday afternoon.

FRIDAY GIRLS’ RESULTS:

Blue Devils Invitational at Shore Regional: After a loss to Monmouth, 46-11, in their opener, Sayreville bounced back for its first win of the season, a 47-10 drubbing of Jackson Liberty (0-7). Danielle Verlingo led the Lady Bombers with her first career double-double: 12 points and ten rebounds.

Chatham Tournament at Chatham: It was a third straight loss in the three-day, round robin showcase for Watchung Hills (1-6), which fell 60-49 to Cranford Friday.

Clem Santy Holiday Tournament at Dunellen: The trophy goes to Highland Park (3-2) in this one, which beat Manville (3-4) by a 45-39 score Friday afternoon behind a double-double from Vanessa Kohler, who had 17 points and 15 rebounds, and six steals to boot. Manville had three players in double figures, including leading scorer Valentina Barrios with 14. Middlesex (3-3) doubled up host Dunellen (3-2) in the consolation game, 52-26, behind 33 points from Jessica Devine, who cracked the 1,000 point mark in the game

Middlesex junior Jess Devine with hear teammates after scoring her 1,000th point against Dunellen in the consolation game of the Clem Santy Holiday Tournament in Dunellen on December 29, 2023. (Source: @GoJaysAthletics on Twitter)

Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery: In the round robin event’s finale Friday, the host Cougars (3-3) beat visiting Bridgewater-Raritan (1-6) by a 42-37 score, behind 17 points from Aliza Schulberg and 10 from Alia Johnson.

Falcon Holiday Tournament at Monroe: The host Monroe (5-1) beat visiting Westfield 50-46 for the title Friday afternoon, with three players in double figure scoring. Evangelina Francisco had 19, while Halley Cottrell dropping in 16 – including four triples – and Avery Labaska had ten. In the consolation game, Franklin (3-3) evened up its record at .500 with a 52-31 victory over winless Marlboro behind a 27-point night from Aleah Sunkins.

The Monroe girls’ basketball team won their Falcon Holiday Classic Friday with a 50-46 win over Westfield. (Source: @CoachVogtman on Twitter)

Holmdel Holiday Showcase at Holmdel: It was a clean sweep of both games for St. Thomas Aquinas in the eight-team, two-day event. The Trojans (5-2) held off Holmdel by, 56-53, despite a late rally by Holmdel, which was down nine entering the final quarter. Gianna Chuffo led the way with 12 points, while Jordan Barnes added 11, and the team hit seven triples on the day. Meanwhile, East Brunswick (5-2) split its two games, bouncing back from an opening loss to Colts Neck with a narrow 54-52 win over Jackson Memorial (4-1). Gabby Nieves led three players in double figures with 15 for the Lady Bears. And Mount St. Mary (4-3) got back on the winning track with a 44-38 decision over Colts Neck, led by Mia Gestosani’s 16 points.

John Wall Invitational at William Peace Univeristy, Raleigh, NC: Rutgers Prep (5-1) got a win Friday over Terry Sanford (NC) in the Frances A. Pulley bracket, 75-52, splitting its first two games. They’ll play Grace Christian School (NC) in Saturday’s 3:00 championship game.

KSA Events Holiday Tournament: In the Red Bracket of the round-robin showcase, Gill St. Bernard’s (8-0) beat Metropolitan (NY) handily, 73-32, behind a team-best 16 from Gandy Malou-Mamel, who also had ten rebounds for a double-double. Brooke Baisley added 14. In the Pink bracket, Pingry (4-2) beat Birmingham Community Charter (CA) by a 56-32 score, getting a team-high 15 from Ngozi, Nnaeto.

Lady Chiefs Holiday Showcase at Piscataway: The roubd-robin six-team event saw Colonia, Old Bridge, and host Piscataway all take on wins Friday, and all finish 3-0 in the three-day event. The Patriots (6-2) beat in-town rival Woodbridge (3-3) in Friday’s opener, 41-22, fueled by a 15-point day from senior Taylor Derkack, who’s closing in on the girls’ all-time scoring record set last year by former teammate Matti Chiera, who’s now at William Paterson. Piscataway (3-3) evened up its mark entirely thanks to the showcase, beating Edison (1-6) behind 17 from Olivia Smart for a 52-35 victory. And Old Bridge (4-3) topped the smallest school in the event, Spotswood (3-3) in a 45-41 finale to the afternoon. The Knights got a double-double out of Danielle Boateng, with 19 points and 10 rebounds. 

MCMS Holiday Tournament at East Brunswick Magnet: None of the local squads in the six-team tournament made the final. In the fifth-place game, Piscataway Magnet (2-4) topped East Brunswick Magnet (0-6) by a 51-11 score.,

Metuchen Bulldog Holiday Tournament at Metuchen: The title goes to Bernards (5-2), which beat Brearley in the event’s final Friday, 43-26, getting 13 from Aletha Reynolds, the only Mountaineer in double-figures in a low-scoring game. Host Metuchen dropped both games in their event, falling 35-23 to Governor Livingston to drop to 2-3 overall.

West Orange Holiday Showcase: Entering the tourney undefeated, the Lady Canucks (5-2) took two straight losses. After a 65-27 loss to Teaneck Wednesday, they fell by two to Paterson Eastside (5-2) Friday afternoon.

SATURDAY GIRLS’ SCHEDULE: 

John Wall Invitational at William Peace Univeristy, Raleigh, NC: Rutgers Prep (5-1) takes on Grace Christian School (NC) in Saturday’s 3:00 championship game.

Ridge Holiday Classic at Ridge: In the round-robin event, South Brunswick (3-3) and host Ridge (4-3) will go at it at 11:30 Saturday morning in Basking Ridge. The Vikings lost to state-ranked Bayonne in their opener before beating Hunterdon Central Thursday. The Red Devils topped Randolph and Payne Tech in their opening two games.

West Windsor-Plainsboro North Tournament: After wins in its first two games of the eight-team, three-day tourney against Matawan and Princeton – allowing just eight points in the opener and 47 total in two games, Somerville (4-0) will take on a solid Neptune team (5-2) in the 4:15 pm final Saturday afternoon.

SATURDAY BOYS’ SCHEDULE:

Albert E. Martin Buc Classic at Red Bank Regional: After a loss in the opening round but a Thursday win over Notre Dame, 50-47, East Brunswick will play in Saturday’s third-place game against Port Richmond (NY) out of Staten Island at 3:30.

ALJ Crusader Holiday Tournament: The final for this one will have JP Stevens, which is just 1-4 on the season, but their only win came in the opener to the event, a 57-29 win over East Brunswick Magnet. That puts them up against host AL Johnson (3-2) in the final at 7:30 pm. The 6:00 consolation game has Metcuhen facing EBM.

Huskies Holiday Classic at Matawan: The GMC will factor heavily into this one, with three of the four teams involved playing for the top four spots. The championship is at 3:15 and will feature Sayreville (6-1) taking on Holmdel (4-1). The Bombers beat host Matawan in the opener, then Old Bridge in the semifinals on Thursday. The third-place game has the Knights (3-4) facing Woodbridge (4-2) at 1:30. Perth Amboy (3-4) will take on Raritan (0-6) in the seventh place game to open the Saturday slate at 10 am.

Jameer Nelson Classic at Widener University: This is a one-off for Rutgers Prep (3-2), which will face Camden Eastside (4-0) at 2:45 today, before heading to the New Year’s Jump Off on January first to play Hudson Catholic.

LeGrand Tournament: Host Colonia (4-2) will look to sweep the round-robin event when the Patriots play Westfield (2-4) at 1:00 after winning its opener over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 39-32, then beating Union City 49-36 on Friday. Colonia has won two straight after starting the year 2-2. Aiden Derkack scored in double figures in both games of the event, averaging 15.5 points per game in those two.

Winter Holiday Classic at West Windsor-Plainsboro South: After Somerville narrowly edged Spotswood in one of Thursday’s semifinals, 60-56, the Pioneers (4-2) will play in Saturday’s 4:15 pm final against West Windsor-Plainsboro North (3-4), which beat the hosts and their district rival South 57-42 on Thursday in the other semi. South (1-5) will take on Spotswood (4-2) in Saturday’s third-place game, with tip scheduled for 2:30.

by Mike Pavlichko

Is New Jersey ready for another game-changer? Dave Boff and a small charter school down the Jersey Shore may be the one to do it

It’s been over a decade since Kevin Boyle took his ball and went down to the Sunshine State to coach. The move stunned the Jersey basketball world, as he left the powerhouse St. Patrick program in Elizabeth to take the reins at the Montverde Academy, where he quickly coached his way to his first-ever unbeaten season, and a share of two national championships.

It was a seismic shift. In the years that followed, St. Pat’s became The Patrick School, no longer affiliated with the Diocese of Newark, and moved to Hillside, while the other big North Jersey powerhouse, St. Anthony in Jersey City, led seemingly forever by Bob Hurley, Sr., closed in 2017.

Dave Boff coached for Hurley, and after spending his first three seasons as coach at Governor Livingston, took over at Roselle Catholic, bringing that program to new heights, attracting major Division 1 talent to the Union County school, and winning four Tournament of Champions titles. Boyle (with five) and Hurley (with a dozen) are the only coaches to win more.

But last year, Boff capped off his 15th season with the Lions by announcing he was leaving to take on a new challenge and opportunity, as administrator and head boys’ basketball coach at College Acheive Public Charter School in Neptune City.

Sure, it may be closer to his home in Tinton Falls, as NJ.com reported when the news broke in late April, but it’s likely there’s way more to the story.

College Achieve is a small operation, at least for now. But Boff will get a chance to build a program from the ground up. He’s already had players follow him, and others transfer in from various other schools, including St. Thomas Aquinas in the GMC.

But here’s the main difference. College Achieve Charter is a considered a “public school.” Yet, unlike most public schools, which can only draw students from their geographical boundaries, unless they’re a “choice” school, they can pull from all over the place.

And, as the NJSIAA decreed in a major overhaul of transfer rules last year, they can also recruit, as long as it’s before ninth grade.

Unlike football, which requires a massive amount of players, and has seen many non-public Catholic schools close in recent years, new charters are popping up all the time. In fact, in Central Jersey Group 1 alone, there are nine charter schools, two vocational-technical schools – Perth Amboy Magnet and Somerset Tech – and 13 true, traditional public schools.

And if they don’t realize it now, they will come the state tournament in February. Last year’s CJ1 title winner was Eagle Academy of Newark, which had an enrollment of about 250 students as of a few years ago, according to national education statistics. The top seed, they finished 25-6, and beat Shore (21-6) by four in the finals, but lost in the Group 1 semis to Woodbury.

The win over Shore being a close game, and with Eagle Academy being one of just two charters that qualified in that section, it didn’t really grab major headlines.

But if you think they, or anyone else, has a chance against Boff and College Achieve, you might also think you have a chance at winning Powerball, or dating and breaking up with Taylor Swift and she won’t write a song about you.

Wrong on both accounts. (We’ll see how well this stretch of story ages in a couple of months.)

And this may be where the game-changer comes in: Boff will essentially do what he did at Roselle Catholic, attracting the best talent from across New Jersey, just like many other non-publics over the years.

But unlike at Roselle Catholic, or Hurley at St. Anthony’s, or Boyle at St. Pat’s, he’ll be competing against traditional public schools come playoff time.

Central Jersey Group 1 also includes several small schools in the CJSR coverage area for basketball. They include Dunellen, Highland Park, Manville, Somerset Tech, and South Amboy. Do you think any of them have a hope and a prayer against College Achieve?

No. Not in this world, and not in the next.

So it may be time for that next seismic shift in high school basketball in New Jersey.

The number of charters has exploded in recent years. They’re not going away; there will only be more and more of them in the years ahead.

And that means the NJSIAA may have to rethink how it classifies schools. As charters and other non-publics increase their attention and dedication to athletics, it’s becoming an unlevel playing field for the public schools in the same sections.

It would be like putting Bergen Catholic football into Central Jersey Group 5. Or just taking Boff’s Roselle Catholic team and putting it in Central Jersey Group 1.

The dominance of non-publics is one of the reasons the NJSIAA, tired of seeing the same teams in it and winning it every year, got rid of the Tournament of Champions in all sports that had it – much to the chagrin of many high school basketball fans in New Jersey, along with a significant number of players and coaches.

(Lacrosse coaches got so fed up with the decision, they hosted their own, independent TOC last year, with the NJSIAA’s blessing, once the playoffs were done.)

In the same vein, the NJSIAA may need to lump the charters, academies, and other similar schools, in with the non-publics. Maybe the classification needs a name-change to make it happen, but it’s an idea that merits serious consideration.

Don’t get us wrong: we’re not criticizing anyone. Not Boff, not College Achieve, not the NJSIAA. Or any other non-public school that can draw kids from other towns.

But this is like picking up Roselle Catholic, moving it down the Jersey Shore, and putting them in a public school section. No one has ever done it before. But if it works, we’ll see much more of it.

So when College Achieve – which can legally recruit through eighth grade and bring in freshmen from neighboring towns – blows out a public schools that can’t bring in kids from other towns in the Central Jersey Group 1 by 50 in the finals don’t tell us we didn’t warn you.

We’re telling you now.

The game will change. Will the NJSIAA keep pace?