Tag: HS Basketball

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s basketball coverage set to start, as 2025-26 could be one of the more interesting in years

We’re just three days away from the opening of the 2025-26 high school basketball season in New Jersey, and while only a handful of teams will play on Monday, Opening Night, we’re tipping off our coverage this weekend.

We’ll get it going with previews of some of the top boys’ and girls’ teams in the area starting Saturday, December 6th, and running through next weekend, when many teams start getting underway.

We’ll have our preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten rankings out the day after, on Sunday, and reveal our 2025-26 broadcast schedule on Monday afternoon. That will be a slate of around a dozen or so regular season games split between the boys and girls in both the Greater Middlesex Conference and the Somerset County portion of the Skyland Conference.

Of course, Central Jersey Sports Radio will be there for the GMC and Somerset County Tournaments in February, as well as the NJSIAA State Tournament as far as our local teams will go.

Season outlook…

The season proves to be an interesting one, notably on the boys’ side in the GMC, where there’s been much off-season upheaval. Colonia took its fourth straight North 2, Group 4 title, and won its second straight GMC Tournament with Aiden Derkack as MVP, but he announced over the summer a transfer to Spire Academy in Ohio.

Then, this week, R.J. Wortman signed on for a football scholarship at Rutgers, where he’ll be enrolling early in January, taking him out of the equation. That and the springtime hire and return of Mark Taylor as St. Joseph-Metuchen head coach, with a slew of newcomers, leaves things more up in the air than usual.

And don’t count Piscataway in its second year with Bob Turco at the helm, as well as St. Thomas Aquinas, whose new head coach Tom Weiler is a former Turco assistant.

On the girls’ side, the heavy favorite to win the GMC is St. Thomas Aquinas, which has won the last six county tournaments.

Over in Somerset County, the Rutgers Prep girls will look to make it back to the Somerset County Tournament final after missing it last year for the first time since 2014, snapping a streak of nine straight appearances, of which they had won seven, including four straight until last year. (There was also no tournament in the COVID-shortened season of 2020.) Gill St. Bernards won the SCT for the first time since 2014, beating Hillsborough, which knocked Rutgers Prep out in the semis. And while the Lady Raiders were the NJSIAA state Group 4 champions, they lose a ton, including all-time leading scorer Francesca Schiro, who’s leading Siena in scoring as a freshman. Gill also took some key losses, so the county could get quite interesting.

On the boys’ side, the big three still are Montgomery, Gill St. Bernard’s and Rutgers Prep until someone else makes a move. The Knights topped the Argonauts in another battle for the SCT title, while Montgomery made it all the way to the Group 4 final, falling to Plainfield at Rutgers on the final day of the season. All three should be stacked again, and it could be a play here, a play there, or some x-factor newcomer who will make the biggest difference this season.

christmas gifts under the christmas tree
by Mike Pavlichko

It’s Black Friday, so here’s our Wish List for High School sports in 2026 and beyond

We’re not greedy.  This isn’t a long list. 

Granted they might be some big ticket items, but that’s why we’re keeping this list short.

Still, as much as we love high school sports, there’s always room for change.

Many of you will be headed out to the malls today.  Some of you probably already have been and are headed home, shopping bags in hand.  You might even be headed back out after lunch for Round Two.

But here are a fewal things we’d like to throw in the proverbial cart for 2026, and even the 2026-27 school year, in chronological order.

Shot Clock in Basketball…

The NJSIAA this fall made it official, instituting a running clock in high school basketball.  A few leagues had already done it, with the Skyland Conference adopting it two seasons ago, and the Greater Middlesex Conference adopting it for this year, but now all that has been trumped by the state’s version.

Similar to what has been used for years in high school football, a running clock will automatically kick in during any game where the margin is 35 points or more in the second half, only to return to normal if the game goes to overtime.

The clock would only stop for time outs, technical fouls, injuries, or when requested by the officials, such as a scorebook discrepancy.

A shot clock at that point might seem counterintuitive, as it would encourage more shooting, and could lead to more scoring and even bigger blowouts.

But one of the complaints about the mercy rule clock is less time for development of players.  We think a shot clock will at least help that by discouraging teams from standing around just to run the clock down.  Rather, it would force the play to some degree, and encourage teams to run specific sets or plays.

And, it could keep the games entertaining for fans, who came out hoping to see a game, but might instead see the contest over so fast they might miss it if they blinked.

But it would be even more valuable in games that don’t have a running clock, which would be the majority of games.

No one likes watching a team up by ten kill time by holding onto the ball.  Consider than even in football, when a team “eats the clock” by taking their time and keeping the ball on the ground, running it up the gut, there’s still a play clock.  Imagine if there wasn’t?

According to the NFHS, which makes rules for high school sports – some of which are optional for states to adopt, like the basketball shot clock – 32 of 50 states use some form of a shot clock.

It’s time for New Jersey to become the 33rd.

Professional Baseball Championship Venues…

Very few high school sports have the ability to hold championships at professional stadiums.  After all, there is no “professional” track and field in New Jersey, no bowling arena per se.

High school football, of course, has Rutgers (college) and MetLife (home of the NFL’s Jets and Giants), while basketball plays the state finals all at Rutgers now, ditching Toms River North (nice arena) in the name of equality for the boys and girls (we agree).  And ice hockey’s state finals are at the Prudential Center in Newark, home of the NHL’s Devils.

Know what other sport Jersey has plenty of professional venues for?  Baseball!

Mercer County’s Veterans Park and Bob DeMeo Field is a picturesque setting, we’ll grant you.  But parking is limited.  Internet – especially for media – is spotty.  (Electronic parking ticket takers even had issue last season.) 

What’s more, if it rains, the fields are often unplayable for at least 24 hours.  A quick, half-hour deluge suspended the Non-Public A final two seasons ago and postponed the B final between St. Thomas Aquinas and Gloucester Catholic, which was decided just as the STA bus pulled into the lot, a wasted trip.  Then there’s the issue of the late night curfew, which reared it’s head last season

Admittedly, the NJSIAA likely either gets to use the park for free (the association is headquartered in Mercer County, in nearby Robbinsville) or a reduced rate, and it’s convenient for staff either coming from their offices or who live close to work, but there are so many minor league parks in the state.

Imagine if they rotated each year:  once at Yogi Berra Stadium in Montclair, the next year at TD Bank Park in Somerset, then at the Trenton Thunder ballpark on the waterfront.  All three are beautiful, capable facilities – with full infield tarps, by the way – with plenty of parking, cell service, scoreboards with video, and food options for fans.  There are locker rooms in which to get ready.

Sure, there’s the cost, but keep in mind many high school teams rent these facilities for individual games.  TD Bank hosts dozens of high school games every year.  If Manville and Montgomery can afford a single game at the home of the AA Yankee-affiliated Somerset Patriots can’t the NJSIAA afford a few?

And how cool would a team photo look with an NJSIAA trophy and Sparkee the mascot?

Scheduling could be tricky, but with three to choose from – not to mention the new Middlesex College facility being built in Edison, which will be a bit smaller but also have a full press box and be shared with Rutgers, allowing for Big Ten Network broadcasts – this could work out well.

Replay in Football…

Granted, this has been tried before, and it failed, as officials literally blew two replay calls in one playoff season before the NJSIAA ended it, but we think it’s time for a “review.”

The technology has gotten better.  Nearly everyone has a video replay system.  State finals will have multiple angles on the game broadcasts by NJ.com at both Rutgers and MetLife Stadiums this weekend.  They even show plays on the video board in the stadiums.

So why can’t we get video replay right?

Study what went wrong, figure out how to fix it, and maybe even have someone in the booth there whose some job it is to conduct a review.

Times have changed.  Everyone has a cell phone now, there’s a lot of media taking video, and when the common person can tell a call was wrong by calling it up on YouTube, but the officials have no recourse to overrule, we’re doing the game a disservice.

Remember the Camden-Manasquan basketball fiasco two years ago?  Know what the NJSIAA did in response?  They paid themselves to have backboard lights installed at each of the high school venues that host neutral site state tournament rounds, whether it’s the Non-Public sectional finals or the Public state semifinals.  And, of course, Rutgers has those lights for the state finals.

A problem occurred, and the NJSIAA made the perfect call in doing something about it.

For football, let’s start with the state finals, and hopefully work out way back to other rounds, and maybe the regular season.  That part may be the most difficult of the bunch, but at least for the finals, we owe that much to teams that are playing longer than anyone else, and for the biggest trophy the NJSIAA hands out.

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA adds another tweak to power points, affecting all sports in 2025-26, except football

More changes are coming to the state’s power point system, under a change recently announced by the NJSIAA.

According to an email sent to athletic directors and coaches across New Jersey that was obtained by Central Jersey Sports Radio, the NJSIAA made the changes based on two “areas of concern” it says emerged after seeking feedback from member schools: how out-of-state opponents factor into calculations, and whether all games should be averaged, or if instead a only the best results should count.

Based on the feedback, the NJSIAA is making changes in both areas that will immediately go into effect this school year in all sports that use power points, with the exception of football. In football, power points are just part of the New Jersey UPR formula, which also uses the Strength Index component.

For out-of-state opponents, the NJSIAA’s had been assigning a .500 win percentage to all teams, but that rule has now been eliminated. Instead, the formula will use the team’s actual record when calculating residual points, based the first “N” number of games played by the opponent, with that number potentially varying by sport.

For example, if the basketball “N” number were hypothetically set at 14, a basketball team that plays an out-of-state opponent – such as at a showcase or other more regional event – would only get residuals based on that out-of-state opponent’s first 14 games. A team that was 20-5 overall, but 12-2 through its first 14 games would be considered 12-2 for the purposes of calculating power points.

The second change would no longer calculate the average of all games for power points. Instead, it would use only the top “N” number of games. This is different from the out-of-state rule, which would count the “first” “N” number of games. Essentially, it would drop the lowest scores.

Again, choosing basketball as an example, with a hypothetical “N” number of 14, a team that has played 16 games would have its power points average only calculate its highest 14 game values. Put another way, it would drop the two lowest scores.

This might be helpful for some schools that are forced to play teams in their division our county tournament that don’t have many wins. For example, a team that has played 18 games, but five of them have come against one-, two- or three-win teams – while others might have come against 12- or 13-win teams – would have its lowest four scores dropped. In that case, only one of the games against those weaker teams would count; the lowest four would be dropped.

by Alec Crouthamel

Standout Aiden Derkack to leave Colonia for Spire Academy (OH) for senior season

One of Colonia’s all-time great basketball stars is headed to Ohio.

Aiden Derkack, the Patriots’ boys program’s all-time leading scorer, will leave Colonia for his senior season, he announced on Instagram Sunday.

He’ll be headed to Spire Academy in Ohio to play for legendary high school basketball coach Kevin Boyle, who once rose to prominence as head coach at St. Patrick’s Elizabeth before taking over at Montverde (Fla.) for a decade. He moved to take over Spire in March.


“For developing me beyond basketball, I needed to take this step,” He told CJSR in a phone interview on Sunday. “For basketball, obviously the facilities are great there. But I think the most important thing that I saw there was the people, the coaching staff, [even] the strength guys, everyone there is just winning. People who just want to win and just want to be better, which definitely caught my eye the most.”

The accolades speak for themselves with Derkack and the Patriots program as a whole. In three years, Colonia won three straight sectional championships, two GMC Tournament championships in 2024 and 2025, and went a combined 71-23, including an epic last-second victory over national power La Lumiere in February’s Metro Classic.

As a junior, he was also named the Central Jersey Sports Radio GMC Boys Player of the Year, after a season where he averaged 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. Colonia started its season with a big-time win over St. Peter’s Prep in the NJ Basketball Coaches Tip-Off Showcase, and from there rolled into the postseason at 19-4.

In the GMC Tournament, the Patriots won their first three games by an average of 25 points, and took down Piscataway in an intense 70-63 victory to win the GMC for the second year in a row.

The North 2, Group 3 tournament went by in a similar fashion, with Colonia defeating Mendham 62-43 on its home floor, before falling to Ramapo in the Group 3 semifinal, though the Patriots completed a 29-6 postseason record in Derkack’s three years.

Under head coach Jose Rodriguez, Derkack and the Patriots have consistently been one of the state’s finest public school programs – and top teams in general.

Spurred by a standout season in the AAU ranks for the EYBL’s Team Final, Derkack makes the next step in his basketball career, and his journey to the highest level. He leaves Colonia as one of the program’s all-time greats as part of one of the school’s best basketball families.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel speak with Aiden Derkack on his time at Colonia and his basketball future:

by Mike Pavlichko

Dennis McNulty steps down as Timothy Christian boys’ basketball coach

After six seasons as the boys’ basketball coach at Timothy Christian School in Edison, Dennis McNulty has stepped down, and will no longer teach at the school as well.

McNulty made the announcement Wednesday on his social media accounts.

In six seasons, he brought Timothy Christian to new heights and unprecedented success, reaching double digit wins each season, even in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, with standouts like Jalen Fleming – the school’s all-time leading scorer – and big man Chukwudi Raphael Mamah.

“Today I tendered my resignation and will not be returning to TCS next year on the court or in the classroom,” McNulty wrote in an Instagram post. “It was a grueling decision that was made after lots of prayer and contemplation. As you might imagine I have a mix of emotions.”

In his first season as head coach, he took a 5-19 squad in 2019 and went 15-10 with a third place finish in the GMC Gold Division at 13-5.

His teams were 73-66 overall, and 66-16 in divisional play in the GMC. They shared or won outright three division titles, sharing the 2021-22 Gold Division title with Wardlaw-Hartridge, the 2023-24 Blue Division title with Spotswod, and winning this past season’s Blue title outright, with a 9-1 record.

The Tigers – who were the ten-seed in this year’s GMC Tournament – also knocked off seventh-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen in the opening round, with a 56-53 road win.

“My prayer is that I left it better than I found it,” McNulty added in his post. “I solicit your prayers during this season of transition.”

by Mike Pavlichko

More tributes pouring in for Hillsborough alum and former basketball coach Ian Progin; plus a one-on-one with Montgomery’s Kris Grundy, and our postgame chat after Raiders’ 2015 CJ4 title

As word spread over the weekend that former Hilllsborough basketball coach – and Rutgers walk-on – Ian Progin had passed away Friday at the age of 47 after a long battle with brain cancer, the tributes came pouring from all over.

In our original story Monday, we heard from his longtime assistant Chris Fox. We asked him to reach out to former players and coaches who wished to say a word or two, and many of them got back to us. They are presented virtually in their entirety here.

We also spoke with Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy, who started with the Cougars’ boys’ basketball program shortly after Progin took over at Hillsborough in 2004. The two became instant friends, often getting together at the end of seasons, along with others in the coaching fraternity.

Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko

We went digging for some nuggets, old pictures, anything we can find. But much of Progin’s run with the Raiders came before the explosion of social media and all things being digitized. We did find a good one, though.

A year after Hillsborough upset Gill St. Bernard’s to win the Somerset County Tournament in 2014, they were a 13-seed in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoff bracket. I was working at WCTC 1450 AM in New Brunswick at the time, and with that game being played out of our coverage area, at Freehold Township, we opted to broadcast a game closer to our area: Ridge hosting Linden in the North 2, Group 4 final.

The Red Devils had just come off a thrilling win over Columbia in the semifinals, which we also covered. So, we stuck with the higher seed and the hot hand. As the game – which Ridge lost – came to a close, we got word Hillsborough had stunned the Patriots to win the title, the program’s first ever. During the commercial break, I went to my phone, got his number, and told my producer in the studio, David Raisch, to call and see if the could come on the air.

We got him, while he was on the team bus, graciously telling us about the game and how proud he was of the Raiders. You can hear that interview below.

Hillsborough head coach Ian Progin with WCTC’s Mike Pavlichko after the Raiders won the Central Jersey Group 4 title on March 9, 2015.
Ian Progin (in back, with trophy) and the Hillsborough Raiders celebrate their Somerset County Tournament title win over Gill St. Bernard’s, 53-52, at Franklin High School on March 1, 2014. (Source: Progin Basketball)

Here are comments from various former players and coaches, as sent to Central Jersey Sports Radio:

Nick Alaimo, HHS ’13, boys’ basketball: “Coach Progin was more than a coach to me, he was my role model. He is the reason I decided to go into education and coaching. Coach cared about us all more than just basketball players. He was there for us on and off the court. He played a vital role in me having the opportunity to play college basketball. I will cherish the memories I had with coach Progin forever.”

Olivia and Erin Buckman, HHS ’18, girls’ basketball captains: “Coach Progin was so much more than a coach to us – he was family. He was always there with support, advice, and genuine care and he touched our lives in so many ways. The life lessons he taught us are something we will carry with us forever.”

Brett Bisconti, HHS’07, boys’ basketball, current Bernards girls’ coach:  “Ian was my coach throughout high school and brought me onto his staff at Hillsborough when I was just 21 years old with zero coaching experience – he took a chance on me and gave me my first real opportunity. I wanted to be a teacher and a coach and he made it his priority to mentor me to help reach my fullest potential both on and off the court. He was always patient, kind, and modeled how a true leader operates day in and day out – I wanted to be like him. He loved his players and truly only wanted what was best for them. He was so detail-oriented, organized, and prepared – which is why there is no surprise he had the success he had both with the boys and girls programs.

After playing for him, then coaching with him, I got to see first hand what a special and selfless person he really was. I am beyond grateful for everything he did for me, I just completed my 15th year coaching and without the impact he had on me, none of it would be possible – he changed my life.

Courtney, his children, and the rest of his family will always be in my prayers. “

Jill Stanton, HHS ’20, girls’ basketball: “I played basketball for Coach Progin all four years of high school from 2016-2020. Progin embodied what it means to be a true Coach. He took the time to teach every single player how to become a better player, and he tailored his coaching style to our individual needs to help us succeed as individual players and as a team. He was the first coach that really made me feel seen and valued as a player. I was never an outspoken leader, yet he understood that and still trusted me enough as a freshman to be able to contribute and compete against girls three years older than me.

To outsiders, Progin may have just been our Coach. But to the girls lucky enough to play under his leadership, he wasn’t just a Coach. He was the best Coach I’ve ever had. He cared about us as people off the court just as much as he cared about us as players. He was a mentor and another father figure to us all. In just four years, he was able to take a basketball program and turn us into a family, and I will be forever grateful for him. I hope he knows how much we all love and miss him and that he will remain forever in our hearts.

Brandon Shamy, HHS ’05, boys’ basketball:  “I played for Ian Progin for two years, from 2004-2005, his first two years as head coach. After college, Ian hired me to be the freshman coach for his program. It was such a honor to coach with someone I loved playing for. As a coach, Ian brought incredible preparation, passion and energy. He was a great mentor for me, on and off the court. He cared deeply for his players. A special coach, but an even better man.

Ian taught me so much about playing and coaching basketball at a high level. I’ll never forget the amazing memories and accomplishments we shared on the court. He had such a huge impact on so many of our lives. His legacy will last forever. He was such a special coach and man. He’ll be greatly missed by so many.”

Matt Hornich, HHS ’14, boys’ basketball: “In short, Coach Progin was a Hillsborough legend, changing many lives on the court and off. Coach knew how to get the most out of all his athletes and held us to a high standard on and off the court. He will be missed, my thoughts go out to his wife and two kids. The good die young, rest in peace.”

James Smith, HHS ’14, boys’ basketball: “Coach Progin believed in us — not just as players, but as people. He cared deeply for his team, his students, and his community, always showing up with unwavering support. His quiet confidence helped us grow through every challenge. I’m grateful to have known him and will always cherish the time we shared.”

Michelle Fratianni, HHS ’20, girls’ basketball: “Coach Progin was someone who had such a drive to see every girl who stepped onto a court succeed. However, off the court he was caring and had a passion for teamwork, collaboration, and supporting one another. He implemented a poster creation of a new word every week throughout my senior season, and it was a word the team lived by. Coach Progin really brought us all together and is the reason for the team being so successful and bonded. He truly changed the girls basketball dynamic at Hillsborough.”

Amy Rachilla of the Hillsborough girls’ basketball team with Ian Progin – who had stepped down three years prior – on Senior Night in 2023. (Submitted photo.)

Amy Rachilla, HHS’ 23, girls’ basketball:  “In 2019-2020, I was a freshman on the girls varsity basketball team and Coach Progin coached me for his last year before stepping down. Progin was a passionate, dedicated, and supportive coach. He loved the game of basketball and I was lucky enough to have been coached by him for my first year of high school. Not many girls get the opportunity to play on varsity their freshman year, but Coach Progin took a chance on me and paved the way for me to become the basketball player I am today. Progin embodied what being a coach is. He ran a well-organized, close-knit, resilient team. He knew what it took to WIN and he pushed us everyday to be the best version of ourselves. As an only freshman on the team, I was timid and nervous, but he guided me day in and day out whether that was at practice, games or even during school. He had so much confidence and faith in me and put me in positions he knew I would do good in. He only coached me for one year, but for the 3 years after that he always made sure to stay in touch with me and continue to meet with me yearly to check in. He always supported me, and even though he wasn’t my coach for the next 3 years, he still came to watch me score my 1,000th point and celebrate my Senior Night. That shows you the coach he really was. Without him, I would have not been where I am today. He taught me so much about the game and more importantly about life. I was so lucky to have him as my coach. I will truly miss him so much and that smile he always had on his face. He always wanted everyone to be there best as individuals and he would do anything for anyone. He was a coach, mentor and guidance counselor, but he was another father figure to all of us. He built more than just a high school basketball program, he built a family. We will forever miss him and the legacy he built. He will remain in my heart forever.”

Former Hillsborough Girls’ basketball coach Ian Progin (middle) with Senior Night honorees, 2018.  (Submitted photo)

Elizabeth Suseck, HHS ’18, Girls’ basketball:  “Coach Progin was the best coach I ever had. He didn’t just teach us basketball; he taught us how to show up in life, how to work hard, push through, and never settle. I watched him coach my brothers with intensity and high standards, and when he came to the girls’ team, he brought that same energy- he believed in us just as much. I’ll always remember the tough practices, the big wins, and the post-game bus ride sing alongs with Coach (only after the wins of course). I feel very lucky to have known and played for Coach Progin.”

Caitlin Kolesar, HHS ’20, girls’ basketball:  “

When I moved to Hillsborough, I didn’t know what to expect. But one of the first people I connected with was Coach. He sat down with me, listened to my story—where I came from, what I hoped to do with basketball—and he met me with nothing but openness and excitement about what the future could hold. I’ll be honest, our relationship wasn’t always perfect, but when it mattered most, he showed up for me in a way I’ll never forget.

In 2019, after my concussion left me unable to finish my junior year and part of my senior year, Coach never stopped checking in – asking how I was doing, how my recovery was going, and keeping tabs on my progress with the doctors. With their help, I made it back my senior year, and though the road was tough, Coach made sure my fight didn’t go unnoticed. At our senior banquet, he surprised me with the “Comeback Player of the Year” award – an acknowledgment I’ll always hold close to my heart.

Coach was more than just a coach—he was someone who truly cared. On and off the court, he had a heart for his players, and even now, I believe he’s still watching over all of us, cheering us on. I’ll always be grateful for the impact he had on my life, and I’ll carry his memory with me in every step forward.”

by Mike Pavlichko

Greater Middlesex Conference entirely revamps basketball divisions in major shakeup

In perhaps the biggest revamping of divisions in any sport since the formation of the Greater Middlesex Conference in 1985, the league is moving to six divisions, and altering the rules for seeding of the county tournament.

For both girls’ and boys’ basketball, starting next season there will be six divisions, with an American and National division in the Red, White and Blue Divisions, eliminating the Gold and Silver entirely. The new alignment is for the 2025-26 season only, as divisions will be altered annually instead of every two years.

While there’s no official “top” division in the GMC, the assignments generally follow the league’s hierarchy over the last several years, which has come less to rely on school size, but also strives to achieve competitive balance.

From the unofficial top down, there will be the Red American Division, then the Red National, the White American and White National, then the Blue American and Blue National in both boys’ and girls’ hoops.

Mike DelAversano, Spotswood Athletic Director and GMC Basketball Co-Chair along with Carl Buffalino of South River, says the moves were made to give teams more GMC games and help seeding by creating more crossover opportunities.

The league also is keeping its “one tournament” format, which seems to still be popular with league coaches, even as other sports have added “invitational” tournaments for lower-seeded teams. However, there will be no more “guaranteed” seeds.

Previously, the winners of each division were guaranteed high seeds; one of the top eight seeds when there were four divisions, one of the top 12 when there were five divisions. But the feeling was that artificially placed some teams higher than they should have been.

The belief is that with smaller divisions and more crossovers, there will be more ways to compare teams when they are seeded, as they will be more likely to play teams of different quality throughout the season than just who’s in their division.

Here’s a look at the new alignment, along with each team’s division last year.

GMC BOYS’ BASKETBALL ALIGNMENTS 2025-26:

Red American
Colonia (Red)
Old Bridge (Red)
Piscataway (Red)
St. Joseph-Metuchen (Red)
St. Thomas Aquinas (Red)

Red National
East Brunswick (White)
Monroe (Red)
Sayreville (White)
South Plainfield (White)
Woodbridge (White)

White American
Edison (Blue)
JP Stevens (Blue)
North Brunswick (White)
North Plainfield (Blue)
Perth Amboy (White)
South Brunswick (White)
Timothy Christian (Blue)

White National
Carteret (Blue)
JFK (Gold)
Metuchen (Gold)
Middlesex (Gold)
Spotswood (Gold)

Blue American
Dunellen (Silver)
Highland Park (Silver)
New Brunswick (Blue)
Piscataway Magnet (Silver)
South Amboy (Silver)
South River (Gold)

Blue National
Calvary Christian (Gold)
East Brunswick Magnet (Silver)
Perth Amboy Magnet (Silver)
Somerset Tech (Silver)
Wardlaw-Hartridge (Silver)

GMC GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ALIGNMENTS 2025-26

Red American
East Brunswick (Red)
Monroe (Red)
North Plainfield (Red)
Piscataway (Red)
St. Thomas Aquinas (Red)
South Brunswick (Red)

Red National
Colonia (Red)
Edison (White)
Middlesex (White)
Old Bridge (Red)
Spotswood (White)

White American
JP Stevens (White)
North Brunswick (White)
South Plainfield (White)
Woodbridge (White)

White National
Carteret (Blue)
Highland Park (Blue)
JFK (Blue)
Metuchen (Blue)
Sayreville (Blue)
Perth Amboy (White)
Timothy Christian (Blue)

Blue American
Calvary Christian (Gold)
Dunellen (Blue)
Mother Seton (Gold)
New Brunswick (Gold)
South River (Blue)
Wardlaw-Hartridge (Gold)

Blue National
East Brunswick Magnet (Gold)
Perth Amboy Magnet (Gold)
Piscataway Magnet (Gold)
Somerset Tech (Gold)
South Amboy (Gold)
Woodbridge Magnet (Gold)

by Mike Pavlichko

Back in Town: St. Joseph alum, Hall of Famer Mark Taylor to lead Falcons’ Basketball

With nearly well over career wins and the revival of three different basketball programs under his belt, Mark Taylor is coming back home, returning to his alma mater – St. Joseph of Metuchen – as the Falcons’ new basketball coach.

Having spent the last 14 seasons at powerhouse St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, winning over 400 games with the Gray Bees while coaching numerous future Division I standouts, Taylor is coming back to Metuchen where he played in the early 1980s and coached future stars Jay Williams – who was National College Player of the Year at Duke and second overall pick by the NBA’s Bulls in 2002 – and Andrew Bynum, who was drafted right out of St. Joe’s by the Lakers. Both also were McDonald’s All-Americans.

Taylor is a 1983 graduate of the school, and as a player, went twice to the Middlesex County Tournament finals, then played in College at Fordham. He also in the St. Joseph Athletics Hall of Fame.

He came back to coach at St. Joe’s for eleven seasons, breathing new life into the program, winning two GMCT crowns in six trips to the finals, as well as two state sectional titles and seven division championships.

After that, he went to Ridge, and revived that program as well, winning 94 games in five seasons from 2006 to 2011, more than any other Somerset County public school in that time frame, winning the Somerset County Tournament title in 2010, their first such trophy since 1977.

Taylor then moved to St. Benedict’s, and in 14 seasons, went 333-60, bringing his overall record – compiled from various sources – to 599-171 in 30 seasons overall at the scholastic and prep levels. Current UConn coach Danny Hurley had spent nine years there – with a down year in between – before Taylor arrived and rejuvenated the program.

Overall, he’s produced eight NBA draft picks and over a hundred Division I NCAA players.

“Mark Taylor’s success in the New Jersey high school basketball landscape has been second to none over the past 28 years,” Saint Joseph Director of Athletics Bill Tracy said in a press release.

“We are excited to welcome yet another hall of fame caliber coach to the Saint Joseph Athletics Department. More importantly, I am confident that Coach Taylor’s focus on forming successful young men will have a positive impact on the student-athlete experience at Saint Joseph High School. We welcome him back with open arms and now set our sights on bringing trophies back to Maglio Gymnasium,” said Tracy.

What’s unique about Taylor is he’s not involved in basketball at any other level, whether it’s owning a training or involved in AAU basketball. He calls himself an “entrepreneur,” and has a history of building successful businesses across many industries. He holds a business degree in finance management from Fordham University and a masters certificate in Christian Ministries from Liberty University.

When he was first at St. Joe’s, he started a warehouse distribution and packaging company from his garage and sold it in 2012. He also has been involved in home construction and now is involved with an internet venture called Taylored Digital Assets.

Click below to hear Mark Taylor talk about returning home to St. Joseph-Metuchen with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

After one season, Karl Towns and staff depart St. Joseph-Metuchen boys’ basketball

When Karl Towns, the father of current New York Knick Karl-Anthony Towns, was hired as head coach of the boys’ basketball program at St. Joseph of Metuchen – KAT’s alma mater – it seemed like the proverbial slam dunk.

Here was a connection with the father of arguably the school’s most prominent alum, who was singlehandedly the biggest draw in the league during his three years with the Falcons and helped fill the seats at the GMC Tournament Finals at Rutgers. Who helped his team to three trips to the now-defunct Tournament of Champions, winning the title in 2014. Who went on to Kentucky to play for John Calipari, was taken first overall in the NBA Draft after one season by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and who came “back home” in a blockbuster trade with the Knicks.

But that trade might have indirectly led to Towns deciding to leave St. Joe’s, where the school and head basketball coach Karl Towns, Sr. have parted ways. In a press release sent out Thursday afternoon, the school says Towns “stepped down to pursue other opportunities.”

Towns’ was hired in June of last year, to much fanfare. It was seen as a golden opportunity for fundraising and publicity for the Falcons’ program. And it helped smooth over a long rift between Karl-Anthony and the school, after it let go of his coach, Dave Turco, in 2017. Towns’ displeasure with the move was reported by Jeremy Schneider of NJ.com.

But he had no idea at the time that Karl-Anthony would get shipped to New York in September, and his father was away at times once the season started, often shown on television courtside at Madison Square Garden. He would travel to see him play over the years, but now, he was just across the river.

Karl’s assistants generally led the team in games regardless. When Central Jersey Sports Radio broadcast St. Joe’s against Montgomery in the Friends of South Amboy Tournament in December, Towns told us in our pregame prep that his assistant John Nessler would be coaching the team, not him. While he was there on the bench, during timeouts, Towns was not generally in the huddle.

That would continue throughout the year. And per MyCentralJersey.com reporter Josh Rosenfeld – who posted updates of the game on social media – Towns was not in the Maglio Gymnasium on February 13th, for example, when the Falcons played their First Round GMC Tournament game against Timothy Christian, which they lost, 56-53. Watching the game on the school’s livestream, Towns was not seen on camera in the bench area.

In the end, St. Joe’s finish 6-16 this season, 3-7 in the GMC Red Division, a year after winning the Red under Jan Cocozziello, who was let go last April after five seasons at the helm.

“A search for the next head basketball coach will begin immediately,” the release by the school said.

“We thank Coach Towns for his contributions to the Saint Joseph basketball program,” Director of Athletics Bill Tracy said. “Coach Towns has been a part of our school community for over 15 years and has always put the team first. We are sorry to see him leave, but look forward to seeing Karl-Anthony’s success continue to rise on the world’s biggest stage.”

by Mike Pavlichko

Sunday Conversation: Former Montgomery standout Curry making his mark at West Point, scoring big buckets for Army

Ryan Curry would have fit in nicely with the current Montgomery squad, and last year’s too. The point guard played the game hard, and with a laser focus, very business-like.

Almost, you could say, with military precision.

So it should come as no surprise that after a year of prep school in upstate New York, he’s now a standout at West Point for the men’s basketball team.

Army sophomore and former Montgomery standout Ryan Curry. (Photo credit: Army West Point Athletic Communications)

Curry is third on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game, and has dished out a team-best 98 assists, while shooting an eye-popping nearly 40-percent from downtown, making a team-best 71 treys this season for 15-11 Army.

But he doesn’t just put up numbers. He comes up clutch.

Go back to last Saturday. He scored 30 in a 116-110 double-overtime win over Bucknell that Army set a single-game all-time scoring record.

And that wasn’t even his first heroic act of the season.

In early December, he hit the game-winning three with six seconds left in another long one – this, in triple overtime – to give the Black Knights a 103-100 victory at Le Moyne. Curry finished with 24 in the win.

And the kid is just a sophomore.

Click below to hear Army point guard Ryan Curry talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about his journey to West Point, his success with the Black Knights, and his formative years in Montgomery: