Tag: HS Basketball

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:

by Mike Pavlichko

North Plainfield pulls lone upset in boys’ GMC Tournament preliminary round; Timothy Christian’s Fleming tops 2,000-point milestone

All but one of the higher seeds won their GMC Tournament preliminary round games on the boys’ side Tuesday, making it a perfect 16 of 16 in that round, coupled with Monday’s girls’ results.

There were some tight ones, including North Brunswick’s win over Edison and Monroe’s victory over South Brunswick. Timothy Christian’s Jalen Fleming scored his 2,000th point in a win over Perth Amboy Magnet. And 21-seed North Plainfield knocked off Silver Division champion and 12-seed Dunellen.

Here’s a recap of Tuesday evening’s action, followed by Thursday’s “first round” matchups in the round of 16. Scroll down after the recaps for postgame reaction from Middlesex head coach Jared Goldstein after the Blue Jays’ come-from-behind win over South River.

TUESDAY’S GMC TOURNAMENT RESULTS – BOYS’ PRELIMINARY ROUND

  • (16) Monroe def. (17) South Brunswick, 48-43: A late rally by the Vikings (6-17) fell just short as the Falcons built a 23-18 halftime lead and were ahead 36-25 heading into the final eight minutes. Joe Porpora led Monroe with 13 points, while Braden Hoiberg and Anthony Barsa added 10, including a 6-of-10 night from the foul line. (Porpora also went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.) The Falcons (7-16) will face GMC Red Division champion and top-seed Colonia for a third time this year on Thursday in the first round. Colonia won this season’s first matchup on January second, 57-27, but the second one was much closer: 50-40 on January 28th. Monroe only trailed by three at the half.
  • (9) East Brunswick def. (25) JFK, 78-56: The Bears (13-10) got a huge game out of Matt Mikulka, who scored 30 points – while Cam Vick added 14 and Andrew Carusa 12 – in the win. Kennedy (7-12) was led by Grant Lorentzen with 23 points. It was only an eight point game at the half, but the Bears pulled away with a strong 16-6 fourth quarter. East Brunswick will travel to ninth-seed Woodbridge in a “true” 8/9 game that could be a toss-up. The teams split this year, with East Brunswick winning 65-61 before Christmas, while Woodbridge returned the favor with a 47-44 win on January 16th.
  • (21) North Plainfield def. (12) Dunellen, 66-53: Aaron Potts and Quadir Williams each scored 19 points for the Canucks (12-11) in the upset win over the Destroyers (15-6) at the Faber School. Ryan Hutchins scored 15 in defeat for Dunellen, which got behind big early, 22-8 after one, and trailed 40-21 at the half. Next up, the Canucks travel to five-seed Old Bridge, a team they have very little history with, since they only came over from the Skyland Conference to the GMC two seasons ago. They haven’t met since at least 2010. North Plainfield, which started 0-4 and lost eight of its first nine games, has flipped the script late in the season: they’ve now won four straight and eight of their last nine.
  • (13) Perth Amboy def. (20) Spotswood, 74-63: The Panthers had two players go off for 20-plus points, as Lavion Balthazar and Jadiel Manzueta each scored 23 to lead Perth Amboy (12-10) in the win. Balthazar logged a double-double, also grabbing 15 rebounds. Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage led Spotswood with 20 in defeat. Next up, the Panthers (12-10) travel to North Edison to take on four-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (13-8). Their last meeting was in 2022, a 94-47 Trojans win, the only time they’ve played in the last 15 years.
  • (14) Metuchen def. (19) Piscataway Magnet, 55-42: The Bulldogs (17-6) had a big second quarter, outscoring the Raiders 20-5 to take a 35-18 lead at the break, but almost gave it back when they got outscored themselves 20-8 in the third quarter. In a game dominated by defense, Metuchen then held Piscataway Magnet (17-6) to just four fourth quarter points to come out with the win. Jason Woods had 17 to lead the Bulldogs, who will next travel to play third-seed and GMC White Division champion Sayreville Thursday. It’s been almost three years since their last meeting, a 68-51 Bomber win in the 2022 GMCT preliminary round.
  • (11) Middlesex def. (22) South River, 63-58: Despite getting a 31 point game – including nine free throws – from Alex Grospe, South River (11-10) couldn’t keep the Blue Jays from coming back from an eight point halftime deficit, and a rough second quarter in which Middlesex (16-6) was outscored 20-7, coughing up a 15-10 lead at the end of one. Down 45-39 after three, the Jays stormed ahead in the fourth. Four players scored in double figures, including Owen Reynolds with 17, Chris Kozak with 13, Domenic Parenti with a dozen and Mark Melchiore with ten. Next up, Middlesex will visit sixth-seed South Plainfield, the second-place team in the GMC White Division. It’ll be their first meeting since 2022, and the Tigers have won all four matchups since COVID.
  • (10) Timothy Christian def. (26) Perth Amboy Magnet, 65-31: Just a few second in, senior Jalen Fleming nailed a triple from the right of the key to crack the 2,000 point mark in his stellar career. Fleming finished with 26 points to give him 2,023 total. Elijah Pierre added 20 for the Tigers (13-7), while Chukwudi Raphael Mamah had a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Patriots fell to 11-9 with the loss. Timothy Christian now moves on to play seventh-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen out of the GMC Red. There’s little history between the teams; the Tigers hung in last February in a GMC Tournament quarterfinal matchup before the Falcons – who were the top seed, but got knocked out in the semifinals – won it 83-68.
  • (15) North Brunswick def. (18) Edison, 68-61: A monster night of 30 points and 10-of-11 from the stripe for Tommy Koroma powered the Raiders (9-14) to the win over the Eagles (12-10). Deshawn Burgess added 11 for North Brunswick, which now moves on to play second-seed Piscataway in their first meeting since 2016.

Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Jared Goldstein talk about the Blue Jays’ rally to beat South River with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

WEDNESDAY’S GMC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE – GIRLS’ FIRST ROUND

  • (16) North Brunswick (8-13) at (1) St. Thomas Aquinas (18-6), 5:30 pm: The Trojans have won their GMC Red Division games by an average of 40-plus points per game, and their last loss to a GMC team came on January 20th, 2022, a 55-41 road loss at Monroe. Their last home loss came March 5, 2021, in the COVID-shortened season, when the Falcons topped them to win the GMC’s top postseason pod, the Somogyi Family Pod. Don’t expect much to change.
  • (9) Carteret (15-6) at (8) Calvary Christian (18-1), 4:15 pm: Calvary beat the Ramblers on January 31st in one of the lowest-scoring games of the year, 24-20, but their only loss this year came to Timothy Christian, which is 8-14 in the same division as Carteret. Call it a toss-up.
  • (12) Old Bridge (10-12) at (5) East Brunswick (12-10), 5:30 pm: The Bears have swept Old Bridge each of the last two years and won five straight in the series. East Brunswick won this year’s matchups by 21 and 23 points, but many games in the GMC Red have been competitive, and this one should be, too.
  • (13) North Plainfield (6-16) at (4) Spotswood (17-6), 6:30 pm: Not a lot of history between these teams, with the Canucks winning their only meeting in the last 15 years back in February of last year, 62-27. But North Plainfield was also 18-7 last season, a 12-win swing so far. This should be a good one as well.
  • (14) Colonia (6-17) at (3) Middlesex (17-6), 5:30 pm: Since 2012, these teams have only met three times. Middlesex won a tight one in 2021, while Colonia won the next two. But this is a different Patriots team without stars Mattie Chiera and Taylor Derkcack. Despite the record, it could be a competitive game.
  • (11) Piscataway (10-9) at (6) South Brunswick (11-10), 5:30 pm: South Brunswick swept both games this season, winning 51-43 on January 4th, and 71-61 just three weeks later. Expect another tight one between these two, with the Vikings having a bit more of a veteran edge.
  • (10) Edison (14-9) at (7) Metuchen (18-3), 6 pm: This will be their second meeting this year, as Edison pulled out a 54-42 win before the holidays. Both are solid clubs and this one also should by highly competitive.
  • (15) South Plainfield (14-8) at (2) Monroe (14-7), 4 pm: Throw out the seeds here. Monroe hasn’t lost in five meetings dating back to 2016, but the last couple have been close. They two played in the Monroe Holiday Tournament, and it was a 49-39 win for the Falcons, but only a five-point game at the half.

THURSDAY’S GMC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE – BOYS’ FIRST ROUND

  • (16) Monroe (7-16) at (1) Colonia (19-4), 7 pm
  • (9) East Brunswick (13-10) at (8) Woodbridge (11-9), 5:30 pm
  • (21) North Plainfield (12-11) at (5) Old Bridge (13-9), 5 pm
  • (13) Perth Amboy (12-10) at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (13-9), 6:15 pm
  • (14) Metuchen (17-6) at (3) Sayreville (18-3), 7 pm
  • (11) Middlesex (16-6) at (6) South Plainfield (15-7), 4:15
  • (10) Timothy Christian (13-7) at (7) St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-12), 7 pm
  • (15) North Brunswick (9-14) at (2) Piscataway (19-4), 5:30 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC Tournament moves to Preliminary Round Tuesday night, with snow in forecast late; girls’ matchups set for Wednesday’s round of 16

The Greater Middlesex Conference may dodge a bullet – or more accurately, a snowflake Tuesday night when the boys get into the GMC Tournament preliminary round.

No issues for the girls Monday evening, with nice dry conditions out. Scroll down further to see first round matchups and capsules.

But first, here’s a look at Tuesday evening’s preliminary round action in the GMC Tournament, followed by Wednesday night’s GMC girls’ first round, the round of 16. Game times are per greatermiddlesexconference.org.

GMC TOURNAMENT – PRELIMINARY ROUND (BOYS):

  • (17) South Brunswick (6-16) at (16) Monroe (6-16), 5 pm
  • (25) JFK (7-11) at (9) East Brunswick (12-10), 6 pm
  • (21) North Plainfield (11-11) at (12) Dunellen (15-5), 6 pm
  • (20) Spotswood (14-8) at (13) Perth Amboy (11-10), 5:30 pm
  • (19) Piscataway Magnet (17-5) at (14) Metuchen (16-6), 4:30 pm
  • (22) South River (11-9) at (11) Middlesex (15-6), 6 pm
  • (26) Perth Amboy Magnet (10-8) at (10) Timothy Christian (12-7), 5 pm
  • (18) Edison (12-9) at (15) North Brunswick (8-14), 4 pm

GMC TOURNAMENT – FIRST ROUND (GIRLS):

  • (16) North Brunswick (8-13) at (1) St. Thomas Aquinas (18-6), 5:30 pm: The Trojans have won their GMC Red Division games by an average of 40-plus points per game, and their last loss to a GMC team came on January 20th, 2022, a 55-41 road loss at Monroe. Their last home loss came March 5, 2021, in the COVID-shortened season, when the Falcons topped them to win the GMC’s top postseason pod, the Somogyi Family Pod. Don’t expect much to change.
  • (9) Carteret (15-6) at (8) Calvary Christian (18-1), 4:15 pm: Calvary beat the Ramblers on January 31st in one of the lowest-scoring games of the year, 24-20, but their only loss this year came to Timothy Christian, which is 8-14 in the same division as Carteret. Call it a toss-up.
  • (12) Old Bridge (10-12) at (5) East Brunswick (12-10), 5:30 pm: The Bears have swept Old Bridge each of the last two years and won five straight in the series. East Brunswick won this year’s matchups by 21 and 23 points, but many games in the GMC Red have been competitive, and this one should be, too.
  • (13) North Plainfield (6-16) at (4) Spotswood (17-6), 6:30 pm: Not a lot of history between these teams, with the Canucks winning their only meeting in the last 15 years back in February of last year, 62-27. But North Plainfield was also 18-7 last season, a 12-win swing so far. This should be a good one as well.
  • (14) Colonia (6-17) at (3) Middlesex (17-6), 5:30 pm: Since 2012, these teams have only met three times. Middlesex won a tight one in 2021, while Colonia won the next two. But this is a different Patriots team without stars Mattie Chiera and Taylor Derkcack. Despite the record, it could be a competitive game.
  • (11) Piscataway (10-9) at (6) South Brunswick (11-10), 5:30 pm: South Brunswick swept both games this season, winning 51-43 on January 4th, and 71-61 just three weeks later. Expect another tight one between these two, with the Vikings having a bit more of a veteran edge.
  • (10) Edison (14-9) at (7) Metuchen (18-3), 6 pm: This will be their second meeting this year, as Edison pulled out a 54-42 win before the holidays. Both are solid clubs and this one also should by highly competitive.
  • (15) South Plainfield (14-8) at (2) Monroe (14-7), 4 pm: Throw out the seeds here. Monroe hasn’t lost in five meetings dating back to 2016, but the last couple have been close. They two played in the Monroe Holiday Tournament, and it was a 49-39 win for the Falcons, but only a five-point game at the half.
by Mike Pavlichko

Do the seeds really matter? With GMC Tournament seeding Friday, we simulate the boys’ tournament – with a twist

Probably within a week of James Naismith organizing the first basketball game, the teams he picked probably griped about who they had to play next.

Probably.

Fast forward 134 years, and teams still gripe about their seeds, whether it’s the county or the state tournament, or the NCAA Tournament.

We have the solution!

Well, not really. This isn’t legit.

Seriously. Please don’t take this seriously.

But we kind of felt like proving a (ridiculous) point today.

Last year, we mock-seeded the county tournament by the Born Power Index, a rating system that assesses teams based on margin of victory (or loss) relative to the strength of the opponent. (Don’t worry, we’re not going to explain it again!)

This year, we’re going a step further, to try and prove the theory that it doesn’t really matter who is seeded where, the best team will – or, at least, will have an opportunity – to win it all.

So this time, we went for the truly ridiculous: we seeded the GMC Boys’ Tournament alphabetically, and then simulated the entire bracket.

That’s right: Calvary Christian (1-14) “earned” the top-seed in our fictional, alphabetized, GMC Tournament, and Woodbridge (10-8) got the final seed at No. 33.

Colonia – which is expected to get the No. 1 seed as the Red Division champ (17-3 overall) – gets the three-seed, based purely on the alphabet.

So how did it play out?

Here are all the seeds from one to 33:

Next, we took a look at the matchups and predicted the outcomes. We didn’t attempt to pick any upsets, or look at matchups, or height mismatches on the inside, or whose press turns the ball over most.

In many cases, the teams had played during the year, and we went with whoever had won head-to-head, or by margin of victory if they split. We went with a Red Division champ over a White Division champ, or a similar record Blue Division team over one from the Gold. There were a few potential toss-ups.

We didn’t predict any scores, just outcomes:

We’re going to show you the bracket later. (Or, scroll down if you want to cheat!)

Here’s the breakdown of rounds by game, and our reasoning for each winner. Again, we picked no upsets, we didn’t look at matchups, and based our picks as wholly as possible on records, prior matchups and common/similar opponents.

Note that one consideration the committee looks at when comparing two teams, while subjective, is how they might do in the other division. Inotherwords, if you had a team from the Red and the Blue and the Blue team had 12 wins and the Red had 8, how would the Blue team have done if they played in the Red?

Keeping all that in mind, note this disclaimer: these are not our predictions if these teams met in the actual tournament! We just wanted to see who might win it, or have a chance to win it, if we seeded the teams having nothing to do with wins, losses, strength, or margin of victory.

Play-In Round:

  • (33) Woodbridge over (16) North Plainfield: The Barrons won a regular season meeting by 34.
  • (17) Old Bridge over (32) Wardlaw-Hartridge: Easy one for the 10-9 Red team over a five-win team from the Silver.
  • (25) South Brunswick over (24) South Amboy: The Vikings are 5-16, the Governors 8-12. With similar records, we go with the White over the Silver.
  • (28) Spotswood over (21) Piscataway Magnet: The Chargers and Middlesex play for first place in the Blue Division Thursday night. Considering them equivalent, P’way Magnet lost to Middlesex earlier this year, so we go with Spotswood here.
  • (20) Piscataway over (29) St. Joseph-Metuchen: The Chiefs won both regular season meetings.
  • (30) St. Thomas Aquinas over (19) Perth Amboy Magnet: Similar records, but should be an easy win for the Trojans.
  • (22) Sayreville over (27) South River: We know the Rams have Alex Grospe, but we’re going with the White Division champs (17-2 overall) over an 8-9 team from the Blue.
  • (26) South Plainfield over (23) Somerset Tech: Another easy one, with the second-place GMC White team over a 3-15 club.
  • (31) Timothy Christian over (18) Perth Amboy: This was a toss-up. They haven’t played, the Panthers are 10-10, and Timothy Christian is 11-6, and playing for the GMC Blue title Thursday night against Edison. The Tigers played up to the White this year, losing to North Brunswick by nine and beating South Brunswick by six. Both are just behind the Panthers. We went with Timothy here considering they’re playing for a division title just one division down, and have a better overall winning percentage.

Preliminary Round:

  • (17) Old Bridge over (33) Woodbridge: This was another tough one to call. The Knights are 10-9, the Barrons 10-8. Woodbridge lost its only game playing up to the Red, 60-40 to Colonia, while Old Bridge won its game against Perth Amboy out of the White. The Panthers are 10-10, similar to Woodbridge, and playing in a tougher division, we went with the Knights.
  • (25) South Brunswick over (5) JFK): The Vikings are 5-16 and play in the White, JFK 5-11 and playing in the Gold. We went with South Brunswick.
  • (12) Middlesex over (28) Spotswood: Keep in mind, the two play for the division title Thursday night, so – as of this moment – we’ll go with Middlesex, as the Blue Jays won the first meeting on opening night, 62-42.
  • (20) Piscataway over (13) Monroe: The Chiefs won both regular season meetings.
  • (30) St. Thomas over (14) New Brunswick: Easy one for the Trojans over the three-win Zebras.
  • (22) Sayreville over (11) Metuchen: The Bombers are having a fine year at 17-2, and we went GMC White champs over a middle-of-the-pack Blue team.
  • (26) South Plainfield over (10) JP Stevens: Going with the No. 2 team in the White over the fifth-place team in the Blue.
  • (15) North Brunswick over (18) Timothy Christian: Raiders won 53-45 over the Tigers back on January 25th.

First Round:

  • (17) Old Bridge over (1) Calvary Christian: Red team over a one-win team from the Gold.
  • (25) South Brunswick over (8) Highland Park: Sure, the Owls are 12-7, but they’re in the Silver and many of their division wins were close. Though the Vikings are 5-16, we’re going with South Brunswick.
  • (5) East Brunswick over (12) Middlesex: We’re taking the 12-9 White team over the 14-6 Blue team, even though the Bears are in the middle of the pack in their division.
  • (20) Piscataway over (4) Dunellen: While Colonia will be the No. 1 seed, Piscataway should get the No. 2, and would be one of the favorites to win the whole thing. Dunellen is a division champ in the Silver, but doesn’t play the caliber schedule the Chiefs do.
  • (3) Colonia over (30 St. Thomas Aquinas: The Patriots won both regular season meetings in the red division.
  • (22) Sayreville over (6) East Brunswick Magnet: The Bombers are the White Division champs, while the Tigers are 0-18.
  • (26) South Plainfield over (7) Edison: The Tigers beat the Eagles in their own Anthony J. Cotoia Holiday Tournament back in December.
  • (15) North Brunswick over (2) Carteret: The Raiders have a better overall record (8-13) playing in the White Division than Carteret (4-16) in the Blue.

Quarterfinals:

  • (17) Old Bridge over (25) South Brunswick: Former Red Division opponents, Old Bridge is 10-9 out of the Red while South Brunswick is 5-16 out of the White. Advantage: Knights.
  • (20) Piscataway over (5) East Brunswick: Chiefs are 17-4, Bears 12-9, and Piscataway plays a challenging out-of-conference schedule. We go with that-a-way with Piscataway.
  • (3) Colonia over (22) Sayreville: That would be a great matchup. We go with the Red winner over the White champ.
  • (26) South Plainfield over (15) North Brunswick: The Tigers beat the Raiders twice in the regular season.

Semifinals:

  • (20) Piscataway over (17) Old Bridge: The Chiefs won both regular season meetings.
  • (3) Colonia over (26) South Plainfield: If the Patriots beat the Bombers, on paper, they beat the Tigers.

Championship Game:

  • (3) Colonia over (20) Piscataway: Colonia won both regular season matchups.

Colonia sure had a hard road to the finals, starting with the opening round. They had to beat St. Thomas Aquinas, the third place team in the Red, then White champ Sayreville and White runner-up South Plainfield before facing the second-place team in the red in the finals.

But if they’re the best team, and many think they are, they should win it, right? It certainly wasn’t easy, but they’ve already swept Piscataway and St. Thomas Aquinas in the regular season.

Piscataway started with Dunellen and got progressively more challenging games, with East Brunswick out of the White, Old Bridge and Colonia from the Red.

St. Thomas Aquinas got knocked out in the first round, having to play Colonia, but they very well could beat them. Always tough to beat a team three times in one year, right?

Here’s the full pre-tournament mock bracket, with teams seeded alphabetically:

by Mike Pavlichko

Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals are set, as (almost) all higher seeds win Saturday

With the exception of the 8/9 games, Saturday’s second round of the Somerset County Tournament – girls and boys – went according to chalk once again. The Watchung Hills boys and Mount St. Mary girls pulled off minor upsets as nine-seeds, knocking off eight-seeds Bridgewater-Raritan and Immaculata, respectively.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s action, with a look ahead to next Saturday’s quarterfinal round, to be held at the site of the higher seeded teams.

SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT – BOYS:

(9) Watchung Hills 45, (8) Bridgewater-Raritan 37: Bridgewater-Raritan looked in control early on, as the Panthers (10-8) jumped out to a 14-3 lead after one quarter. But the Warriors (9-9) got back into it before halftime, cutting the deficit to four, then stormed ahead on the strength of a 15-point third quarter before hanging on to win by eight. Zack Patetta led a balanced scoring attack with eight, while K.J. West added ten and Timothy Robertson contributed nine points. The Warriors move on to play at top-seeded Gill St. Bernard’s (13-4) next Saturday up in Peapack-Gladstone. The Knights beat them back on January 14th, 62-40, but Watchung Hills won their lone meeting last season, 61-42.

(5) Immaculata 48, (12) Somerville 39: The Spartans (15-4) had three players score in double figures, as Riley Gorman put in 15 points, and Dante Regan and Cole Hayden each added 14. It was a tight game throughout, with Immaculata leading 13-18 at the half over Somerville (13-6). ‘Lata will travel to 5th-seeded Ridge (15-3) next Saturday; the Red Devils have won the last two in the series – back on January 9th, and Valentine’s Day 2023 – but by a combined eight points, with this year’s game being decided by three. This might be the best quarterfinal matchup on the boys’ side next weekend.

(6) Hillsborough 60, (11) Bernards 54: The Raiders found themselves in a tight one at the half, tied at 27-all, but Hillsborough (10-8) edged ahead in the third and pulled away in the fourth. Bernards fell to 9-9 on the season, despite 17 from Monty Douglas. The Raiders’ Lucas Rollan led with 17 as well, while Manny Rodriguez added 15 and Jack Toth chipped in 11. Next up, Boro travels to third-seed Rutgers Prep (13-7) Saturday in the quarters. Rutgers Prep has won 14 straight in the series dating back to January 2015. Hillsborough’s last wins against the Argonauts came in a fantastic 22-3 season in 2013-14, when they beat Prep in a holiday tournament in December, 48-37, and again in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, 62-36, en route to winning the 2014 county title, their first and only since the SCT went to one bracket in 1988.

(7) Pingry 80, (10) Franklin 60: The Big Blue (6-8) led this one most of the way, expanding a six-point halftime lead to 16 with a big third quarter, outscoring Franklin (5-14) 25-15 in the period. Four Pingry players finished in double-figures, including sophomore Dylan Cowell, who scored a career high 22 points, while adding five rebounds and three assists in just his third game of the season. Ryan Rust added 17 and dished out nine assists, while grabbing four steals. Pingry now will travel to second-seed Montgomery (13-4) Saturday for a quarterfinal game. The Cougars beat the Big Blue in their meeting back on January 16th, 64-41.

SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT – GIRLS:

(9) Mount St. Mary 47, (8) Immaculata 44: The Lions (9-10) trailed by five at halftime and heading into the fourth, but rallied to pull out a narrow win over the Spartans (9-8), in true “survive and advance” style. Ella Reed and Sophia Crum each scored 12 to pace Mount, with Mia Gestosani adding 11, and Natalie Beck grabbing 11 rebounds. The Lions earn a trip to top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s (15-2) Saturday in the quarterfinals, and it’ll be their first meeting in four years. Gill won one-off crossover matchups in 2021 and 2020, but Mount St. Mary won a three-point game in 2019; those are their only three meetings since at least 2010.

(5) Pingry 47, (5) Bound Brook 26: The Big Blue (14-4) played stellar defensively from the opening tip, holding the Crusaders (12-5) to six first quarter points, and just a single foul shot in the second quarter, en route to a 23-7 halftime lead. Taylor Francis led Pingry with 18, while frosh Sadie Salmon added 10, matching a career best with just her second double-figure scoring game. Next up, the Big Blue travel to fourth-seed Franklin (6-12), which has won two straight against them, including a 59-49 decision earlier this season on January second.

(6) Somerville 41, (11) Ridge 36: Senior Charlotte Taylor paced the Pioneers (15-14) with her 12th double-digit scoring game of the year, pumping in 19 points in the win over the Red Devils (5-13). She also had four boards, five assists, two blocks and five steals in a busy afternoon. Alexa Kovalick had a double-double of 12 points and ten rebounds in a losing effort for Ridge. The ‘Ville travels to third-seed Hillsborough Saturday for a quarterfinal game. There’s little history between the schools in recent years; they’ve only played once in the last decade, with the Raiders winning a January, 2020 matchup 61-56.

(7) Bernards 58, (10) Watchung Hills 40: The Mountaineers (15-2) led this one nearly wire-to-wire; though they had just a one-point lead at the half, the third quarter turned the tide back in their favor as Watchung Hills dropped to 8-10 on the year, despite a 20-point, eight-rebound effort from Zoe Gallic. Aletha Reynolds finished three points shy of a season high with 26 points, to go along with eight rebounds, for victorious Bernards, which now will face four-time defending champion and second-seed Rutgers Prep (13-3). It’ll be their first meeting since 2017, a 73-41 Prep victory.