Hundreds of high school basketball teams will begin playing state tournament games early next week. By the end of the week, about three-quarters of them will have had their seasons ended.
The wild, emotional ride through the NJSIAA basketball playoffs is one of the most thrilling periods of the scholastic sports year.
Many teams from throughout the area will participate in the tournament. Here’s one person’s opinion on how it all might play out:
GROUP IV: Favorite – 2. Cherry Hill East. Other contenders – 1. Williamstown; 3. Lenape; 4. Oakcrest. Sleeper – 7. Shawnee.
This is not a vintage year for Group IV. In many years, there are four or five of South Jersey’s top 10 teams in this group. This season, there are a few very good teams but perhaps not one powerhouse. Cherry Hill East is going for its first-ever sectional title under longtime coach John Valore, who’s expected to retire after this season. CHE has the best scorer in South Jersey in Chris Santo and entered this week ranked No. 1 in South Jersey by the Philadelphia Inquirer and No. 12 in the state by the Newark Star-Ledger. Winners of 16 straight games through Tuesday, Williamstown is hot and cannot be discounted. Lenape, Shawnee and Oakcrest are lurking. Prediction: Cherry Hill East.
GROUP III: Favorite – 1. Kingsway. Other contenders – 2. Manchester Township; 3. Lace Township. Sleepers – 4. Ocean City; 7. Pemberton.
This is about as weak of a Group III field as there ever has been. In fact, if the qualifying rules of two years ago (.500 record by first Saturday in February) were in place, only six teams would have qualified. Kingsway, however, has quietly become one of the top programs in South Jersey in recent seasons, winning the last two sectional titles. The Dragons are prohibitive favorites to make it three straight. It’s really hard to argue the merits of the two Ocean County teams (Manchester, Lacey) near the top of the bracket, especially since teams from that area rarely have fared well in the tournament against their more southern brethren. Ocean City is intriguing because it has played just about everyone tough but it would be a real stretch to think the Raiders can win on Kingsway’s home floor in a sectional semifinal. A team to keep an eye on is Pemberton, which entered this week having won seven of its last nine, including one against Lenape, after beginning the season 5-10. Prediction: Kingsway.
GROUP II: Favorite – 1. Lakewood. Other contenders – 2. Middle Township; 3. Cinnaminson; 4. Collingswood; 5. Medford Tech. Sleepers: 6. Haddonfield; 7. Willingboro; 10. Lower Cape May.
Group II is absolutely loaded. Top to bottom, it is by far the most talented bracket in South Jersey. Want proof? An excellent Lower Cape May team that entered this week at 17-6 is only the 10th seed. Lakewood is extremely dangerous. The Central Jersey Group III champ from last year brought back almost its entire roster and somehow was moved into South Jersey Group II. Middle Township has been torrid of late, winning 10 in a row, many against outstanding competition (Middletown North, Winslow, Cinnaminson, Atlantic Christian). The coaching staff knows the blueprint for success come playoff time and should be able to get it to play out on the floor through an intelligent, experienced group of players. By no means will it be easy, though. Heck, Middle certainly will be tested by the Willingboro-Lower Cape May winner in the second round, and then after that it could be Haddonfield or Cinnaminson. But this is coach Tom Feraco’s best team in quite awhile. The Panthers won’t squander the chance and will win the sectional title on Lakewood’s home floor. In overtime. Prediction: Middle Township.
GROUP I: Favorite – 1. Pitman. Other contenders – 2. Penns Grove; 5. Paulsboro. Sleeper – 7. Woodbury.
Pitman and Penns Grove are pretty much head and shoulders above the rest in this bracket. But Woodbury is worthy of attention because it has come on of late after a slow start and has had playoff success in recent years. And local fans may remember Woodbury taking Middle Township to overtime in December. Pitman, of the Tri-County Conference, is very experienced behind two outstanding seniors in Luke Dickson, a 2,000-point scorer, and Dylan Colgate and is very battle tested against a tough non-league schedule this season. Prediction: Pitman.
NON-PUBLIC A: Favorite – 2. Paul VI. Other contenders – 1. St. Augustine; 3. Holy Spirit; 4. St. Joseph (Metuchen). Sleepers – 6. Camden Catholic; 8. Bishop Eustace.
Paul VI has emerged as the top team in South Jersey in some media polls in a season in which there has been no dominant team. Paul VI, ranked fourth statewide by the Star-Ledger, has one of the best players in South Jersey in Rob Poole and has done well against a difficult schedule, entering this week at 20-2. St. Augustine and a potentially lethal outside shooting team in Holy Spirit are capable of beating anyone in the bracket but both teams also have deficiencies. St. Joe is solid, led by Quenton DeCosey (23.5 ppg). Never count out a Jim Crawford-coached team at Camden Catholic. And Bishop Eustace is one of two teams to beat Paul VI. Prediction: Paul VI.
NON-PUBLIC B: Favorite – 3. Trenton Catholic. Other contenders – 1. St. Rose; 2. Cardinal McCarrick. Sleeper – None.
Trenton Catholic entered the week with six losses, but all were against very good competition, such as Paul VI and St. Patrick’s. The Iron Mikes, ranked in the top 20 statewide by the Star-Ledger, are the class of this group. McCarrick, featuring one of the state’s top freshmen in Marques Townes, is a high-scoring team that averages 65.5 points per game. St. Rose, which entered this week at 20-4 and just played highly regarded Raritan very tough, awaits the winner of the Gloucester Catholic-Wildwood Catholic game. Prediction: Trenton Catholic.
GROUP IV: Favorite – 1. Cherry Hill East. Other contenders – 2. Egg Harbor Township; Vineland; 4. Cherokee. Sleeper – 5. Lenape.
Cherry Hill East entered this week as one of just four unbeaten teams in the state. It is ranked in the top 10 statewide by the Star-Ledger. Egg Harbor Township has been one of the great stories within the Cape-Atlantic League this season, climbing back toward the top of the league table after a few seasons as a .500 program. Vineland, which recently had a 17-game win streak, features the terrific Alicia Cox. Prediction: Cherry Hill East.
GROUP III: Favorite – 2. Kingsway. Other contenders – 1. Delsea; 4. Ocean City. Sleeper – 5. Seneca.
This is not one of the deepest fields. Top-seeded Delsea looked strong a couple of weeks ago but entered this week on a three-game losing streak. Kingsway has won nine of its last 10 but is tabbed here as the favorite simply because its path to the final, at least on paper, is clearer than Delsea’s or Ocean City’s. Ocean City has played a tough schedule and has endured some close losses, but also has played better of late and could get hot enough to win the bracket. If the Raiders shoot it even reasonably well, they’ll be a tough out. Seneca lost by just three to Ocean City earlier this month and can’t be overlooked. Prediction: Ocean City.
GROUP II: Favorite – 3. Pt. Pleasant Boro. Other contenders – 1. Sterling; 2. Middle Township; 4. Willingboro. Sleeper – 7. Haddonfield.
The attention in South Jersey Group II usually turns to Colonial Conference schools and Middle Township. Sterling has been mentioned as one of the top teams in South Jersey all season and a trendy pick to win the bracket, while Middle Township – a relative unknown to the teams “up the road” – also must be factored, especially because of the way it defends and its offensive balance, with no player averaging more than nine points per outing. Ocean County’s Pt. Pleasant Boro is a dynamic offensive team led by Kelsey Haycook, who averages better than 20 points per game. It just recently beat Red Bank Catholic by 16 points, the same Red Bank Catholic team that held Middle to 16 points back in December.
Prediction: Pt. Pleasant Boro.
GROUP I: Favorite – 1. Haddon Township. Other contenders – 2. Gloucester; 3. Paulsboro. Sleeper – None.
Haddon Township (22-1) is very good, although it hasn’t gotten much competition from within its division in the Colonial Conference. Its lone loss is to Sterling. But it also beat Haddonfield by 21 and Gloucester Catholic by 11. Many of the players who competed and won against Middle as sophomores in the South Jersey Group II final two years ago are now seniors. Gloucester is the class of the Tri-County Conference and also is a senior-laden bunch. Paulsboro recently lost by just two points to Haddon Township. Prediction: Haddon Township.
Non-Public A: Favorite – 1. St. John Vianney. Other contender – 2. Red Bank Catholic. Sleepers – 3. Holy Spirit; 4. Bishop Ahr.
As usual, St. John Vianney is one of the top teams in the state, ranked third statewide and first among non-public teams by the Star-Ledger. Penn signee Jackie Kates is the top player on a very balanced team. Red Bank Catholic is a young team that has grown up quickly, to the point where it’s ranked 20th statewide in the Star-Ledger poll. Holy Spirit may lack a true star but is extraordinarily deep. Bishop Ahr could challenge Vianney in a potential semifinal. Prediction: St. John Vianney.
Non-Public B: Favorite – 1. St. Rose. Other contenders – 2. Trenton Catholic. Sleepers – 4. Gloucester Catholic; 5. Sacred Heart.
St. Rose is one of only two teams to have beaten highly regarded St. John Vianney this season. The Purple Roses are ranked fifth in the state by the Star-Ledger and will be very tough to beat. Trenton Catholic is very tough and, as usual, will enter the playoffs battle tested after playing a difficult schedule. Gloucester Catholic and Sacred Heart are both extremely well coached but both also probably lack the athletes to pull off a major upset of one of the two top teams.
Prediction: St. Rose.
Feel free to agree or disagree with any or all of these predictions. But most of all, enjoy the tournament.
(Sports editor Brian Cunniff can be reached via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .)
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