Amare Devonish and Paterson Charter are the pick in North 1, Group 1.
NORTH 1, GROUP 1
Seeds: 1. Paterson Charter 2. Cresskill 3. New Milford 4. Park Ridge 5. West Caldwell Tech 6. Waldwick 7. North Warren 8. Passaic Charter 9. Mountain Lakes 10. Kinnelon 11. Hawthorne 12. Emerson 13. Boonton 14. Hasbrouck Heights 15. Midland Park 16. Bogota
Player To Watch:
Jack Hayward, Cresskill
Hayward is a player who can affect a game in a variety of ways. Can score inside and outside, a willing passer and rebounder, and a solid defender. There are better lights-out scorers in this section, but he might be the most well-rounded player of the bunch.
Dark Horse:
Emerson
After a rough start to the season, the Cavos qualified for the state tournament winning six of their last seven games. Head John Ziemba knows how to coach in the state tournament and senior guard Jeremy Lachman (16.8 points per game) gives them a puncher’s chance against any team in this section.
Biggest First-Round Upset:
No. 12 Emerson over No. 5 West Caldwell Tech
Along with Lachman, Michael Dillon, John Piccirillo, Matt Sabatella, and Jason Ziemba round out a solid starting five that is playing their best ball at the right time.
First-Round Winners:
Paterson Charter, Passaic Charter, Emerson, Park Ridge, New Milford, Waldwick, Kinnelon, Cresskill
Quarterfinal Winners:
Paterson Charter, Park Ridge, New Milford, Cresskill
Final:
Paterson Charter, Cresskill
Champion:
Paterson Charter
After being upset in the quarterfinals of the Passaic County Tournament, Paterson Charter has turned their energy towards a potential revenge matchup against Cresskill. After letting a fourth-quarter lead slip away against Cresskill in last year’s section final, the Lions are working towards a potential rematch with the section title at stake. This time it would be on the Lions’ home court, where they come away with an overtime win.
Dumont senior Freddy Herbst is a player to watch in North 1, Group 2.
NORTH 1, GROUP 2
Seeds: 1. Ramsey 2. Glen Rock 3. Vernon 4. Dumont 5. Pascack Hills 6. High Point 7. Jefferson 8. Lodi 9. Mahwah 10. Westwood 11. West Milford 12. Pompton Lakes 13. Lenape Valley 14. Pequannock 15. Manchester Regional 16. Sussex Tech
Player to Watch:
Freddy Herbst. Dumont
The 6-foot-7 senior has been tearing it up all year despite being the focal point of opposing defenses every time Dumont takes the court. He can shoot it, has a soft touch inside, moves well without the ball, defends the paint, and is money at the foul line. At 22.1 points per game, he is as tough of an assignment as there is in this section.
Dark Horse:
Pascack Hills
Fresh off winning the Bergen County Invitational Tournament, the Cowboys are battle-tested and a dangerous out. Nick Lukmann and David Weidmuller are a versatile duo, who make the Cowboys a tough team to guard. Although the top half of this section is loaded, they have just as good of a shot at being upset in the first round as they do of running the table all the way to a section title.
Biggest First-Round Upset:
No. 10 Westwood over No. 7 Jefferson
Robbie Carcich, Sam Arcieri, along with three-point sniper Michael Rinaldi give the Cardinals both toughness and big-game experience. This could be a team to watch in a wide-open bottom half of the draw.
First-Round Winners:
Ramsey, Lodi, Pascack Hills, Dumont, Vernon, High Point, Westwood, Glen Rock
Quarterfinal Winners:
Ramsey, Dumont, Vernon, Glen Rock
Final,
Ramsey, Glen Rock
Champion:
Glen Rock
The two teams battled it out earlier this season with Ramsey winning an overtime slugfest, 41-39. Ramsey will have an advantage playing on its home court. But the Rams have not been as invincible on their home court as in years past and depth could become a factor. This is as much of a coin flip as any section final on the boys or girls’ side. But as the technological leader on a locally based website covering basketball in North Jersey, the Super Computer must make a choice and the numbers say that the Panthers come out on top.
Ramapo senior Peyton Seals is the Player To Watch in the section that the Raiders won last year.
NORTH 1, GROUP 3
Seeds: 1. Ramapo 2. Northern Highlands 3. Wayne Valley 4. Northern Valley/Demarest 5. Teaneck 6. Tenafly 7. Morris Knolls 8. River Dell 9. Dwight Morrow 10. Wayne Hills 11. Parsippany Hills 12. Pascack Valley 13. Northern Valley/Old Tappan 14. Bergenfield 15. Morris Hills 16. Passaic Valley
Player to Watch:
Peyton Seals, Ramapo
The Princeton-bound guard controls the pace of the game and has an uncanny knack of finding teammates in positions where they can score. Do no not forget his dead-eye shooting touch from beyond the three-point arc. He is an experienced player who relishes playing in big games.
Dark Horse:
Teaneck
The Highwaymen have an emerging star in sophomore guard Mickell Taylor Jr. (15.8 ppg) and play a pace that teams struggle to keep up with for a full 32 minutes. Pace of play alone gives them a fighting chance against any team in this section that is jammed packed with good teams.
Biggest First-Round Upset:
None
First-Round Winners: Ramapo, River Dell, Teaneck, Northern Valley/Demarest, Wayne Valley, Tenafly, Wayne Hills, Northern Highlands
Quarterfinal Winners: Ramapo, Northern Valley/Demarest, Wayne Valley, Northern Highlands
Final:
Ramapo, Wayne Valley
Champion:
Ramapo
Wayne Valley, who won their first Passaic County Tournament in school history last week, will be a formidable opponent with a starting 5 that can play with anyone. The Super Computer thinks in a section final with three referees the game will naturally be called tighter and cause both teams to have foul trouble. This along with playing on their home court are two big plusses for the Green Raiders. Oh yeah, they are also the defending Group 3 state champion with a season-long goal of going back-to-back.
Saif Al-Deen Saleh could lead Clifton on an upset run.
NORTH 1, GROUP 4
Seeds: 1. Ridgewood 2. Paterson Eastside 3. East Orange 4. Memorial 5. Paterson Kennedy 6. Hackensack 7. Livingston 8. Fair Lawn 9. Montclair 10. Passaic 11. Union City 12. Passaic Tech 13. Bloomfield 14. Mount Olive 15. Clifton 16. Bergen Tech
Player to Watch:
Saif Al-Deen Saleh, Clifton
The 6-foot-8 Division 1-caliber forward is the quintessential matchup nightmare for an opponent. He is a dangerous player (18 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game) that can carry the Mustangs regardless of who is on the opposing bench.
Dark Horse:
Hackensack
Although the Comets are sitting at four games below .500 heading into the state tournament, they have shown flashes that in a one-game scenario to be a formidable opponent. All of their losses have come against quality opposition, and they also have wins this season over the top two seeds in this section, Ridgewood and Paterson Eastside.
Biggest First-Round Upset:
No. 15 Clifton over No. 2 Paterson Eastside
Clifton has Saleh to patrol the paint, but also has a pair of guards in Gabe Cruz and Evan Ynoa that are streaky and get hot from beyond the three-point arc. The Mustangs have both a one-point win and a one-point loss against the Ghosts in the regular season before falling to them in the Passaic County quarterfinals. But with plenty of senior leadership, a nothing-to-lose attitude, and a familiar opponent, the Super Computer has the Mustangs pulling the upset.
First-Round Winners:
Ridgewood, Fair Lawn, Passaic Tech, Memorial, East Orange, Hackensack, Passaic, Clifton
Quarterfinal Winners:
Ridgewood, Memorial, East Orange, Clifton
Final:
Memorial, East Orange
Champion:
Memorial
The senior trio of Lewis Pantaleon, Edward Lugo, and Jonas Herrera have all had standout senior seasons. The Tigers have had some lean years over the past decade but have emerged this year with a solid campaign. What they are truly capable of happened in a loss to one of the state’s best teams, Hudson Catholic. It was a one-possession game late before eventually losing. Playing well against that type of competition shows that they will not be intimidated by any team in this section and have the talent to get hot and win it.
The Player to Watch in this section could not be anyone other than Don Bosco Prep's Dylan Harper.
NON-PUBLIC A NORTH
Seeds: 1. Don Bosco Prep 2. St. Peter’s Prep 3. St. Benedict’s 4. Delbarton 5. Hudson Catholic 6. Bergen Catholic 7. Dwight-Englewood 8. St. Joseph’s (Montvale) 9. Oratory Prep 10. Montclair-Kimberley 11. Seton Hall Prep 12. DePaul 13. Newark Academy 14. Paramus Catholic
Player to Watch:
Dylan Harper, Don Bosco Prep
Duh. A 6’6” lefty point guard who can score at will, find open teammates at will, willing to dive on the floor for a loose ball, willing to guard anyone and often does so. Just as good of a kid off the court as he is on the court, one who is solely focused on team success. Not a math major here, but as a computer I can solve equations with no problem. All those attributes show why he is considered the premier high school guard in America.
Dark Horse:
Hudson Catholic
It is hard to consider a team that has been in the state’s top ten all season to be a dark horse. Auburn-bound swing Tashad Pettiford can light up any opponent from anywhere on the court. He was not the only offensive weapon though; Alex Massung and Keith McKnight relentlessly attack the basket and Omari Moore had provided some good minutes for the Hawks. While they would have to win two extremely tough games on the road to win the section, if there is a team that can do it, this is it.
Biggest First-Round Upset:
None
First-Round Winners:
St. Joseph’s (Montvale), Hudson Catholic, Delbarton, St. Benedict’s, Bergen Catholic, Dwight-Englewood, St. Peter’s Prep
Quarterfinal Winners:
Don Bosco Prep, Hudson Catholic, St. Benedict’s, St. Peter’s Prep
Final:
Don Bosco Prep, St. Benedict’s
Champion:
Don Bosco Prep
7’1 sophomore center Keiner Asprilla closing down the paint on defense and sharpshooting Brady Loughlin stretching the opposing team’s defense will be key throughout the state tournament. This will be a true heavyweight matchup. What is the difference? One team has Dylan Harper, the other doesn’t.
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