Staff Report
The NJSIAA boys and girls basketball state playoffs are about to kick off, so here’s a list of teams and players to watch in each South Jersey sectional tournament.
BOYS
South Jersey Group 1
Team to watch: No. 5 seed Woodbury. The Herd got off to a dreadful start this year, going 2-5, but lately they’ve been playing pretty well, having won seven of their last 10 games. In one of those losses they hung with Bishop Eustace before falling, 58-53, in the second round of the Camden County Tournament. Sophomore Devin Williams has scored 500 points this season and nailed 85 threes.
Player to watch: Liam Nixon, senior guard, Audubon. He’s second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game, and he’s nailed 54 threes this season, and those can be huge in a one-and-done postseason game. He also has 52 steals and 73 assists.
South Jersey Group 2
Team to watch: No. 11 seed Gloucester. The Lions have won 3-of-4 heading into the playoffs, their only loss coming against top-seeded Camden, and the scored a pretty convincing win over Audubon. If they shoot the ball well, watch out — this is a team that has made 147 threes, including 69 by junior guard Keegan Cohan.
Player to watch: Jamir McNeil, senior guard, Middle Township. He fills up the stat sheet, to the tune of 500-plus points, more than 100 rebounds, 92 assists and 67 steals. He’s also gotten to the free-throw line 75 times this season, which could be big in a tight game.
South Jersey Group 3
Team to watch: No. 14 Clearview Regional. The Pioneers may be six games under .500 coming into states, but they’ve had a lot of close losses, and they are a team that loves to shoot 3-pointers. Clearview has made 202 threes this season, an average of nearly eight per game, and the Pioneers have six players who have made double-digit threes.
Player to watch: Jamaal Davis, senior forward, Absegami. The Braves are seeded fourth in the tournament, and they’ll go as far as Davis takes them. He’s the leading scorer on the team by more than 100 points, has 166 rebounds in 21 games and has also gotten to the free-throw line 74 times. He’ll need to continue scoring in bunches for the Braves to advance.
South Jersey Group 4
Team to watch: No. 5 seed Atlantic City. This team is fuming after having lost a nail-biter to Wildwood Catholic in the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament semifinals after coming in as the top seed, and the Vikings will be looking to take out their frustrations on the field. The have multiple guys who can go for 15 to 20 points on any given night, and if they stay out of foul trouble they’ll be a handful for anybody.
Player to watch: Montre Wilson, senior guard, Rancocas Valley. He’s averaging nearly 14 points per game, and that’s without hitting a ton of threes. A running back in the fall, he brings a football mentality to the court and the Red Devils will need that. If they get past Cherokee in the first round they could be facing second-seeded Lenape in the quarterfinals.
South Jersey Non-Public A
Team to watch: No. 9 seed St. Augustine Prep. The Hermits are riding high coming off the Cape-Atlantic League championship and have won seven straight games. They are finally fully healthy and their young guards have come a long way since December. Don’t be surprised to see them matched up with top-seeded Paul VI in the quarters.
Player to watch: Judah Hidalgo, senior guard, Paul VI. The younger brother of Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo, Judah is making a name for himself as a 1,000-point scorer who has hit 156 threes in his career. He’s scored in double figures 19 times this season, including 20 or more points three times.
South Jersey Non-Public B
Team to watch: No. 5 seed St. Joseph Academy. The Wildcats won nine straight games prior to a loss in the CAL quarterfinals to St. Augustine, and they like to play at a fast pace. They routinely score in the 60s or 70s, and have scored as many as 95 points in a game this season. They average 24 made shots per game, so you better be ready to shoot the ball if you want to knock them off.
Player to watch: Jack Mustaro, senior forward, Gloucester Catholic. The school’s all-time leading scorer, Mustaro can fill up the stat sheet with points. He’s scored in double figures in all but one game this season, averages nearly 26 points per game, has hit 75 threes and scored 55 points in a win over Clayton in the second game of the season!
GIRLS
South Jersey Group 1
Team to watch: No. 4 seed Woodstown. The Wolverines have won six of their last seven games and have two dynamic scorers in seniors Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson, each of home has more than 1,500 points in their careers.
Player to watch: Macie McCracken, senior guard, Wildwood. She has nearly 600 points this season and nearly 2,400 in her career, and has hit 356 threes in four seasons. She’s got 81 triples this year, and those kinds of shots can be big difference makers in the state playoffs.
South Jersey Group 2
Team to watch: No. 5 seed Haddonfield. The Bulldogs have 11 losses on their record, but five of them have come against parochial schools, and two very close losses to crosstown rival Haddon Heights. They hung tough with OLMA, Holy Spirit, Camden Catholic and Audubon, and only have three losses all year that were by more than double digits.
Player to watch: Ava Sztenderowicz, senior guard, Cinnaminson. Tough name to say, but easy to watch her on the court as she’s got a lot of skills and toughness. She sets the tone for this Pirates team and averages nearly 13 points per game while also leading the team with 36 made 3-pointers.
South Jersey Group 3
Team to watch: No. 3 seed Absegami. The Braves made a run to the sectional championship a year ago and senior guard Reese Downey, who has more than 2,000 career points, will be extremely motivated to make one final run at a title.
Player to watch: Analyse Intenzo, junior guard, Moorestown. She missed last year’s sectional semifinal loss to Absegami with illness, and has really proved this season that she’s one of the best guards in South Jersey. She averages 15 points per game and leads the team in assists, steals, blocked shots, rebounds — literally every single offensive category.
South Jersey Group 4
Team to watch: No. 5 seed Eastern Regional. The Vikings have won 9-of-11 heading into the playoffs, including wins over Cherry Hill East, Wildwood, Timber Creek and Haddon Heights. All the leading scorers are either juniors or seniors, so this is a team with a lot of experience.
Player to watch: Averie Harding, senior forward, Egg Harbor Township. She leads the team in scoring by nearly 100 points, and has almost 200 rebounds this season. She’s a presence in the middle, and EHT will need her at her best because the Eagles are on the same side of the bracket as top-seeded Lenape.
South Jersey Non-Public A
Team to watch: No. 3 seed Red Bank Catholic. Always one of the best teams in the state, the Caseys haven’t lost since Jan. 12 and are coming off a Shore Conference Tournament title win over St. Rose, the No. 2 seed in this bracket.
Player to watch: Alexa Racobaldo, freshman forward, Bishop Eustace. She’s been putting up a lot of rebounds since the end of January, and can also score the basketball, as she has games of 20, 18 and 16 points this season. She has four double-doubles, including two in February.
South Jersey Non-Public B
Team to watch: No. 3 Wildwood Catholic Academy. The Crusaders are smarting from their recent four-point loss to Holy Spirit in the Cape-Atlantic League semis. They have a tough draw being on the same side of the bracket as No. 2 Rutgers Prep, but they typically shoot the ball well and have players who know how to get to the foul line late in games.
Player to watch: Jahzara Green, junior center, Gloucester Catholic. One of the best players in South Jersey, Green has scored nearly 500 points, and has been to the free-throw line more than 100 times. She has four double-doubles this season, and has scored as many as 27 points in a game.
