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Another season brought another round of championship performances in the Greater Middlesex Conference and southern Union County. Here were the best teams in the area in 2024-25.
1. Colonia (27-5) – preseason No. 1 – The Patriots won the GMC Red Division and claimed a second straight GMC Tournament title and fourth straight sectional crown, before losing to Ramapo in the state semifinal for the fourth year in a row. Colonia only loses one senior, guard Zach Smith, and returns everyone else, including two-time Player of the Year Aiden Derkack and fellow junior RJ Wortman, arguably the GMC’s most improved player this season.
Boys basketball index: Links to the Courier News and Home News Tribune All-Area honors
2. Piscataway (24-6) —preseason No. 10 — The Chiefs posted their first winning campaign since 2018-19 and improved from last season’s 11-14 and advanced to the GMCT championship game. Piscataway graduates seniors Nate Davis and Vaughn Turner, with junior Donald Nwaigwe leading a strong returning group who will be aiming even higher next season.
3. Sayreville (23-5) — preseason No. 7 — The Bombers’ three-game margin above the rest of the competitive White Division was the largest of any of the five GMC division winners and they advanced to the GMCT semifinals and second round of the state tournament. Sayreville returns a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Chidi Chukwurah and Sam Jones but must replace valuable seniors in forward Keithan Shuler and point Christian Torres.
4. Linden (15-12) — preseason No. 2 — All but one of the Tigers’ losses came from teams in the Union County Conference Watchung Division, arguably the state’s toughest division, including a postseason setback to eventual Group 4 state champion Plainfield. Coach Mike Rice will begin his second campaign next winter without graduating forward Martin Drejaj, but with a pair of key juniors in point Jayden Holman and forward Jekhi Burnam.
5. St. Thomas Aquinas (15-12) — preseason No. 3 — The Trojans never recovered from a chaotic start in which its head coach was first suspended, then terminated, while playing a brutal schedule, although they did advance to the GMCT semifinals once again. New coach and alum Tom Weiler should have a solid nucleus to build from if juniors Albion Ahmetaj and Dan Jennings, sophomore Aidan Carter and freshmen Zymere Weaver and Triston Harvey all return.
More: St. Thomas hires former standout as its next boys basketball coach
6. Old Bridge (15-11) — preseason No. 5 — The Knights were the only GMC squad to defeat Colonia this season, but fell to St. Thomas on three occasions, including the GMCT quarterfinals. Old Bridge loses senior guards Krish Patel and Brandon Medel but has some strong returnees up front in junior Noah Balbuena and Victor Przepiora, who had a breakout sophomore campaign.
7. Rahway (15-12) — preseason unranked — The Indians went 3-0 against GMC competition, including wins over Perth Amboy and Woodbridge of the White Division. Rahway graduates its top four scorers including swing Eric McClain, the squad’s best all-around player.
8. South Plainfield (16-11) — preseason No. 9 — The Tigers started fast, winning nine of their first 10 games, but finished by losing four in a row and five of their last seven, including an overtime loss to Sayreville in the GMCT quarterfinals. South Plainfield will lose its top two scorers in Jordan Jones and David Wallace, but it’s No. 3 scorer, Andrew Bena, was only a freshman.
9. Woodbridge (13-12) — preseason No. 6 — The Barrons faltered down the stretch, dropping three in a row that led to a 3-6 finish. The Anderson twins, Bryan and Derek, led a senior laden-squad with junior guard Emmanuel Cruz the top veteran returning.
10. Timothy Christian (15-11) — preseason unranked — The Tigers claimed their first outright GMC divisional crown by capturing the Blue Division after sharing the title with Spotswood last year and returned to the GMCT quarterfinals. Timothy Christian loses its all-time leading scorer in Jalen Fleming and one of the area’s best interior players in Chukwudi Raphael Mamah, and will look to Elijah Pierre, who started at the point as a freshman, to lead the rebuild.
Best of the rest: East Brunswick (15-13), Edison (13-14), Middlesex (18-10), Metuchen (20-8), North Brunswick (11-18), Perth Amboy (15-12).
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Boys basketball rankings: GMC, southern UCC final Top 10
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Home News Tribune Boys Basketball Top 10
1. Colonia (27-5) – preseason No. 1 – The Patriots won the GMC Red Division and claimed a second straight GMC Tournament title and fourth straight sectional crown, before losing to Ramapo in the state semifinal for the fourth year in a row. Colonia only loses one senior, guard Zach Smith, and returns everyone else, including two-time Player of the Year Aiden Derkack and fellow junior RJ Wortman, arguably the GMC’s most improved player this season.
Boys basketball index: Links to the Courier News and Home News Tribune All-Area honors
2. Piscataway (24-6) —preseason No. 10 — The Chiefs posted their first winning campaign since 2018-19 and improved from last season’s 11-14 and advanced to the GMCT championship game. Piscataway graduates seniors Nate Davis and Vaughn Turner, with junior Donald Nwaigwe leading a strong returning group who will be aiming even higher next season.
3. Sayreville (23-5) — preseason No. 7 — The Bombers’ three-game margin above the rest of the competitive White Division was the largest of any of the five GMC division winners and they advanced to the GMCT semifinals and second round of the state tournament. Sayreville returns a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Chidi Chukwurah and Sam Jones but must replace valuable seniors in forward Keithan Shuler and point Christian Torres.
4. Linden (15-12) — preseason No. 2 — All but one of the Tigers’ losses came from teams in the Union County Conference Watchung Division, arguably the state’s toughest division, including a postseason setback to eventual Group 4 state champion Plainfield. Coach Mike Rice will begin his second campaign next winter without graduating forward Martin Drejaj, but with a pair of key juniors in point Jayden Holman and forward Jekhi Burnam.
5. St. Thomas Aquinas (15-12) — preseason No. 3 — The Trojans never recovered from a chaotic start in which its head coach was first suspended, then terminated, while playing a brutal schedule, although they did advance to the GMCT semifinals once again. New coach and alum Tom Weiler should have a solid nucleus to build from if juniors Albion Ahmetaj and Dan Jennings, sophomore Aidan Carter and freshmen Zymere Weaver and Triston Harvey all return.
More: St. Thomas hires former standout as its next boys basketball coach
6. Old Bridge (15-11) — preseason No. 5 — The Knights were the only GMC squad to defeat Colonia this season, but fell to St. Thomas on three occasions, including the GMCT quarterfinals. Old Bridge loses senior guards Krish Patel and Brandon Medel but has some strong returnees up front in junior Noah Balbuena and Victor Przepiora, who had a breakout sophomore campaign.
7. Rahway (15-12) — preseason unranked — The Indians went 3-0 against GMC competition, including wins over Perth Amboy and Woodbridge of the White Division. Rahway graduates its top four scorers including swing Eric McClain, the squad’s best all-around player.
8. South Plainfield (16-11) — preseason No. 9 — The Tigers started fast, winning nine of their first 10 games, but finished by losing four in a row and five of their last seven, including an overtime loss to Sayreville in the GMCT quarterfinals. South Plainfield will lose its top two scorers in Jordan Jones and David Wallace, but it’s No. 3 scorer, Andrew Bena, was only a freshman.
9. Woodbridge (13-12) — preseason No. 6 — The Barrons faltered down the stretch, dropping three in a row that led to a 3-6 finish. The Anderson twins, Bryan and Derek, led a senior laden-squad with junior guard Emmanuel Cruz the top veteran returning.
10. Timothy Christian (15-11) — preseason unranked — The Tigers claimed their first outright GMC divisional crown by capturing the Blue Division after sharing the title with Spotswood last year and returned to the GMCT quarterfinals. Timothy Christian loses its all-time leading scorer in Jalen Fleming and one of the area’s best interior players in Chukwudi Raphael Mamah, and will look to Elijah Pierre, who started at the point as a freshman, to lead the rebuild.
Best of the rest: East Brunswick (15-13), Edison (13-14), Middlesex (18-10), Metuchen (20-8), North Brunswick (11-18), Perth Amboy (15-12).
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Boys basketball rankings: GMC, southern UCC final Top 10
Continue reading...
