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Another season brought another round of championship performances in the Skyland Conference and western area of Union County. Here were the best teams in the area in 2024-25.
1. Plainfield (29-3) – preseason No. 3 – The Cardinals went from 4-18 overall and 0-10 in the Union County Conference Watchung Division in 2022-23, to being considered the best team in New Jersey just two seasons later. Plainfield won the Group 4 state championship and Union County Tournament titles, both for the first time since 2012. The Cardinals were also North 2 Group 4 champs and Union County Conference Watchung Division co- champs, a crown they shared with non-Public B state champ Roselle Catholic. The state and county titles were the Cardinals’ fifth. Led by sophomore guard Micha Gordon and senior center NaJai Hines, the Cardinals capped the memorable season with an eight-game streak that included a 66-53 win over Roselle Catholic in the county final. Plainfield beat Central champ Montgomery 65-48 at Rutgers in the state final.
More: Boys basketball index: Links to the Courier News and Home News Tribune All-Area honors
More: 'We did some amazing things': Plainfield boys basketball cruises to Group 4 title
2. Gill St. Bernards (22-7) -– preseason No. 4 – The Knights rebounded from last year’s 11-16 campaign and early ousters in the state and Somerset County tournaments to win their first county title since 2022 and ninth overall since winning their first in 2011. The GSB season ended when it was beaten in the Non-Public B North final by eventual state champ Roselle Catholic. They were 3-0 against No. 3 Rutgers Prep, beating the Argonauts in the county final and outgunning them for a Skyland Conference Delaware Division title. Senior guard Kobe Closeil led the club in points and assists, while senior Stanley Njekwe had a whopping 74 blocks and pulled down 165 rebounds.
3. Rutgers Prep (20-10)– preseason No. 2 – A rugged schedule led to a 6-6 start, but a 14-4 run followed, including a 71-62 comeback win over No. 4 Montgomery in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals. Prep was beaten by Gill St. Bernards in the county final, but the Argos recovered to make the Non-Public South B championship game. Senior 6-foot-7 Marist commit Myles Parker was a force, leading the club in rebounds (155), steals (81) and 3s (63) and was second to sophomore Jacob Canton (459) in points with 444. Parker reached the 1,000-career-point mark in the midst of the second-half county-semi comeback.
4. Montgomery (25-6) -– preseason No. 6 – The two-time Central Group 4 champions made their first trip to a state final where they fell to No. 1 Plainfield in the Group 4 championship game. The Cougars got there by avenging last year’s state semifinals loss to Lenape with a stunning 62-32 triumph. The Indians had been the only public-school team to beat Montgomery in the last two seasons. After going 10-0 in winning the Skyland Valley last season, the Cougars bumped up to the Skyland Raritan and went 10-0 again. Junior guard Ethan Lin became a star after recovering from a broken ankle last year that forced him to miss the last 12 games of the season.
5. Westfield (18-11) – preseason No. 5 – Blue Devils returned virtually all of their starters from last season’s team, but life is hard in the brutal Union County Conference Watchung Division. Still, Westfield went 5-7 in division play after winning just two games there last season when they finished 14-12 overall. Among the highlights were division wins over Union Catholic and Elizabeth, a non-conference 53-47 win over host Colonia at the LeGrand Tournament, and a 71-53 road win over Piscataway (24-6) in the North 2 Group 4 quarterfinals.
6. Union Catholic (16-11) – preseason No. 1 – The Vikings didn’t match their terrific two previous seasons, when they won a Non-Public A state title in 2023 and their first Union County Tournament title last year, but playing in the talent rich Union County Conference Watchung Division can even humble very good teams, as UC went 6 -6 in the division. Seniors AJ Altobelli and Luke Schorr both eclipsed the 1,000-career point mark. Altobelli averaged 11.4 points and 5.7 assists this season and finished with 1,095 points. Schorr averaged 11.9 and finished with 1,074 points.
7. Ridge (22-7) – preseason No. 7 – Tight games were part of the Red Devils’ landscape. The good? A 55-51 win over Irvington and 50-49 double-overtime win over Union during the North 2 Group 4 Tournament. The bad? Two three-point losses to Group 4 state finalist and Skyland Raritan Division champ Montgomery. Senior guard Luke Kreitz finished his career with 1,085 points, averaging 16.3 ppg. He went from 219 as a sophomore to 384 last season and 472 this year.
8. Immaculata (20-8) – preseason unranked – The Spartans got off to a 12-3 start with a strong showing at the Butch Kowal Tournament in Rahway where they beat Perth Amboy and Rahway, before losing to perennial Group 2 power Rumson-Fair Haven. Junior Riley Gorman scored at a 18.07 clip, with a season-high 30-point outburst in a win against Pingry. Senior Cole Hayden filled all categories, as he was second on the team to Gorman in scoring and second to senior Josh Hibbert in steals. He was third in rebounds and assists.
9. Scotch Plains-Fanwood (19-7) – preseason unranked – The Raiders won the Union County Conference Mountain Division title last year, going 10-2, ticking it up a notch to 11-1 this season, sweeping Oratory Prep (8-4). Seniors Jack Sponheimer and Jacob Handy and junior Caleb McDowell had strong seasons.
10. Somerville (19-9) – preseason unranked – The Pioneers had their first winning full season since 2020 when they went 21-7 with a Skyland Valley Division title. Somerville won the division this season with a 6-2 record, same as Delaware Valley, but Somerville swept the Terriers. Senior guard Brady Scheier led the Pioneers in points, assists and steals and finished his career with 1,523 points. Junior Tim Lacanna and senior Brenden Pacheco also had big years.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Boys basketball rankings: Skyland Conf., western UCC final Top 10
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Courier News Boys Basketball Top 10
1. Plainfield (29-3) – preseason No. 3 – The Cardinals went from 4-18 overall and 0-10 in the Union County Conference Watchung Division in 2022-23, to being considered the best team in New Jersey just two seasons later. Plainfield won the Group 4 state championship and Union County Tournament titles, both for the first time since 2012. The Cardinals were also North 2 Group 4 champs and Union County Conference Watchung Division co- champs, a crown they shared with non-Public B state champ Roselle Catholic. The state and county titles were the Cardinals’ fifth. Led by sophomore guard Micha Gordon and senior center NaJai Hines, the Cardinals capped the memorable season with an eight-game streak that included a 66-53 win over Roselle Catholic in the county final. Plainfield beat Central champ Montgomery 65-48 at Rutgers in the state final.
More: Boys basketball index: Links to the Courier News and Home News Tribune All-Area honors
More: 'We did some amazing things': Plainfield boys basketball cruises to Group 4 title
2. Gill St. Bernards (22-7) -– preseason No. 4 – The Knights rebounded from last year’s 11-16 campaign and early ousters in the state and Somerset County tournaments to win their first county title since 2022 and ninth overall since winning their first in 2011. The GSB season ended when it was beaten in the Non-Public B North final by eventual state champ Roselle Catholic. They were 3-0 against No. 3 Rutgers Prep, beating the Argonauts in the county final and outgunning them for a Skyland Conference Delaware Division title. Senior guard Kobe Closeil led the club in points and assists, while senior Stanley Njekwe had a whopping 74 blocks and pulled down 165 rebounds.
3. Rutgers Prep (20-10)– preseason No. 2 – A rugged schedule led to a 6-6 start, but a 14-4 run followed, including a 71-62 comeback win over No. 4 Montgomery in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals. Prep was beaten by Gill St. Bernards in the county final, but the Argos recovered to make the Non-Public South B championship game. Senior 6-foot-7 Marist commit Myles Parker was a force, leading the club in rebounds (155), steals (81) and 3s (63) and was second to sophomore Jacob Canton (459) in points with 444. Parker reached the 1,000-career-point mark in the midst of the second-half county-semi comeback.
4. Montgomery (25-6) -– preseason No. 6 – The two-time Central Group 4 champions made their first trip to a state final where they fell to No. 1 Plainfield in the Group 4 championship game. The Cougars got there by avenging last year’s state semifinals loss to Lenape with a stunning 62-32 triumph. The Indians had been the only public-school team to beat Montgomery in the last two seasons. After going 10-0 in winning the Skyland Valley last season, the Cougars bumped up to the Skyland Raritan and went 10-0 again. Junior guard Ethan Lin became a star after recovering from a broken ankle last year that forced him to miss the last 12 games of the season.
5. Westfield (18-11) – preseason No. 5 – Blue Devils returned virtually all of their starters from last season’s team, but life is hard in the brutal Union County Conference Watchung Division. Still, Westfield went 5-7 in division play after winning just two games there last season when they finished 14-12 overall. Among the highlights were division wins over Union Catholic and Elizabeth, a non-conference 53-47 win over host Colonia at the LeGrand Tournament, and a 71-53 road win over Piscataway (24-6) in the North 2 Group 4 quarterfinals.
6. Union Catholic (16-11) – preseason No. 1 – The Vikings didn’t match their terrific two previous seasons, when they won a Non-Public A state title in 2023 and their first Union County Tournament title last year, but playing in the talent rich Union County Conference Watchung Division can even humble very good teams, as UC went 6 -6 in the division. Seniors AJ Altobelli and Luke Schorr both eclipsed the 1,000-career point mark. Altobelli averaged 11.4 points and 5.7 assists this season and finished with 1,095 points. Schorr averaged 11.9 and finished with 1,074 points.
7. Ridge (22-7) – preseason No. 7 – Tight games were part of the Red Devils’ landscape. The good? A 55-51 win over Irvington and 50-49 double-overtime win over Union during the North 2 Group 4 Tournament. The bad? Two three-point losses to Group 4 state finalist and Skyland Raritan Division champ Montgomery. Senior guard Luke Kreitz finished his career with 1,085 points, averaging 16.3 ppg. He went from 219 as a sophomore to 384 last season and 472 this year.
8. Immaculata (20-8) – preseason unranked – The Spartans got off to a 12-3 start with a strong showing at the Butch Kowal Tournament in Rahway where they beat Perth Amboy and Rahway, before losing to perennial Group 2 power Rumson-Fair Haven. Junior Riley Gorman scored at a 18.07 clip, with a season-high 30-point outburst in a win against Pingry. Senior Cole Hayden filled all categories, as he was second on the team to Gorman in scoring and second to senior Josh Hibbert in steals. He was third in rebounds and assists.
9. Scotch Plains-Fanwood (19-7) – preseason unranked – The Raiders won the Union County Conference Mountain Division title last year, going 10-2, ticking it up a notch to 11-1 this season, sweeping Oratory Prep (8-4). Seniors Jack Sponheimer and Jacob Handy and junior Caleb McDowell had strong seasons.
10. Somerville (19-9) – preseason unranked – The Pioneers had their first winning full season since 2020 when they went 21-7 with a Skyland Valley Division title. Somerville won the division this season with a 6-2 record, same as Delaware Valley, but Somerville swept the Terriers. Senior guard Brady Scheier led the Pioneers in points, assists and steals and finished his career with 1,523 points. Junior Tim Lacanna and senior Brenden Pacheco also had big years.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Boys basketball rankings: Skyland Conf., western UCC final Top 10
Continue reading...
