SJ girls bracketology
The state tournament sectional brackets have now been out for more than four days, and it's time to post some thoughts. Of course, there's no arguing with the seedings since they're based on pre-set criteria. It is interesting to wonder about how the different tournaments might play out, and the terrific games they might produce.
So:
SJ G4: The top seed and defending champion is Absegami, and the Braves are certainly also the team to beat. The best first-round game is probably Mainland-Washington Township, with the winner going to Cherry Hill East. The Mustangs can be a terrific team, and they love to run. Township uses pressure when they get behind, so if Mainland can get a lead, the game could turn into a track meet. Pennsauken is a real wildcard, up against Cherokee in another terrific first-round game. If Cherokee gets through, the Mostafa-Sweeney matchup could be fun to watch. I'm seeing Gami-AC III in the final, but not before a classic AC-CH East semi. Tasha Cannon could make her POY case there.
SJ G3: The top seed is Cumberland, the defending champion and team to beat is fourth-seeded Wilson. The first round features a rematch of last year's final, with Timber Creek visiting Wilson. It's kind of a tough break for the Chargers, because I think they could be the second-best team in the sectional if given the chance to prove it. Moorestown-Deptford and Kingsway-Hammonton are both intriguing first-round games. Cumberland is a wild card, kind of untested. Should Wilson survive TC's visit, it will be interesting to see all the orange on the court down in Colt country for the semis. Ocean City is a strong contender to get to the final, and young. We could see an OC-Wilson sectional final the next two years in a row.
SJ G2: Heights is the top seed and probably the team to beat, and Sterling is the defending champ. The best first-round game is Sterling-Pleasantville, with the Greyhounds being an unknown quantity to most people. That winner gets Glassboro, another relatively mysterious team. At full strength, the Bulldogs are probably the section's toughest squad, but how strong will they be? who knows. Glassboro was dealt a hard road to the final, through Sterling-Pvile and probably Haddonfield. Collingswood drew a more favorable path, facing Buena, West Tech and then probably Heights, a team they have already beaten once on the road, and which they will end up facing twice in like a week and a half. The first time is in Collingswood, and it could carry the Colonial in its balance. The winner of that semi will go into the final as the favorite, but not by much. Any one of eight teams, including Haddon Township, Cinnaminson and Sterling, could get hot and win this thing.
SJ G1: Pitman gets the top seed, Salem is the defending champ and possibly the team to beat. Literally all seven teams in this section have designs on at least the final, and I'd say six of them have a legitimate shot at the title, including seventh-seeded Lindenwold. Gloucester has been playing the best lately, or maybe it's Wildwood. I don't know. The best first-round game is Palmyra at Gloucester, with Lailah Pratt going up against Chelsea Conner. Last year, the team with the best big girl (Salem and Shanel Turner) took the crown, and this year it's Gloucester and Conner. A lot of the potential matchups in SJ G1 have precedence in the Trico Classic season, and third meetings are usually the craziest. So this bracket should be fun.
SJ N-P A: Camden Catholic is the top seed and the team to beat. The defending champion, St. John Vianney, is no longer defending, having bitten off more schedule than it could chew and missing the playoffs. I don't know when was the last time a TOC finalist missed the playoffs the very next year, and it's certainly never happened to a program of SJV's stature. That stunner left the door ajar for some rare good CC luck. Both Holy Spirit AND the scariest team in the section, Red Bank Catholic, are on the other side of the bracket from the Irish, who need beat only Holy Cross and most likely Monsignor Donovan, both at home. The best first-round game is Paul VI-Holy Spirit, and the winner will play RBC in the best semifinal matchup. Assuming Spirit gets through, that RBC game at Spirit would be an instant classic. In any case, the final at Lakewood is a can't-miss game.
SJ N-P B: Trenton Catholic is the top seed and the team to beat. Sacred Heart is the defending state champion and No. 5 seed. The best first-round game is probably Gloucester Catholic-Bishop Eustace. This is no longer a sister-on-sister coaching matchup, but there are still ties between the programs and plenty of emotion to go around. The winner has a tough assignment at St. Rose.Sacred Heart has to go on the road in the quarters to Mater Dei, and if the Lions get throgh that, the real test is at TCA. If Sacred Heart gets to the final, they can definitely win, but the road is incredibly difficult. I have no idea about Cardinal McCarrick other than a kickass record, so that makes the winner of the Wildwood Catholic-St. Joe matchup a wild card. Jay Reed's Wildcats have come on very strong lately, as evidenced by their close loss to Timber Creek, and Wildwood Catholic has a lot of ability. Obviously, Trenton Catholic is the class of this bracket, but anything can happen.
That's all I've got for now. As far as coverage for this week goes, I'm trying to get around to some teams I haven't seen before it's too late, so I'll be covering Eastern at Winslow Tuesday night. Eastern has been hot lately -- ask EHT and Washington Township -- and Winslow has been vary tough to beat at home -- ask Shawnee -- so this should be a pretty good game. See you there.
So:
SJ G4: The top seed and defending champion is Absegami, and the Braves are certainly also the team to beat. The best first-round game is probably Mainland-Washington Township, with the winner going to Cherry Hill East. The Mustangs can be a terrific team, and they love to run. Township uses pressure when they get behind, so if Mainland can get a lead, the game could turn into a track meet. Pennsauken is a real wildcard, up against Cherokee in another terrific first-round game. If Cherokee gets through, the Mostafa-Sweeney matchup could be fun to watch. I'm seeing Gami-AC III in the final, but not before a classic AC-CH East semi. Tasha Cannon could make her POY case there.
SJ G3: The top seed is Cumberland, the defending champion and team to beat is fourth-seeded Wilson. The first round features a rematch of last year's final, with Timber Creek visiting Wilson. It's kind of a tough break for the Chargers, because I think they could be the second-best team in the sectional if given the chance to prove it. Moorestown-Deptford and Kingsway-Hammonton are both intriguing first-round games. Cumberland is a wild card, kind of untested. Should Wilson survive TC's visit, it will be interesting to see all the orange on the court down in Colt country for the semis. Ocean City is a strong contender to get to the final, and young. We could see an OC-Wilson sectional final the next two years in a row.
SJ G2: Heights is the top seed and probably the team to beat, and Sterling is the defending champ. The best first-round game is Sterling-Pleasantville, with the Greyhounds being an unknown quantity to most people. That winner gets Glassboro, another relatively mysterious team. At full strength, the Bulldogs are probably the section's toughest squad, but how strong will they be? who knows. Glassboro was dealt a hard road to the final, through Sterling-Pvile and probably Haddonfield. Collingswood drew a more favorable path, facing Buena, West Tech and then probably Heights, a team they have already beaten once on the road, and which they will end up facing twice in like a week and a half. The first time is in Collingswood, and it could carry the Colonial in its balance. The winner of that semi will go into the final as the favorite, but not by much. Any one of eight teams, including Haddon Township, Cinnaminson and Sterling, could get hot and win this thing.
SJ G1: Pitman gets the top seed, Salem is the defending champ and possibly the team to beat. Literally all seven teams in this section have designs on at least the final, and I'd say six of them have a legitimate shot at the title, including seventh-seeded Lindenwold. Gloucester has been playing the best lately, or maybe it's Wildwood. I don't know. The best first-round game is Palmyra at Gloucester, with Lailah Pratt going up against Chelsea Conner. Last year, the team with the best big girl (Salem and Shanel Turner) took the crown, and this year it's Gloucester and Conner. A lot of the potential matchups in SJ G1 have precedence in the Trico Classic season, and third meetings are usually the craziest. So this bracket should be fun.
SJ N-P A: Camden Catholic is the top seed and the team to beat. The defending champion, St. John Vianney, is no longer defending, having bitten off more schedule than it could chew and missing the playoffs. I don't know when was the last time a TOC finalist missed the playoffs the very next year, and it's certainly never happened to a program of SJV's stature. That stunner left the door ajar for some rare good CC luck. Both Holy Spirit AND the scariest team in the section, Red Bank Catholic, are on the other side of the bracket from the Irish, who need beat only Holy Cross and most likely Monsignor Donovan, both at home. The best first-round game is Paul VI-Holy Spirit, and the winner will play RBC in the best semifinal matchup. Assuming Spirit gets through, that RBC game at Spirit would be an instant classic. In any case, the final at Lakewood is a can't-miss game.
SJ N-P B: Trenton Catholic is the top seed and the team to beat. Sacred Heart is the defending state champion and No. 5 seed. The best first-round game is probably Gloucester Catholic-Bishop Eustace. This is no longer a sister-on-sister coaching matchup, but there are still ties between the programs and plenty of emotion to go around. The winner has a tough assignment at St. Rose.Sacred Heart has to go on the road in the quarters to Mater Dei, and if the Lions get throgh that, the real test is at TCA. If Sacred Heart gets to the final, they can definitely win, but the road is incredibly difficult. I have no idea about Cardinal McCarrick other than a kickass record, so that makes the winner of the Wildwood Catholic-St. Joe matchup a wild card. Jay Reed's Wildcats have come on very strong lately, as evidenced by their close loss to Timber Creek, and Wildwood Catholic has a lot of ability. Obviously, Trenton Catholic is the class of this bracket, but anything can happen.
That's all I've got for now. As far as coverage for this week goes, I'm trying to get around to some teams I haven't seen before it's too late, so I'll be covering Eastern at Winslow Tuesday night. Eastern has been hot lately -- ask EHT and Washington Township -- and Winslow has been vary tough to beat at home -- ask Shawnee -- so this should be a pretty good game. See you there.
posted by SMc. @ 4:02 AM
1 Comments:
At 11:28 PM,
SMc. said…
Actually, if Gloucester wins the state, that means they beat Bloomfield Tech, so yes, they'd probably finish ahead of Paul VI. School size matters less in basketball than in any other sport.
For example, in 2003, the final rankings included two G4 teams four G3 teams, five parochial teams, two G1 teams and SIX G2 teams. The Olympic American had no teams and the Colonial had five. The next year, G2 had five teams, behind only G3's six. Last year, G2 once again finished first with six teams in the final rankings, while G3 only had three and G4 had five. To go all nuts and split the rankings because the big schools are having a relatively good year takes a keen lack of perspective.
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