State tournament basketball commences today – Monday, Feb. 27 – in New Jersey.
Another long winter season will wrap in two weeks.
Union County has 17 boys’ and 17 girls’ basketball teams in the states.
Sectional finals will be played next week, with the group finals scheduled for the weekend of March 11, 12.
The Tournament of Champions will follow.
Union county top seeds on the boys’ side include defending champion Linden in North 2, Group 4; Rahway in North 2, Group 3 and Patrick School in Non-Public, South B.
The only Union County girls’ qualifier to earn a top seed was Patrick School in Non-Public, South B.
If Linden and Newark East Side take care of business and win their first three games on the boys’ side, then we will have a second straight Newark East Side at Linden final, scheduled again for March 7 – this time a Tuesday night.
The section North 2, Group 4 was set up last year as Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday for the first three rounds and then a quick Monday night for the final. Last year’s final at Linden was sold out, with many fans turned away nearly two hours before tipoff.
This year N2, G4 is set up for Monday (Feb. 27), Wednesday (March 1) and Friday (March 3) for the first three rounds and then Tuesday, March 7 for the final – which will be at Linden again as long as the Tigers win their first three games.
Most fans are planning for a second straight Newark East Side at Linden matchup, this time on March 7 again, but a Tuesday night. This time there will be three days off before the final instead of just one, which was the case last year.
Last year’s game was one of the most intense high school sporting events I’ve ever covered, with Linden prevailing 62-59 in overtime. Linden was a slight favorite, but it appeared for a brief moment in the fourth quarter that the Tigers might not come out on top.
Linden went from almost losing the sectional final to going all the way to the Tournament of Champions final against favored St. Anthony. Newark East Side attempted a 3-point shot to try to tie the game at the end of overtime, but missed.
Should Linden be fortunate enough to reach the TOC final again this year, there’s a chance the Tigers could be favored or at least not seen as a such a big underdog.
Here’s a look at which Union County boys’ and girls’ basketball teams qualified for state tournament play:
UNION COUNTY BOYS’ BASKETBALL
IN STATE TOURNAMENT
NORTH 2, GROUP 4 (4):
Linden, Scotch Plains, Westfield, Union
16-Perth Amboy at 1-Linden
12-Westfield at 5-Woodbridge
13-Union at 4-Millburn
14-North Hunterdon at 3-Scotch Plains
NORTH 2, GROUP 3 (3):
Rahway, Summit, GL
16-Voorhees at 1-Rahway
9-Warren Hills at 8-Summit
10-Gov. Livingston at 7-Mendham
NORTH 2, GROUP 1 (2):
Dayton, Roselle Park
11-Secaucus at 6-Dayton
10-Roselle Park at 7-University
CENTRAL JERSEY, GROUP 2 (3):
Johnson, Roselle, New Providence
12-New Providence at 5-North Plainfield
14-Holmdel at 3-Johnson
10-Roselle at 7-Point Pleasant Boro
NON-PUBLIC, NORTH A (1):
Oratory Prep
9-Oratory Prep at 8-DePaul
NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH A (1):
Union Catholic
10-Bishop Ahr at 7-Union Catholic
NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH B (3):
Patrick School; St. Mary’s, Elizabeth; Roselle Catholic
16-St. Joseph, Hamm. at 1-Patrick School
14-St. Rose at 3-St. Mary’s, Elizabeth
11-Holy Spirit at 6-Roselle Catholic
UNION COUNTY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
IN STATE TOURNAMENT
NORTH 2, GROUP 4 (3):
Westfield, Union, Linden
12-Linden at 5-Bridgewater-West
14-Columbia at 3-Westfield
11-Union at 6-Edison
NORTH 2, GROUP 3 (4):
Cranford, GL, Rahway, Summit
16-Summit at 1-Somerville
13-Rahway at 4-Chatham
11-Gov. Livingston at 6-Voorhees
10-Cranford at 7-West Morris
NORTH 2, GROUP 1 (3):
Dayton, Brearley, Roselle Park
9-Brearley at 8-Arts
14-North Arlington at 3-Dayton
11-Roselle Park at 6-Newark Collegiate
CENTRAL JERSEY, GROUP 2 (2):
New Providence, Johnson
14-Bordentown at 3-New Providence
15-Johnson at 2-Rumson-Fair Haven
NON-PUBLIC, NORTH A (1):
Kent Place
6-DePaul at 3-Kent Place
NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH A (2):
Oak Knoll, Union Catholic
9-Union Catholic at 8-Donovan Catholic
5-Paul VI at 4-Oak Knoll
NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH B (2):
Patrick School, Roselle Catholic
16-Timothy Christian at 1-Patrick School
9-Trinity Hall at 8-Roselle Catholic
* * *
Union County Conference boys’ basketball champions this season are:
WATCHUNG DIVISION: Patrick School (7-1) and Linden (7-1) – co-champions since they split against each other.
MOUNTAIN DIVISION: St. Mary’s, Elizabeth (6-0).
VALLEY DIVISION: Rahway (11-1).
SKY DIVISION: Johnson (10-0).
Union County Conference girls’ basketball champions this season are:
WATCHING DIVISION: Patrick School (10-0).
MOUNTAIN DIVISION: Johnson (8-2). Rahway also finished 8-2, but Johnson swept Rahway.
VALLEY DIVISION: Oak Knoll (11-1).
SKY DIVISION: Kent Place (8-0).
* * *
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE
FINAL BOYS’ BASKETBALL STANDINGS
FOR THE 2016-2017 SEASON:
WATCHUNG DIVISION (5 schools):
1-Patrick School (7-1) – co-champs
Linden (7-1) – co-champs
3-Roselle Catholic (4-4)
4-Plainfield (2-6)
5-Elizabeth (0-8)
MOUNTAIN DIVISION (4 schools):
1-St. Mary’s, Elizabeth (6-0) – champions
2-Union Catholic (3-3)
3-Westfield (2-4)
4-Union (1-5)
VALLEY DIVISION (7 schools):
1-Rahway (11-1) – champions
2-Scotch Plains (9-3)
3-Roselle (6-6)
Summit (6-6)
5-Cranford (4-8)
6-Gov. Livingston (3-9)
Hillside (3-9)
SKY DIVISION (6 schools):
1-Johnson (10-0) – repeat champions
2-New Providence (8-2)
3-Oratory Prep (6-4)
4-Roselle Park (3-7)
Dayton (3-7)
6-Brearley (0-10)
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE
FINAL GIRLS’ BASKETBALL STANDINGS
FOR THE 2016-2017 SEASON:
WATCHUNG DIVISION (6 schools):
1-Patrick School (10-0)
2-New Providence (7-3)
3-Westfield (5-4)
Roselle Catholic (5-4) – RC will not host Westfield.
5-Cranford (1-9)
Union (1-9)
MOUNTAIN DIVISION (6 schools):
1-Johnson (8-2) – champions (swept Rahway)
2-Rahway (8-2)
3-Gov. Livingston (6-4)
4-Summit (5-5)
5-Scotch Plains (2-8)
6-Plainfield (1-9)
VALLEY DIVISION (7 schools):
1-Oak Knoll (11-1) – champions
2-Union Catholic (10-2)
3-Dayton (8-4)
4-Linden (6-6)
5-Elizabeth (3-9)
6-Hillside (2-10)
St. Mary’s, Elizabeth (2-10)
SKY DIVISION (5 schools):
1-Kent Place (8-0) – champions
2-Brearley (6-2)
3-Roselle Park (3-5)
Benedictine (3-5)
5-Roselle (0-8)
* * *
UNION COUNTY
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
RECORDS HEADING INTO STATES
THAT COMMENCE FEB. 27:
Patrick School (22-4)
Scotch Plains (21-5)
Linden (20-4)
Rahway (19-3)
Johnson (19-4)
St. Mary’s Elizabeth (18-6)
Roselle (17-7)
Union Catholic (16-10)
Roselle Catholic (14-10)
Union (13-12)
New Providence (12-11)
Roselle Park (12-14)
Dayton (10-12)
Summit (10-14)
Cranford (10-15)
Gov. Livingston (9-13)
Westfield (8-13)
Oratory Prep (8-13)
Plainfield (8-19)
Hillside (6-15)
Elizabeth (3-20)
Brearley (1-16)
UNION COUNTY
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
RECORDS HEADING INTO STATES
THAT COMMENCE FEB. 27:
Patrick School (24-2)
Oak Knoll (21-4)
New Providence (21-5)
Union Catholic (20-5)
Roselle Catholic (18-6)
Westfield (17-5)
Kent Place (16-5)
Dayton (15-8)
Linden (14-8)
Rahway (14-11)
Brearley (12-5)
Benedictine (12-12)
Johnson (10-12)
Cranford (10-14)
Union (10-14)
Gov. Livingston (10-14)
Roselle Park (9-11)
Elizabeth (8-15)
Summit (8-17)
Hillside (7-14)
Scotch Plains (4-17)
Roselle (3-17)
Plainfield (2-18)
St. Mary’s, Elizabeth (2-19)