UNION COUNTY, NJ — Which heavyweight will prevail?
Will it be fourth-seeded Elizabeth High School for the first time since 2004?
How about top-seeded Plainfield High School for the first time since 2012 and only the second time since 1979?
Second-seeded Roselle Catholic High School was the last team to repeat, winning its last two titles in 2022 and 2023.
For the first time, third-seeded Union Catholic High School is the defending champion. The Vikings defeated two-time defending champion Roselle Catholic, 66-56, in last year’s final.
Roselle Catholic has appeared in the last six finals, winning four of them. The Lions won the Union County Tournament for the first time in 2018.
Elizabeth and St. Patrick High School, Elizabeth, are tied for the most crowns with 21. Roselle Catholic has won four, Plainfield has won two and Union Catholic has claimed one.
The last public school team to win the tournament was Linden High School, 10 years ago in 2015.
The odds are, once again, that the top four seeds will advance to the semifinals, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, top side of the bracket, and Thursday, Feb. 20, bottom side, at Kean University’s Harwood Arena in Union.
All four quarterfinals will take place at the Dunn Sport Center in Elizabeth on Saturday, Feb. 15.
The championship game, also at Kean, is set for Sunday, Feb. 23, right after the girls final.
2025 UCT Boys Basketball
Seeds: 1-Plainfield. 2-Roselle Catholic. 3-Union Catholic. 4-Elizabeth. 5-Westfield. 6-Linden. 7-Scotch Plains–Fanwood. 8-Union. 9-Oratory Preparatory. 10-Rahway. 11-Hillside. 12-Arthur L. Johnson. 13-Summit. 14-Cranford. 15-New Providence. 16-Abraham Clark. 17-Jonathan Dayton. 18-Governor Livingston.
Preliminary Round
Monday, Feb. 10
Abraham Clark at Oratory Prep
Jonathan Dayton at Union
Summit at Arthur L. Johnson
Cranford at Hillside
Governor Livingston at Scotch Plains–Fanwood
New Providence at Rahway
First Round
Thursday, Feb. 13
Abraham Clark/Oratory Prep vs. Jonathan Dayton/Union
Summit/Arthur L. Johnson at Westfield
Cranford/Hillside at Linden
Governor Livingston/Scotch Plains–Fanwood vs. New Providence/Rahway
Quarterfinals
Saturday, Feb. 15
At Elizabeth Dunn Sport Center
1-Plainfield will play its team at noon
4-Elizabeth will play its team at 1:30 p.m.
3-Union Catholic will play its team at 5 p.m.
2-Roselle Catholic will play its team at 6:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Tuesday, Feb. 18
At Kean University
Top side of bracket, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20
Bottom side of bracket, 7 p.m.
Finals
Saturday, Feb. 23
At Kean University
Semifinal winners
Frank J. Cicarell UCT Boys’ Basketball
Championship Game Scores, Winning Coaches
2024: Union Catholic 66, Roselle Catholic 56 – Jim Reagan
2023: Roselle Catholic 64, Linden 55 – Dave Boff – at Kean
2022: Roselle Catholic 63, Elizabeth 58 – Dave Boff – at Kean
2021: No UCT because of COVID-19 pandemic
2020: Patrick School 56, Roselle Catholic 42 – Chris Chavannes – at Kean
2019: Roselle Catholic 71, Patrick School 66 – Dave Boff – at Kean
2018: Roselle Catholic 68, Patrick School 58 – Dave Boff – at Kean
2017: Patrick School 58, Linden 44 – Chris Chavannes – at Kean
2016: Patrick School 58, Roselle Catholic 54 (2OT) – Mike Rice – at Kean
2015: Linden 60, Roselle Catholic 56 – Phil Colicchio – at Kean
2014: Patrick School 62, Linden 54 – Chris Chavannes – at Kean
2013: Patrick School 44, Linden 42 – Chris Chavannes – at Kean
2012: Plainfield 72, Roselle Catholic 66 – Jeff Lubreski – at Kean
2011: St. Patrick 70, Linden 58 – Kevin Boyle – at Kean
2010: St. Patrick 82, Plainfield 45 – Kevin Boyle – at Kean
2009: St. Patrick 89, Elizabeth 72 – Kevin Boyle – last one at Dunn
2008: St. Patrick 67, Linden 56 – Kevin Boyle
2007: Linden 63, St. Patrick 51 – Phil Colicchio
2006: St. Patrick 65, Plainfield 52 – Kevin Boyle
2005: St. Patrick 77, Linden 68 – Kevin Boyle
2004: Elizabeth 58, St. Patrick 51 – Donald Stewart
2003: St. Patrick 68, Linden 62 – Kevin Boyle
2002: Elizabeth 75, St. Patrick 61 – Pat Brunner
2001: Linden 76, St. Patrick 59 – Phil Colicchio
2000: St. Patrick 69, Linden 55 – Kevin Boyle
1999: St. Patrick 52, Union 43 – Kevin Boyle
1998: St. Patrick 76, Union 45 – Kevin Boyle
1997: St. Patrick 61, Elizabeth 48 – Kevin Boyle
1996: St. Patrick 65, Elizabeth 47 – Kevin Boyle
1995: Elizabeth 50, St. Patrick 49 – Ben Candelino
1994: St. Patrick 63, Hillside 47 – Kevin Boyle
1993: St. Patrick 45, Elizabeth 41 – Kevin Boyle
1992: Elizabeth 69, Linden 57 – Ben Candelino
1991: Elizabeth 76, Linden 49 – Ben Candelino
1990: Elizabeth 96, Abraham Clark 67 – Ben Candelino
1989: Elizabeth 65, Abraham Clark 57 – Ben Candelino
1988: Linden 50, Elizabeth 45 – Wilbur Aikens
1987: Elizabeth 62, Linden 61 – Ben Candelino
1986: Elizabeth 50, Union Catholic 43 – Ben Candelino
1985: Elizabeth 70, Rahway 56 – Ben Candelino
1984: Elizabeth 57, Plainfield 42 – Ben Candelino
1983: Linden 66, Abraham Clark 60 – Wilbur Aikens
1982: Linden 86, Union Catholic 67 – Wilbur Aikens
1981: Arthur L. Johnson Regional 73, Hillside 61 – Steve Petruzzelli
1980: Union 65, Plainfield 63 – Tom Fox
1979: Plainfield 70, Linden 68 – Rico Parenti
1978: Elizabeth 62, Plainfield 60 – Ron Kelly
1977: Roselle 75, Rahway 54 – Dick Young
1976: Roselle 61, Union 54 – Dick Young
1975: Plainfield 69, Rahway 64 – Rico Parenti
1974: Union 61, Cranford 48 – Tom Fox
1973: Linden 69, Abraham Clark 53 – Wayman Everly
1972: Jefferson 50, Linden 43 – Ron Kelly
1971: Abraham Clark 73, Linden 71 – Dick Young
1970: Jefferson 68, St. Mary’s 61 – Ron Kelly
1969: Jefferson 55, St. Mary’s 47 – Ron Kelly
1968: Linden 63, Jefferson 62 – Joe Gaines
1967: St. Patrick 58, Plainfield 50 – Ed “Buzzy” Fox
1966: Linden 61, St. Patrick 56 – Joe Gaines
1965: Westfield 61, Cranford 52 – Bob Sanislow
1964: Cranford 68, Linden 61 – Bill Martin
1963: Westfield 65, Roselle Catholic 45 – John Lay
1962: St. Mary’s 40, Linden 30 – Al LoBalbo
1961: Abraham Clark 45, St. Mary’s 43 – Ralph Arminio
1960: St. Mary’s 53, Jefferson 43 – Al LoBalbo
1959: Westfield 54, Cranford 46 – John Lay
1958: Abraham Clark 66, Cranford 64 – Ralph Arminio
1957: Rahway 64, Jefferson 51 – Bob Berger
1956: Plainfield 58, Sacred Heart 51 – Bill Brann
1955: Jefferson 52, St. Mary’s 44 – Bill Tranavitch
1954: Jefferson 57, Springfield 44 – Bill Tranavitch
1953: Linden 59, Union 38 – G. St. Andrassy
1952: St. Mary’s 48, Linden 30 – Al LoBalbo
1951: St. Mary’s 37, Jefferson 36 – Al LoBalbo
1950: Jefferson 69, Hillside 57 – Bill Tranavitch
1949: Jefferson 42, Hillside 41 – Bob Cox
1948: Jefferson 33, Springfield 32 – Bob Cox
1947: Springfield 31, Linden 29 – Walter Hohn
1946: Springfield 37, Linden 34 – Walter Hohn
1945: Jefferson 39, Roselle Park 23 – Abner West
1944: St. Patrick 40, Roselle Park 36 – Ken Milsop
1943: Rahway 34, Jefferson 33 – Earl Walter
1942: Rahway 46, Jefferson 30 – Earl Walter
1941: Rahway 32, Hillside 24 – Earl Walter
1940: Springfield 35, Cranford 33 – Bill Brown
1939: Linden 30, Plainfield 20 – Les Goodwin
1938: Springfield 25, Rahway 24 – Bill Brown
1937: Rahway 27, Hillside 17 – Earl Walter
Championships
Jefferson–Elizabeth 21
St. Patrick–Patrick School 21
Linden 11
Rahway 5
Abraham Clark 5
Roselle Catholic 4
Springfield 4
St. Mary’s, Elizabeth 4
Plainfield 4
Westfield 3
Union 2
Union Catholic 1
Arthur L. Johnson Regional 1
Cranford 1