Ace Bailey introduced during his first Rutgers basketball game
Ace Bailey is introduced during his first Rutgers basketball game
The 2024-25 varsity basketball season is underway. Here is our Greater Middlesex and local UCC preseason Home News Tribune boys basketball top 10. (Last year’s record in parentheses)
1. Colonia (22-9) — Reigning Home News Tribune Player of the Year Aiden Derkack and senior Zach Smith are the only starters remaining from last year’s GMC champions. After a shaky start, the Patriots rallied for a 46-40 season-opening decision over St. Peter’s Prep last weekend behind some clutch play by Dylan Chiera, RJ Wortman, Julien Jones, Colin Kroner and freshman Jayce Rodriguez.
2. Linden (16-11) — Former Rutgers coach Mike Rice takes over in Linden, which lost six of its final nine games last year. Returning 6-foot-5 junior Jekhi Burnam drained 53 shots from 3-point range last year for a program that tends to reload rather than rebuild.
3. St. Thomas Aquinas (17-12) — Former assistant Austin Whitehurst will step in as head coach in mid-January after serving an eight-game suspension for a recruiting violation. Senior guard Aiden Ur is the top returning scorer at 15.2 ppg.
4. St. Joseph (21-10) — Another area power with a new coach as Karl Towns Sr. takes over where his son, Knicks center Karl Anthony Towns, prepped. Tyler DiGraci, Alijah Murphy and Ryan Hilongos are returning contributors for the GMC’s tallest team.
5. Old Bridge (15-13) — The Knights retain just about everyone from a team that won nine of its final 12 last year. Krish Patel, who made 50 shots from 3-point range, Brandon Medel and Noah Balbuena are the top veterans.
6. Woodbridge (16-8) — Derek and Bryan Anderson hope to replicate the success they achieved on the football field, where the Barrons went 10-1. This team will get a big lift in January when 6-foot-5 Angel Rosario, a transfer from Perth Amboy, becomes eligible.
7. Sayreville (15-12) — The Bombers tipped off the GMC season with a 46-point victory over South Amboy last week. Juniors Sam Jones and Chidi Chukwurah return for their third campaigns as starters.
8. South Plainfield (23-6) — The Tigers have won 20 or more games in three straight seasons, and there’s no reason to doubt them despite serious losses to graduation. Senior guard Jordan Jones is the lone returning starter for another club in reloading mode.
9. East Brunswick (14-14) — The Bears drop from the Red Division to the White, where they figure to battle the three schools ranked above them for the title. Junior 3-point gunner Matt Mikulka and classmate Can Vick will start in the backcourt for a third season.
10. Piscataway (11-14) — Former St. Thomas coach Bob Turco returns to the public-school ranks with the Chiefs. He’s looking to seniors Vaughn Turner and Nate Davis to provide leadership for a club that will rely on its athleticism.
Also receiving consideration: Monroe (19-8), North Brunswick (15-13), Perth Amboy (8-16), Rahway (10-15), Timothy Christian (18-10)
