Northeast Fall Invitational: Top Five Takeaways
The Northeast Fall Invitational is a showcase of the top teams in the Tri-State area. The event is three days long and is hosted by reigning Non-Public B North champions, Roselle Catholic. The opening day of the Northeast Fall Invitational…
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Continue ReadingThe Northeast Fall Invitational is a showcase of the top teams in the Tri-State area. The event is three days long and is hosted by reigning Non-Public B North champions, Roselle Catholic. The opening day of the Northeast Fall Invitational was full of excitement and here are five takeaways from day one.
1. Trenton Catholic was the top team of the night
VCU commit Jamir Watkins was the event’s top players and Trenton Catholic wound up being the team of the night. Watkins led the Iron Mikes with 15 points in a 42-38 win over Elizabeth, while junior guard Donavin Crawford chipped in 11 points. E.J. Evans may have only scored five points, but he played solid defense and was adept at bringing the ball up.
The Iron Mikes did have a size advantage over Elizabeth on the interior, but that is not why they were the team of the night. Trenton Catholic was able to control the pace of the game on both sides of the floor, frustrating DJ Watkins and Jayden Pierre. It’s hard to take a lot from an invitational game in early October, but Trenton Catholic looks like a team that could make noise in 2019-20.
2. Mark Armstrong was the event’s top scorer
Armstrong’s game against Union Catholic was like a roller coaster: a fun experience with a few bumps along the way. The St. Peter’s Prep sophomore missed a dunk in transition early in the game, but responded with an event-high 27 points. Armstrong was aggressive from the start, scoring the Marauders’ first eight points in the 53-48 win.
He made a couple of shots from behind the arc, but the sophomore point guard was at his best attacking the basket. Union Catholic had seemingly no answer for Armstrong when he decided to attack the basket. The sophomore averaged over 15 points a game as a freshman, so don’t be surprised to see his scoring average climb over 20 a game in 2019-20.
3. Micah Johnson Jr. is the top defender in New Jersey
Elite defensive displays rarely get highlighted at showcase events as many fans prefer high-scoring affairs. Johnson Jr. did not get that message as the Monmouth commit was all over the floor defensively. Despite only being 6’4″, he had an event-high six blocks and forced multiple turnovers for Newark East Side.
Johnson Jr. jumped passing lanes, deflected passes and started fast breaks with his defense. The Red Raiders needed his solid defensive play as they squeaked out a 40-39 victory over Union. Johnson Jr. is always in the right spot defensively and is hard to beat off the dribble. While his impressive defense happened over two months before the start of the season, it is highly unlikely that there is a better defender than Johnson Jr. in the state of New Jersey.
4. Elijah Perkins looks ready to lead Ranney School
The reigning Tournament of Champions Ranney entered the event with questions about scoring. Who would pick up the scoring load with McDonald’s All-Americans Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis in college. Perkins averaged 7.1 points per game last season, but proved he is capable of much more.
The sophomore was aggressive all night, but did not play reckless. He attacked the basket under control and drew numerous fouls on University in the 35-31 win. Perkins was a role player for the Panthers when they won the TOC last season, but the sophomore is ready to lead the team in 2019-20.
5. North 2 Group 4 is going to be a fun state tournament
New Jersey has so many high schools up north that the NJSIAA has two different sections for North Jersey. The state splits the schools into either North 1 or North 2. Newark East Side, Union and Elizabeth are all in North 2 Group 4, which could make the state tournament exciting to watch.
Elizabeth and Newark East Side played each other in the sectional final last season. Union only went 13-13, but the Farmers are much improved and could make some noise in the postseason. High school basketball is over two months away, but North 2 Group 4 has all the makings of an unpredictable state tournament.
If the second day of the Northeast Fall Invitational is as exciting as the opening day, then fans should be in store for a great day of basketball.