Greater Middlesex Conference: Season Preview
When people think of the Greater Middlesex Conferece, they immediately think of St. Joe’s Metuchen and all of the success they have had in recent memory. The Falcons have produced multiple Division I players led by Karl Anthony-Towns who has…
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Continue ReadingWhen people think of the Greater Middlesex Conferece, they immediately think of St. Joe’s Metuchen and all of the success they have had in recent memory. The Falcons have produced multiple Division I players led by Karl Anthony-Towns who has turned into one of the top big men in the NBA. In 2019-2020, they will not be the only big name team. The GMC will be arguably one of the top conferences in the state of New Jersey.
2018-2019 Season Review
It was a season to remember last year. Four teams finished with 20 or more win and they were all the regular season champions in division play. Bishop Ahr, Dunellen, Old Bridge and Colonia were those four teams. Yes, Old Bridge finished above St. Joe’s. They were three games better than the Falcons in division play but St. Joe’s made sure no one forgot how dominant they are as they won the GMC tournament.
Bishop Ahr, now St. Thomas Aquinas, proved that they will be a force in this conference for years to come. They were taken down in the quarterfinals of the GMC tournament. With some talented transfers coming in, the Trojans are ready to repeat their success from last season.
Colonia had a magical run to the GMC tournament final as the No. 7 seed. They took down Old Bridge in the semis and fell short of St. Joe’s in the final. The GMC tournament is one of the best in the state. The conference is loaded with talented teams and players.
Blue Division Preview
St. Thomas Aquinas leads the Blue Divsion heading into 2019-2020. They received two talented transfer from The Patrick School in Ernest Carter III and Omari Fleming. Their biggest addition is 6’5 forward Derrick Grant. The Trojans have a legitimate coach in Bob Turco and a star in Wake Forest bound guard Quadry Adams. St. Thomas Aquinas will not only lead the division once again, but they have the chance to be a top-three team in the conference.
There were two teams last season outside of the Trojans that finished above .500. They were Carteret and South River and both are expected to finish near the top of the division again. Carteret is the team that can be a threat to St. Thomas Aquinas this season. At the end of the day, it is hard to imagine the Trojans not winning this division, especially since they have completely replenished.
Red Division Preview
St. Joe’s Metuchen has a new head coach in Jan Cocozziello. They are coming off yet another GMC tournament title and they are a program that expects one every season. The matchup between the Falcons and Old Bridge was hoped for but Old Bridge fell to Colonia in the semi-finals.
Preseason, St. Joe’s is expected to be the top team in the division. Those who know high school basketball in New Jersey knows that the Falcons are normally the team to beat. Old Bridge did so in the regular season but no one was able to come tournament time. Piscataway and Monroe will be strong once again but it will be St. Joe’s and Old Bridge fighting it out for the top spot.
White Division Preview
Colonia was the class of the White Division a season ago. Will that continue in 2019-2020? Yes. They fell short of St. Joe’s in the GMC tournament final but that was a stepping stone for years to come. They had a perfect 11-0 mark in division play last season and won 24 games overall, the most in the GMC. It is hard to see them getting dethroned this season. Despite losing some talented players like Chad Baker, Colonia will rally.
The White Division had just two teams finish above .500 last season. New Brunswick was the other team along with Colonia. They were 8-4 in division play.
Gold Division Preview
The Gold Division had the closest finish a season ago. Dunellen finished on top but Piscataway Tech and Perth Amboy Tech were both within three games. Again in 2019-2020, it will be a three team race. All three squads are expected to make noise in the Gold Division and contend for a title. Piscataway Tech has a chance this season to dethrone Dunellen. They might even be the favorites coming in. Either way, the GMC will be strong from top to bottom and have excitement every time any team steps on the floor.