PJS Midnight Madness Tipoff: Top Takeaways

Joe Esquivel-Murphy November 9, 2019 @ 12:22 AM

With the start of high school practice coming soon, the PJS Midnight Madness Tipoff was an important showcase. It provides an opportunity for teams to face off against quality competition and the players get good exposure. Not all the teams that participated brought full squads, so it is hard to get a good feel for what the team will do in the season. With all that being said, here are some takeaways from the PJS Midnight Madness Tipoff at Trenton Catholic. 1. Timber Creek will be a force in South Jersey Group 3 The Chargers had a solid season in 2018-19, going undefeated in the Olympic-Patriot division, winning 16 games and advancing to the South Jersey Group 3 quarterfinals. Timber Creek played without its top interior player, Demetrius Paynter, but the backcourt picked up the slack. Jalen Bergen hit numerous clutch three-pointers to keep the Chargers in the game against Life Center Academy. Eric Benjamin had eight big points in the fourth quarter and was the go-to guy for Timber Creek late in the game. The Chargers would have pulled off the monster upset if not for Wesley Robinson's clutch buckets down the stretch. Timber Creek returns a lot of key pieces from last year's team and should make a deep run in South Jersey Group 3. 2. Jordan Martin is one of the best finishers in the state Martin has always had the ability to put the ball in the basket and he showed that against Point Pleasant Beach. The Garnet Gulls could not keep the senior guard out of the lane as he got to the basket with ease. Martin's finishes around the basket were spectacular as he routinely made circus layups look easy. He finished in transition, through contact and in traffic. The Bordentown guard is not just a driver as he made multiple jump shots during the game. His ability to routinely score wild layups makes Martin one of the best finishers in New Jersey. 3. Freddie Young Jr is one of the state's best kept secrets Trenton Catholic played in the game of the night as the Iron Mikes faced off against Camden. The matchup between VCU commit Jamir Watkins and Kentucky commit Lance Ware was what fans came to see. Watkins did not disappoint with 16 points and game MVP, but his teammate Young Jr stole the show. The transfer from Princeton Day School ran the offense perfectly as he was always making the proper decisions with the ball. The junior guard was a menace on the defensive end and was able to create offense for himself. Young Jr does not have the same recognition as some of the other point guards in New Jersey, but his presence in the backcourt will help lead Trenton Catholic to a deep run in Non-Public B South. 4. Camden's freshman backcourt is ready for the big stage The Panthers were unable to beat hosts Trenton Catholic, but they look like a dangerous team in South Jersey Group 2. Ware is an athletic big man who is capable of finishing around the rim, while junior Ta'Quan Woodley is a burly power forward who gobbles up rebounds. Last year's leading scorer Jerome Brewer barely played in the event, which opened up space for Camden's freshmen duo to make a name for themselves. Cian Medley is a true floor general who excels at pushing the pace and getting his teammates involved. He did not score a lot of points, but the freshman looked calm on the ball and made the proper reads in the halfcourt. Dajuan Wagner Jr is a pure scorer who can score at all three levels. While Young and Donavin Crawford kept him in check for most of the night, Wagner Jr. was able to create his own shot because of his good handles and feel for the game. He even defended Watkins for stretches of the night because of Ware's foul trouble. Wagner Jr. and Medley may only be freshmen, but the high school game is not too big for them and they will be vital parts for Camden's success this season.