Central Jersey Group 3: Guards to Watch

<p>Central Jersey Group 3 began it’s bracket on Monday night. The quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday and it will feature some strong guard play. The quarterfinals will feature seven of the top eight seeds along with No. 11 Burlington Township who upset Matawan. These teams will be led by these exceptional guards.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/quinn-calabrese/">[player_tooltip player_id="896620" first="Quinn" last="Calabrese"]</a> (2020) | Wall</strong></p> <p>Wall entered the tournament as the top-seed in the bracket. Calabrese scored 14 points in the blowout win over Woodbridge in round one. He has been a leader on Wall for two years now. Calabrese led the team in scoring and three-pointers made with 56. He is a standout on the football field as well and he uses that athleticism to dominate on the basketball court. Calabrese has good size and is strong enough to gain positioning. With him leading the charge, Wall is one of the favorites to be a state champion.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kyle-rolon/">[player_tooltip player_id="929527" first="Kyle" last="Rolon"]</a> (2021) | Somerville</strong></p> <p>Rolon finished with 15 points in round one against Freehold Borough. He is one of Somerville’s leading scorers this season behind <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ethan-hilliman/">[player_tooltip player_id="896669" first="Ethan" last="Hilliman"]</a> down low. Rolon is the team’s top threat from deep. He has hit 38 three’s this season. He has also been elite at getting to the free throw line including seven made against Freehold. Rolon acts as the outside threat to a very well-balanced Somerville team.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brandon-raba/">[player_tooltip player_id="933645" first="Brandon" last="Raba"]</a> (2021) | Nottingham</strong></p> <p>Raba has been hot as of late. He scored a game-high 21 points in an overtime win over Red Bank Regional in round one. This was his 11th game in double-figures in the last 13. The streak began with a 34-point performance in a win over Hillsborough. Nottingham has won 12 of their last 13 games led by Raba. They will have a high-powered matchup against Allentown in the second round. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/rj-weise/">[player_tooltip player_id="926737" first="RJ" last="Weise"]</a> (2020) | Allentown</strong></p> <p>Weise has been a stat sheet filler throughout the entire season. He is averaging 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game this season. Weise finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in round one’s blowout victory over Ocean Township. He has eight double-doubles this season and they have been split between points and rebounds or points and assists. Weise has knocked down 46 three’s this season and 101 free throws. The list of his incredible accomplishments goes on-and-on from his senior season.</p> <p><strong>Jack Boufford (2021) | Hamilton West</strong></p> <p>Boufford is 6’3 and listed as a guard but he can also play forward because of his size. Watching his game, he definitely has the skill set of a guard. Boufford has hit 27 three’s this season and is leading Hamilton West in scoring with 12.8 points per game. Boufford is a strong rebounder but getting to the free throw line is the next best thing about his game. Hamilton West will have the tough task of taking on Wall in the quarterfinals. Boufford will have to control the game on both ends of the floor.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/daniel-thomas/">[player_tooltip player_id="929529" first="Daniel" last="Thomas"]</a> (2021) | Burlington Township</strong></p> <p>Burlington pulled off the first upset of the tournament over No. 6 Matawan. They advanced as a double-digit seed led by Thomas and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/emmanuel-ayetigbo/">[player_tooltip player_id="929681" first="Emmanuel" last="Ayetigbo"]</a>. Burlington is a balanced team that can make some noise. Thomas has been their leading scorer and No. 1 option all season long. He has hit 16 three’s and has been effective getting to the basket and the free throw line. Burlington is currently 13-14 this season because of their tough schedule. </p>