Group 4: State Tournament Stock Risers

<p>Group 4 had some of the best sectional finals with a pair of them being won at the buzzer. Elizabeth and Watchung Hills are in the top eight in the state, while Middletown South and Toms River North have also spent time in the top 20. Paterson Kennedy repeated as Passiac County Tournament champions, while South Brunswick made the GMC final. State tournaments are always great places for players to improve their stocks and that was the case in Group 4. Here are the top stock risers from the Group 4 state tournament.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="929533" first="Stephen" last="Byard"], 6’7 PF Atlantic City 2020</strong></p> <p>The Vikings took home their seventh sectional title under current head coach Gene Allen behind Byard’s dominant run. The 6’7 senior averaged 26.3 points per game as opponents could not stop him from scoring down low. Byard has a soft touch around the basket and can finish through contact. He is a tough rebounder and can even knock down perimeter jumpers. Byard is one of the top big men in South Jersey and proved it during the state tournament.</p> <p><strong>Deishon Harrison, 5’10 PG Paterson Kennedy 2020</strong></p> <p>Classmate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="933657" first="Mark" last="Heber"] </strong>led the Knights to their first sectional title since 1998, but Harrison stole the show in the state tournament. The 5’10 senior dropped a game-high 21 points in the North 1 Group 4 final against Ridgewood as he was constantly able to make plays in the lane. Harrison averaged 19.5 points per game in the state tournament with the semifinal being the only game he failed to score 20 points. Harrison and Heber are huge losses for a Paterson Kennedy team that was one of the top teams in Group 4 all season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="933653" first="Devin" last="Strickland"], 6’0 SG South Brunswick 2020</strong></p> <p>Sophomore <strong>Yathin Vemula</strong>’s buzzer beater gave South Brunswick its first sectional title since 2007, but Strickland kept his team in the game. The senior guard scored the Vikings’ first eight points as he was able to find ways to score around the basket in Marlboro’s zone. Strickland is a tough finisher around the basket and has a good chemistry with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896463" first="Justin" last="Carbone"]</strong>. South Brunswick had one of its best seasons in program history behind the play of its strong senior duo.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="929528" first="Trevor" last="Bokach"], 6’3 SG Watchung Hills 2021</strong></p> <p>Watchung Hills lost to Elizabeth at the buzzer, but that does not take away from Bokach’s performance. The 6’3 junior led the Warriors with 13 points in the North 2 Group 4 final, but has been a versatile player all season. Bokach dropped 16 points and nine assists against Westfield in the semifinals and had 23 points against Franklin in the quarterfinals. His ability to be a high-end scorer along with his chemistry with junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900332" first="Chad" last="Martini"]</strong> gives Watchung Hills hope that it will have a strong 2020-21 season even with star <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896632" first="Michael" last="Bressler"]</strong>’s graduation.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="931028" first="Jack" last="Seidler"], 6’5 SF Marlboro 2022</strong></p> <p>Junior <strong>Aleksy Friedman</strong> had a team-high 21 points in Central Jersey Group 4 final against South Brunswick, but Seidler shone in the state tournament. The 6’5 sophomore averaged 17 points per game as he used his blend of size and finesse to score down low. Seidler has a nice touch around the basket and works well with guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896675" first="Alex" last="Ratner"] </strong>and <strong>Jonathan Spatola</strong>. If Seidler is able to continue his play from the state tournament, then Marlboro will be one of the teams to beat in Central Jersey Group 4.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Other Players to Know:</strong></span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="931022" first="Drew" last="Greene"], 5’9 PG Cherry Hill East 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896680" first="Griffin" last="Rooney"], 6’1 SG Westfield 2020</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896656" first="Kevin" last="Mateo"], 6’0 PG Hackensack 2020</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>