Non-Public Finals: Unsung Heroes

<p>The Non-Public finals was full of high level talent as four of the top 10 teams in the state were in action. The Non-Public B North final was a repeat of last year, while Wildwood Catholic was looking to avenge last year’s loss in the Non-Public B South final. Camden Catholic was looking to pull off a three-peat in Non-Public A South, while Bergen Catholic was looking to repeat. The star players showed up, but some under the radar players stepped up their game in a big way. Here are the top unsung heroes from the Non-Public finals.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="936552" first="Jacob" last="Hopping"], 6’3 SG Wildwood Catholic 2020</strong></p> <p>West Virginia commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="766090" first="Taj" last="Thweatt"] </strong>was dominant with 28 points and 16 rebounds, but Hopping was the difference-maker for the Crusaders in their 80-67 win over Rutgers Prep. The TCNJ commit finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three steals, while playing incredible defense on <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850499" first="Trey" last="Patterson"]</strong>. Hopping did not allow for the junior forward to catch the ball cleanly and forced Patterson to take tough, contested shots. On offense, he drove past his defender with ease and made tough layups on several occasions. Hopping’s ability to break down the defense made it possible for Wildwood Catholic to capture its first Non-Public B South title since 2007.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787669" first="Corey" last="FloydJr"]., 6’3 CG Roselle Catholic 2022</strong></p> <p>Xavier commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="766099" first="CJ" last="Wilcher"] </strong>carried the Lions with 22 points, but Floyd Jr. was the one who ran the offense in their 59-58 comeback victory over Gill St. Bernard’s. The sophomore guard had a team-high six assists as he was consistently able to find the open man in the half-court. Floyd Jr. was unafraid of contact as he routinely went to the free throw line and was aggressive from the start of the game. His ability to make plays with the ball in his hands is part of the reason Roselle Catholic won its third straight Non-Public B North title.</p> <p><strong>Keith Palek, 6’4 SF St. Augustine 2021</strong></p> <p>Camden Catholic was looking to win its third consecutive Non-Public A South title, but Palek had something different in mind as St. Augustine upset the Irish 51-47. The junior forward had a team-high 18 points, including drilling four three-pointers. His ability to knock down perimeter jump shots gave <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900295" first="Matthew" last="Delaney"] </strong>space to operate down low and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901944" first="Elmarko" last="Jackson"] </strong>room to attack the basket. Palek also played solid defense and made great passes to beat the press late in the game. St. Augustine claimed its 15th sectional title under head coach Paul Rodio because of Palek’s shooting.</p> <p><strong>Jahseim Davis, 6’2 SG Bergen Catholic 2020</strong></p> <p>The Crusaders needed overtime to repeat as Non-Public A North champions as they knocked off St. Peter’s Prep 73-66. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850662" first="Will" last="Richardson"] </strong>and Notre Dame commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850320" first="Matt" last="Zona"]</strong> combined to score 41 points, but it was Davis’ contribution that helped seal the victory. The senior guard had eight points off the bench and gave Bergen Catholic great energy on both ends. Davis’ performance in the final was not a fluke as he scored 14 points in the semifinal against rival Don Bosco. His ability to make an impact off the bench makes Bergen Catholic that more dangerous as a team.</p> <p><strong>Martin Anguelov, 6’0 SG Wildwood Catholic 2021</strong></p> <p>Hopping was not the only unsung hero for Wildwood Catholic as Anguelov was a difference-maker against Rutgers Prep. The junior shooting guard dropped 17 points in the game as he was the perfect complimentary scorer to Thweatt. Anguelov knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter to get things going for Wildwood Catholic and was a play-maker with the ball in his hands as he finished off with four assists in the game. His defense on <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850507" first="Noah" last="Harris"] </strong>was huge as he blocked a pair of jump shots from the Rutgers Prep point guard. Anguelov was on the sideline for last year’s loss to Ranney in the final and he made sure the Crusaders were successful in the Non-Public B South final in 2020</p>