South Jersey Group 1: Every Team’s Most Important Player in Quarterfinals

<p>The first round of the South Jersey Group 1 state tournament featured a lot of blowouts. There were many games that were not close because of the higher-seeds rolling. Play will tighten up in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night. Here are the most important players for each team heading into the quarters.</p> <p><strong>Shamar Gantt (2020) | Overbrook</strong></p> <p>Overbrook is the bracket’s top-seed. It was an easy 83-40 victory for them over Gateway in round one led by Gantt’s 24 points. Gantt got hot immediately in the game knocking down three shots from deep and getting to the rim at will. Overbrook had four players finish in double-figures. Gantt is not usually their No. 1 option so if he can get hot over a four-game stretch, Overbrook will be in good shape.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kavon-lewis/">[player_tooltip player_id="896631" first="Kavon" last="Lewis"]</a> (2020) | Penns Grove</strong></p> <p>Lewis led the way for Penns Grove in round one with 23 points. They were another high-seed that picked up a 40-point win in the first round. Lewis has had an incredible season thus far scoring 17.5 points per game. He has scored in double-figures in 10 straight games including three games over 30 points. Lewis has been Penns Grove’s most important player since the opening game of the season and that has not changed in the state tournament.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/zach-wygand/">[player_tooltip player_id="933720" first="Zach" last="Wygand"]</a> (2021) | Woodstown</strong></p> <p>Wygand was a massive x-factor for Woodstown in their 39-point victory in round one. He scored 19 points which was just behind Malik Parsons who finished with 20. Wygand has notched 13 double-doubles this season. He has scored double-figures in each game and is averaging 17.9 points per game. At 6’2, Wygand has good size to dominate at this level and he will for another season as a senior.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/rob-petersen/">[player_tooltip player_id="896622" first="Rob" last="Petersen"]</a> (2020) | Pitman</strong></p> <p>Pitman picked up the biggest win in the first round when they took down Salem 81-30. They were led by 27 points and 10 assists from Petersen. Petersen has missed eight games this season and still managed to score 453 points. He scored 45 points in a midseason win over Pitman where he also surpassed 1,000 career points. The scoring ability of Petersen makes Pitman an immediate contender in this bracket. If he continues his prowess, they will be a tough out.</p> <p><strong>Ibahim Dao (2021) | Lindenwold</strong></p> <p>Dao was one of two players on Lindenwold to score 20 points in round one’s win over Woodbury. Eriq Campbell has been Lindenwold’s main option this season but Dao is more than capable of carrying a team. Lindenwold needs multiple options on the offensive end and Dao gives them that. This adds a duo that can carry the fifth-seed to the title game if they get hot.</p> <p><strong>Diante Miles (2021) | Wildwood</strong></p> <p>Miles has been Wildwood’s leading scorer with 14.8 points per game. He is a junior who has taken the next step as a scorer in the conference. Wildwood will have to face No. 3 Woodstown in the quarterfinals which is no easy task. This means that Miles will have to continue his strong play to help Wildwood move on.</p> <p><strong>Rasheer Fleming (2022) | Gloucester</strong></p> <p>Gloucester is led by their big three. Fleming is one part of it. He is averaging 13.6 points and 11 rebounds per game. He is also blocking three shots per game. Fleming is joined by fellow sophomore Steven Light and junior Justin Pino as elite players on the roster. Fleming’s worth is on both ends of the floor where he can dominate.</p> <p><strong>Eric Shuttleworth (2020) | Haddon Township</strong></p> <p>Shuttleworth leading Haddon in scoring is nothing new but he did it with just eight points in round one. No. 10 Haddon Township was the only lower-seed to win their matchup. It was a 34-29 win over Paulsboro. Shuttleworth was one of the few players to get anything going on multiple possessions. This is no surprise given that he has been a dynamic scorer all season long.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>