NJSIAA Quarterfinal Forward Matchups to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state playoffs are moving along as the sectional quarterfinals tip off on Monday. The battles down low will be fun to watch as prospects will be looking to help their teams advance to the semifinals. Here are the forward matchups to watch in the NJSIAA sectional quarterfinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Bergen Catholic vs. St. Benedict's: [player_tooltip player_id='1483440' first='Declan' last='Wucherpfennig']-Maurice Vassel</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top matchups of the quarterfinals, Bergen Catholic and St. Benedict's will have a battle to watch down low. Wucherpfennig can score inside and out as he can knock down open jumpers from behind the arc and finishes nicely around the rim. Vassel has a nice touch around the basket and swats almost everything around the rim. They are both great rebounders and play solid interior defense. Wucherpfennig and Vassel will battle it out down low as they both look to take their teams to the next round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Gill St. Bernard's vs. Immaculate Conception: [player_tooltip player_id='2339152' first='Stanley' last='Njeke']-[player_tooltip player_id='1788751' first='Kole' last='Grandison']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A wing battle to watch throughout as Njeke and Grandison should make plays on both ends of the floor. The former is at his best attacking the basket as he finishes strong around the rim and elevates nicely for dunks. Njeke is more than just a slasher as he can also knock down open jumpers from behind the arc. Grandison can score at all three levels and shoots the ball with confidence from behind the arc. Both wings are talented prospects who should put their games on display Monday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Paterson Kennedy vs. Memorial: [player_tooltip player_id='1411644' first='Z'yaire' last='Simmons']-[player_tooltip player_id='2335428' first='Lewis' last='Pantaleon']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simmons and Pantaleon is a battle to watch down low as they are both the go-to guys for their teams in the paint. The latter uses his strong frame to get position down low and has a nice touch around the rim. Pantaleon is a force on the boards and influences shots around the basket. Simmons does a little bit of everything as he can put the ball on the floor, score around the rim and defend multiple positions. They might not guard each other throughout the game, but will be a matchup to watch at some point on Monday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Franklin vs. Watchung Hills: [player_tooltip player_id='1776769' first='Elisha' last='Brown']-[player_tooltip player_id='2372828' first='Johnny' last='Kelly']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown and Kelly will be an intriguing battle to watch as they should face off against each other for most of the night. Kelly has a smooth release who can get hot from distance in a hurry. He moves well without the ball in his hands, freeing himself for open layups and jumpers in the halfcourt. Brown can defend almost every position on the floor and elevates for dunks in the halfcourt. While they impact the game in different ways, Brown and Kelly will battle throughout the game on the perimeter to see which team will go to the semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Roselle Catholic vs. St. Thomas Aquinas: [player_tooltip player_id='2148602' first='Eric' last='Hillsman']-[player_tooltip player_id='2335366' first='Rinelson' last='Dilone']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hillsman and Dilone will be a fun battle to watch as they each have the ability to have big games down low. Dilone is a force on the glass as he rips down rebounds at both ends and finishes nicely around the basket. Hillsman has a solid faceup game as he can put the ball on the floor and finish in the mid-range. They are both solid defenders and influence a number of shots around the basket. Hillsman and Dilone are talented forward prospects who should have big games on Monday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->