NJSIAA State Tournament Opening Night Guard Matchups to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state tournament is almost here as the opening day starts on Wednesday. Guard play is vital for success in tournament play and there are intriguing matchups on the first day of the state tournament. Here are the guard matchups to watch on Wednesday in the first round of the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Linden vs. Hillsborough: [player_tooltip player_id='1213555' first='Nas' last='Robinson']-[player_tooltip player_id='1919070' first='Jayden' last='Green']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robinson and Green might not match up against each other during the game, but their impact on the game will be felt on both ends. The latter is an athletic slasher who finishes strong around the basket and is unafraid of drawing contact. Robinson has a lightning quick first step, which he uses to blow by his defender and can knock down jumpers from behind the arc. They both get their teammates involved in the halfcourt and work hard on the defensive end. Robinson and Green are gamers who should have big games on Wednesday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Pequannock vs. Vernon: [player_tooltip player_id='1406996' first='Karson' last='Culuko']-[player_tooltip player_id='1943564' first='Alex' last='Fessel']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This matchup is bound to light up the scoreboard as both players can put up points in bunches. Culuko has a smooth shooting stroke as he wastes little motion and needs little space to get his shot off. Fessel has a good release on his jumper and sets his feet before he shoots. The junior guard can also get to the rim off the bounce and finish around the basket. Culuko and Fessel are sharpshooting guard prospects who should fill up the box score on Wednesday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>South River vs. Manasquan: [player_tooltip player_id='1472517' first='Alex' last='Grospe']-[player_tooltip player_id='1389143' first='Griffin' last='Linstra']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game might be a 16-1 game, but the backcourt battle between Grospe and Linstra will be fun to watch. The former plays with composure on the ball as he rarely gets rattled by on-ball pressure and finishes nicely around the basket. Grospe has a smooth clean release on his jumper and can get hot from distance in a hurry. Linstra uses his handle effectively to blow by his defender and can finish in a variety of ways around the basket. Grospe and Linstra have stepped up as their team's top scorers this season and it should continue in the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Woodbridge vs. Plainfield: [player_tooltip player_id='1942192' first='Micah' last='Eason']-[player_tooltip player_id='2344521' first='Micah' last='Gordon']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woodbridge and Plainfield is one of the top matchups of the night as it features a pair of dynamic guards. Eason has a good handle, which he uses to get to the rim and can finish in a variety of ways. Gordon uses his quick first step to blow by his defender and shoots the ball with confidence from distance. They both play with good floor vision and use their quick hands to get steals on defense. Eason and Gordon are electric guards who should have big games Wednesday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Union City vs. Hackensack: [player_tooltip player_id='2201947' first='Anthony' last='Gonzalez']-[player_tooltip player_id='1775140' first='Jamiko' last='Smith']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gonzalez and Smith are their teams' respective top scorers, but they score the ball in different ways. The latter is at his best attacking the basket as he finishes strong around the rim and is unafraid of contact. Gonzalez has a good release on his jumper and can get hot from distance in a hurry. The 6'0 guard can also beat his defender off the bounce and uses his athleticism to make plays on the defensive end. Gonzalez and Smith are talented guard prospects who should have big games in the opening game of the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->