Group 2 Teams and Players to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Basketball tryouts in the Garden State are in full swing, meaning the high school season is here. Group 2 is shaping up to be full of intrigue as the group has a couple of candidates that are looking to take home the Group 2 title at Rutgers. Here are the Group 2 teams and players to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Camden: South</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Camden is the reigning Group 2 champions and is looking to retain its title. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411401' first='Emmanuel' last='Joe-Samuel']</strong> poured in a game-high 23 points and is expected to take on a bigger scoring role this season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411663' first='Torrey' last='Brooks']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411402' first='David' last='Munro']</strong> provide an instant impact at key positions as they fill holes at the point and post, respectively. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1919181' first='Sitafa' last='Hall']</strong> should get more minutes in the backcourt as well and the addition of lanky wing <strong>Aiden Gazway</strong> is one to track all season. The High will be battle-tested this season, but Camden boasts one of the most talented rosters in Group 2 as they look to go back-to-back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Arts: North 2</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arts is fresh off its best season in school history as the Jaguars made their first ever appearance in the state final. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823214' first='Shelton' last='Colwell']</strong> was an All-Group selection in 2023-24 and will look to do so again with his ability to impact the game at both ends of the floor. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1558747' first='Kevin' last='Freeman'] </strong>provides steady leadership on the perimeter, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2201949' first='Ayyub' last='Wilson']</strong> is only going to get better with more time on the ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1859563' first='Tyshawn' last='Boyd']</strong> and <strong>Kareem Anthony Jr</strong>. may be newcomers in the program, but they both have experience playing in state finals, which will be key for Arts down the stretch. The Jaguars are a talented roster that are looking to make it back to the state final at Rutgers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Manasquan: Central</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors last loss in the sectional tournament is 2018 and they are looking to keep the unbeaten streak alive this season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1389143' first='Griffin' last='Linstra']</strong> showed off his versatility as he led the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2202014' first='Rey' last='Weinseimer'] </strong>hit big shots in clutch situations for Manasquan and will continue to do that this season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2619576' first='Logan' last='Cleveland']</strong> and <strong>Jack O'Reilly</strong> are primed for breakout seasons in the paint as they should get more touches down low. Manasquan was seconds away from going back to Rutgers to defend its Group 2 title last season and will be hungry to return to the Group 2 final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Vernon: North 1</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vernon had a historic 2023-24 season as the Vikings won their first ever Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex county tournament title and the first ever appearance in the sectional final. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1943564' first='Alex' last='Fessel']</strong> led the way for Vernon all season long as he poured in nearly 500 points and dished out almost 100 assists. <strong>Dylen Heykoop</strong> had some big moments last season and will be looking to take a big step forward this season. <strong>Aden Karowski</strong> provides the Vikings with a shooter on the wing and has the potential to get hot from distance in a hurry. Vernon made a late push to try to upend Ramsey in the sectional final and will be looking to get back there this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Middle Township: South</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Middle Township are one of the more talented teams in Group 2 and the Panthers are looking to make it to their third straight sectional final. Rider commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411627' first='Jamir' last='McNeil']</strong> is dynamic with the ball in his hands as he makes plays with the ball in his hands, which led to him making Third Team All-State last season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788758' first='Chase' last='Moore']</strong> and <strong>Ayden Howell</strong> provide length and athleticism on the perimeter, providing the Panthers with a mismatch nightmare on the perimeter. Transfers <strong>Kanye Jones</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2628179' first='Mason' last='Murawski']</strong> are a duo to watch as they give Middle Township more firepower on the perimeter. The Panthers graduated key players from last year's squad, but they have the talent to make a deep run in the state tournament again in 2024-25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Other Teams and Players to Watch:</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rumson Fair-Haven: Central; Prospects to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='2205839' first='Luke' last='Cruz'], [player_tooltip player_id='2233689' first='David' last='Carr Jr']., [player_tooltip player_id='2672287' first='Riley' last='Gill']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Newark Collegiate: North 2; Prospects to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1853445' first='Ali' last='Kelleh'], Mohamed Swaray, [player_tooltip player_id='2763494' first='Jayden' last='Solomon']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Glen Rock: North 1; Prospects to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='2119096' first='Mason' last='Mangione'], [player_tooltip player_id='2628194' first='Robert' last='Lopez'], Sam Viggiano</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cinnaminson: South; Prospects to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1919188' first='Drew' last='Harvey'], [player_tooltip player_id='1919187' first='Noah' last='Harvey'], Sody Gantt, Colin Parrish</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Point Pleasant Boro: Central; Prospects to Watch: Drew Cardia, Jovin Steinmetz, [player_tooltip player_id='1845647' first='Thomas' last='Turner'], [player_tooltip player_id='2621818' first='Hunter' last='Hynes']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->