Non-Public A Opening Round Matchups to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state tournament tips off today with Groups 1 and 3 having their opening round games. The Non-Public sections tip off on Friday and there are a bunch of interesting matchups that will be fun to watch on opening night, especially in Non-Public A. Here are the Non-Public A opening round matchups to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Pope John vs. Seton Hall Prep: Anthony Schnabel-[player_tooltip player_id='2201947' first='Anthony' last='Gonzalez']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The battle of the Anthonys in this opening round matchup will be one to watch as both teams look to win in the first round. Schnabel uses his first step to get to his spot on the floor and moves his feet well on the defensive end. Gonzalez is a speedy guard prospect who plays with composure under pressure and his ability to control the flow of the game will help the Pirates advance in the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newark Academy vs. St. Joseph (Mont.): Jaden Simon-[player_tooltip player_id='2107786' first='Anthony' last='Pacciarelli']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simon and Pacciarelli have stepped up on the perimeter this season for both teams, but they impact the game in different ways. The former has a nice release on his jumper and makes opponents pay for giving him space behind the arc, while Pacciarelli attacks the basket with a purpose and finishes strong around the rim. Both prospects are also strong defenders, creating an interesting matchup on the wing to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DePaul vs. Delbarton: [player_tooltip player_id='2174085' first='Josias' last='Carbon']-[player_tooltip player_id='2436644' first='Luke' last='Azzinaro']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carbon and Azzinaro may not match up with each other often throughout the game, but it will be a fun matchup to see when it does happen. Carbon elevates for dunks in the halfcourt and can finish through contact around the rim. Azzinaro does a little bit of everything for the Green Wave and his versatility will be something that helps Delbarton make noise in the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>St. Benedict's vs. Dwight-Englewood: [player_tooltip player_id='2349988' first='Michai' last='White']-[player_tooltip player_id='1943562' first='Addison' last='Leake']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>White is one of the top scorers in the state, meaning Leake will have his hands full during the game. The 6'1 guard has a tight handle, which he uses to blow by his defender and shoot either off the catch or bounce. Leake is a lanky guard prospect who uses his athleticism to make plays on the defensive end, which he will need to slow down White.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Oratory Prep vs. Paramus Catholic: [player_tooltip player_id='1964763' first='Maximilian' last='Cook']-[player_tooltip player_id='2422938' first='Samuel' last='Owusu-Adoumi']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cook is a versatile guard prospect who runs the offense effectively and guards on the perimeter. Owusu-Adoumi has had big games down the stretch for the Crusaders as he dropped 31 points against Teaneck during the Bergen County Jamboree. This matchup will be fun to watch as their abilities to score inside and out will make the game a fun battle to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>St. John Vianney vs. CBA: Danny O'Neil-[player_tooltip player_id='1411648' first='Justin' last='Fuerbacher']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>O'Neil will have to play at his best in the paint as Fuerbacher is a force in the paint. The Middlebury commit knows how to get to his spot on the floor and can score inside and out. O'Neil works hard on the glass and will need a double-double to help the Lancers pull off the upset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>St. Joseph (Met.) vs. Camden Catholic: [player_tooltip player_id='2917859' first='Alijah' last='Murphy']-[player_tooltip player_id='2304509' first='Seamus' last='Bieg']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This junior guard matchup will be intriguing as both prospects have the ability to play on and off the ball. Bieg is a sharpshooting guard prospect who can torch the nets from distance, while Murphy excels at getting into the lane and scoring around the basket. They both move well without the ball in their hands and their abilities to impact the game on the defensive end will be something to watch throughout the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Donovan Catholic vs. Union Catholic: [player_tooltip player_id='2437002' first='Ryan' last='Jacobs']-[player_tooltip player_id='1411630' first='AJ' last='Altobelli']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacobs and Altobelli may not matchup against each other often during the game, but they both impact their team's ability to win games. Altobelli plays with composure in the halfcourt and threads passes to open teammates in the halfcourt. Jacobs attacks the basket hard when he drives left and will need to play his best defensive game for Donovan Catholic to advance in the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Pingry vs. Immaculata: [player_tooltip player_id='2203815' first='Ryan' last='Rust']-[player_tooltip player_id='2731718' first='Riley' last='Gorman']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rust and Gorman have taken big steps up this season as they have both powered their teams throughout the season. They both have good releases on their jumpers and can get hot from distance in a hurry. Rust and Gorman can both make clutch shots down the stretch, which is something to watch throughout the course of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Notre Dame vs. Red Bank Catholic: [player_tooltip player_id='2766997' first='Josh' last='Gatete']-[player_tooltip player_id='1919194' first='Ryan' last='Prior']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This forward matchup will be fun to watch as both players have the potential to dominate the game on both ends of the floor. Prior is a sharpshooting forward prospect who has a quick release on his jumper and has deep range. Gatete can also stretch the floor, but his ability to defend the paint and rip down rebounds will help the Irish pull off the first round upset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>St. Augustine vs. St. Thomas Aquinas: [player_tooltip player_id='2339163' first='Rory' last='Friel']-[player_tooltip player_id='2763632' first='Zymere' last='Weaver']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weaver will have his hands full with Friel as the senior wing has upticked his scoring over the last three games. The 6'3 wing has a good release on his jumper, but can also get to the rim off the bounce and finish around the basket. Weaver is a lanky wing prospect who can score inside and out, but his ability to defend on the perimeter will be something to watch in the opening round of the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->