Groups 2 & 4 State Semis Matchups to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state tournament is coming to a close as the sectional title games have come and gone. Groups 2 and 4 are full of intrigue as multiple matchups are full of intrigue. Here are the matchups to watch in the Groups 2 and 4 state semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Manasquan vs. Camden: [player_tooltip player_id='1389143' first='Griffin' last='Linstra']-[player_tooltip player_id='1411401' first='Emmanuel' last='Joe-Samuel']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A rematch of the Group 2 state semifinals, this matchup will be one to keep track of. Linstra does a little bit of everything as he pushes the pace well in transition, rips down rebounds and slides his feet on the defensive end. Joe-Samuel has a clean release on his jumper and can get hot from distance in a hurry. They both move well without the ball in his hands and have the ability to put up points in bunches. Linstra and Joe-Samuel are looking to end their varsity careers with a state title and will look to advance to the state final on Wednesday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ridgewood vs. Plainfield: [player_tooltip player_id='1411405' first='Johnny' last='Jackson']-[player_tooltip player_id='2344521' first='Micah' last='Gordon']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson and Gordon have been key cogs to their teams in the backcourt and will be looking to have big games in the semifinals. The former is a sharpshooter that has a quick release on his jumper and can knock down triples in bunches. Gordon has a tight handle, which he uses to get to his spot on the floor and can score at all three levels. The sophomore guard can also thread passes to his teammates, while Jackson uses his good instincts to get deflections on the defensive end. Ridgewood is looking to get to the Group 4 final after falling short against Elizabeth last season, while Plainfield wants its first state title since 2012.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Montgomery vs. Lenape: [player_tooltip player_id='2339158' first='Bohdan' last='Biekietov']-[player_tooltip player_id='2763403' first='Mehki' last='Carter']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another rematch from last season, except in Group 4, Biekietov will look to control the glass against the Indians. The Franklin &amp; Marshall commit uses his strong frame to get position down low and has a nice touch around the basket. Carter has a good handle, which he uses to get to his spot on the floor and can finish through contact around the basket. Biekietov is also a force on the glass and uses his size to block shots around the rim. Carter will have to keep Biekietov off the glass if Lenape wants to return to Rutgers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Glen Rock vs. Madison: [player_tooltip player_id='2119096' first='Mason' last='Mangione']-[player_tooltip player_id='1985469' first='Gavin' last='Randall']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Glen Rock and Madison is an intriguing matchup to watch as it features two prospects who can score the ball in a variety of different ways. Mangione has a clean release on his jumper and can knock down triples in bunces. Randall can also stretch the floor, but he can also get into the lane off the bounce and finish around the basket. They are both solid ball handlers and can get deflections on the defensive end. Mangione and Randall have the ability to put up points in bunches as they look to take their teams to the state final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->