SCT Championship: Gill St. Bernard's 84, Rutgers Prep 73

This year's Somerset County championship hosted at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, NJ featured another matchup on the season between two of Somerset County's highest seeded teams in this year's tournament— Gill St. Bernard's and Rutgers Prep. Matched up against each other for not only a third time this season but also for a second consecutive county championship, Gill St. Bernard's captured back to back county championships in their defeat over Rutgers Prep. With that being said, let's dive into the unique crop of prospects who delivered strong performances in this year's Somerset County championship this past weekend.    Earning SCT MVP honors, [player_tooltip player_id='2344528' first='Jahmal' last='Dixon'] put together an impressive performance that proved his reliability to be a legitimate two way floor general that blends confident ball handling with a clear desire to keep teammates engaged and constant rim pressure off the bounce while also bringing intensity and physicality as a tenacious on ball defender. Dixon remained a constant threat to score as he attacked driving angles off the bounce to convert on a number of soft touch finishes around the basket, even with his off hand. With a clear emphasis on being an unselfish playmaker who can create quality opportunities for others, Dixon was aggressive in pushing the tempo in the open floor for quick outlet passes and hitting lane runners in transition while also using a combination of his potent court vision and quick change of pace to create clean drive and kick opportunities for perimeter shooters. Equally as impressive on the defensive end, Dixon demonstrated toughness at the point of attack, applying steady pressure to opposing ball handlers and using his physicality and keen anticipation skills to disrupt their rhythm.     A four star wing who pairs a rare blend of advanced offensive polish with ideal positional size out on the perimeter, [player_tooltip player_id='2504896' first='William' last='Brunson'] continued his dominant sophomore season in this year's SCT championship against Gill St. Bernard's, flashing the tools that make his long term upside so appealing. Highlighting the versatility in his overall offensive skillset, Brunson continued to showcase his three level scoring ability paired with his advanced playmaking vision— utilizing his creativity off the bounce to get to his spots in the mid range area, attack driving angles for strong finishes at the rim, creating separation for clean perimeter looks, strong low post scoring against smaller defenders, and even leveraging his length on the offensive glass for impactful put backs. Defensively, Brunson's length helped him be an effective defender across multiple positions in combination with his motor to show up on the boards.     A well experienced and extremely versatile guard with strong positional size and a refined feel for the game, [player_tooltip player_id='1919211' first='Dorsett' last='Mulcahy'], much like he's done this season on Gill St. Bernard's way to capturing back to backcourt Somerset County titles, utilized those traits and intangibles to impact winning in multiple areas Saturday afternoon. Mulcahy contributed as an efficient scorer— an efficient scoring attack that featured low post scoring against smaller defenders, sprinting the lanes with purpose in transition, attacking driving angles out of different PnR actions for crafty finishes around the basket, and pushing the break himself in the open floor to finish on the other end. Mulcahy also shined as an unselfish and willing passer, passing ahead to teammates up the floor in transition and utilizing his potent court vision to hit dump offs down low.     The energetic senior leader who plays with fire and energy on both ends of the floor, [player_tooltip player_id='2505096' first='Nick' last='Nsenkyire'] provided a legitimate spark plug offensively amongst Rutgers Prep's group of guards in their championship matchup against Gill St. Bernard's. Putting an immense amount of pressure on the rim throughout the course of the game, Nsenkyire thrived as a PnR operator, taking advantage of different ghost and guard to guard screens to create confusion amongst defenders to get to the basket and finish strong in traffic. Putting pressure on the rim in more ways then one, Nsenkyire also attacked closeouts off different ball reversals to convert on soft touch floaters around the basket while also mixing in some strong physical drives bumping defenders on his way to the hole.     [player_tooltip player_id='2397968' first='Connor' last='Junker'] once again put on a standout perimeter shooting performance, generating the majority of his production from beyond the three point line and reinforcing why defenses are forced to key in on him at all times. His ability to command defensive gravity was evident as he posed as a poised and dependable marksman, routinely capitalizing on multiple catch and shoot opportunities with legitimate deep range accuracy. Countering his potent shooting touch, Junker also got to the basket when opportunities presented itself, attacking driving angles to finish in the paint and finishing at the rim in transition opportunities.     A driving force behind Gill St. Bernard's offensive success, [player_tooltip player_id='2917025' first='Prosper' last='Highlander'] consistently creates mismatches with his versatile scoring ability. Highlander's performance in Gill St. Bernard's championship matchup against Rutgers Prep ultimately showcased parts of his complete offensive package— blending crafty touch around the basket with quick foot speed to relentlessly attack the rim, movement off the ball to run the lanes in transition and cut to open space in half court actions, capitalizing on second chance opportunities on the offensive glass, and even being a respectable threat from three point distance as a spot up shooter.     Maintaining his upward momentum and rapid ascent as a dependable and integral piece within this Rutgers Prep backcourt, this time around [player_tooltip player_id='3271441' first='Bryce' last='Williams'] exhibited a slightly more diverse scoring attack. Although not having the best statistical shooting performances according to his typical perimeter percentages, Williams still found ways to be productive and provide steady scoring— finishing at the rim in transition as a result of forced turnovers on the defensive end, attacking closeouts to get to his spots and convert on mid range looks, while also flashing his quick change of pace ability to finish at the rim.

This year's Somerset County championship hosted at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, NJ featured another matchup on the season between two of Somerset County's highest seeded teams in this year's tournament— Gill St. Bernard's and Rutgers Prep. Matched up against each other for not only a third time this season but also for a second consecutive county championship, Gill St. Bernard's captured back to back county championships in their defeat over Rutgers Prep. With that being said, let's dive into the unique crop of prospects who delivered strong performances in this year's Somerset County championship this past weekend.