Group 2 Semifinal Superstars

Joe Esquivel-Murphy March 4, 2026 @ 10:39 AM

<p>The state tournament is in full swing as Groups 2 and 4 had their semifinals on Tuesday. Group 2 saw some high level performances as they look to take their teams to the sectional finals. Here are the stars from the Group 2 semifinals.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2763494' first='Jayden' last='Solomon'], 6'2 CG Newark Collegiate 2026</strong></h2>   <p>Solomon did everything he could for Newark Collegiate in the loss to Madison as he scored a game-high 25 points. The 6'2 guard attacked the basket with a purpose as he finished strong around the rim and rarely got rattled by on-ball pressure. Solomon also scored in the mid-range and didn't get rattled by on-ball defense. He used his length to make plays on the defensive end and also played off the ball as well. Solomon sparked Newark Collegiate over the last two seasons as he put up over 900 points, cementing himself as one of the more underrated 2026 prospects in Essex County.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205839' first='Luke' last='Cruz'], 6'9 PF Rumson Fair-Haven 2026</strong></h2>   <p>Cruz was a force for the Bulldogs in their upset win over Ocean Township as he poured in a game-high 31 points. The 6'9 forward as he put the ball on the floor to get to the rim and knocked down four triples. Cruz used his strong frame to get position down low and had a nice touch around the rim. He skied for rebounds on both ends of the floor and swatted shots around the rim. Cruz has two 30-point performances during the state tournament and will be looking for another game like that in the final against Manasquan.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Johnny Chaname, 5'10 PG Lyndhurst 2026</strong></h2>   <p>Chaname powered the Golden Bears' attack as he put up a game-high 27 points in their semifinal win against Ridgefield Park. The 5'10 guard shot the ball with confidence from behind the arc as he hit five triples. Chaname also got into the paint off the bounce and moved well without the ball in his hands. He jumped passing lanes on the defensive end and moved well without the ball in his hands. Chaname became Lyndhurst's all-time leading scorer during the state tournament and is looking to add to that point total in the sectional final.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604422' first='Alex' last='Pace'], 6'2 PG Camden 2026</strong></h2>   <p>Pace and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2347935' first='Keyshawn' last='Franklin']</strong> paced the High's offense in their semifinal win as they combined for 50 points with the latter scoring a game-high 29 points. The 6'2 guard used his quick first step to blow by his defender and finished in a variety of ways around the rim. Pace showed a good touch in the mid-range and made opponents pay for giving him space behind the arc. He pushed the pace well in transition and was able to get deflections on the defensive end. Pace is averaging 33.3 points per game during the state tournament and will be looking to continue his hot streak in the final against Middle Township.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Cal Regan, 6'3 PF Madison 2026</strong></h2>   <p>Regan stepped up for the Dodgers as he put up a team-high 24 points in their road win over Newark Collegiate. The 6'3 forward set his feet before he shot and drilled open jumpers from behind the arc. Regan also put the ball on the floor and moved well without the ball in his hands. He set strong screens in the half court and rarely forced shots in the half court. Regan has been a consistent secondary scorer for Madison and will look to do that again in the sectional final against Lyndhurst.</p>

The state tournament is in full swing as Groups 2 and 4 had their semifinals on Tuesday. Group 2 saw some high level performances as they look to take their teams to the sectional finals. Here are the stars from the Group 2 semifinals.