The Throne Natl. Championship: Plainfield/Bergen Catholic preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Throne National Championship returns to the American Dream Mall over the course of three days with eight boys teams from across the country competing for a national title. The headline matchup is arguably the 8:00 quarterfinal between New Jersey state champions Bergen Catholic (Non-Public A) and Plainfield (Public Group 4) revitalizing the energy of the now-defunct Tournament of Champions and pitting against each other the consensus top two teams in the state. Keep reading for a breakdown of the matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Guards</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's hard to argue Plainfield doesn't have the advantage in this realm, with what the Cardinals may lack in depth being made up for in the form of superstar junior [player_tooltip player_id='2344521' first='Micah' last='Gordon'], the state's best individual player. The nationally-ranked Gordon has the ability to dominate a game as a scorer or facilitator, with a pristine skill level combining with explosive athleticism and a preternatural mind for the game. He'll have the ball in his hands for the vast majority of the game.<br><br>Bergen counters in the backcourt with arguably the most underrated player in the state in Fairfield commit [player_tooltip player_id='2342638' first='Jaden' last='Brown']. The silky-smooth senior is coming off a 26-point state championship game and is one of the more dynamic three-level scorers in the region. He's flanked by [player_tooltip player_id='2202019' first='Alex' last='Mazzella'], a junior who runs the show at point, with additional punch provided by sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2504891' first='Sean' last='Forbes'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2347952' first='Jahlil' last='Owusu'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wings</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Gordon is the unquestioned leader for Plainfield, he's supported by a tough and experienced core of senior wings, each of whom are also members of the Cardinals' football team. [player_tooltip player_id='2342647' first='Rashawn' last='Williams'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3273627' first='Devin' last='Thomas'] have been the main supporting pieces throughout the year, with Williams bringing a blend of physicality and athleticism while Thomas offers more of a reliable floor-spacing option. [player_tooltip player_id='2342645' first='Kamai' last='Lowery'] also stepped up in a big way in the state championship game providing a rangy two-way Swiss-army option.<br><br>Bergen has the clear talent advantage here with senior Michigan State pledge [player_tooltip player_id='1595675' first='Julius' last='Avent'] being one of the more versatile wing forwards in the country. His dynamic inside-out skillset should pose a consistent matchup problem for Plainfield. He's supported by sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2414310' first='Bridgie' last='McMillan'], a high-motor two-way wing who's emerged into the starting lineup over the course of the year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bigs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's where Bergen boasts the biggest upper hand, bringing a pair of D1 prospects to the table up front while Plainfield lacks a consistent interior presence of any kind. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2833843' first='Owen' last='Wucherpfennig'] is a physical, high-motor two-way presence off the bench with budding athleticism and a consistent desire to knock heads inside. He's complemented among the Crusader reserves by junior [player_tooltip player_id='2218637' first='Kieran' last='Quinn'], an Irish national team member who's one of the more dynamic floor-spacing forwards in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prediction</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's no argument that Bergen is the deeper, more talented team with as many as nine D1 prospects across the roster, including a handful who struggle to crack the regular rotation. The Crusaders have answered the bell against a difficult schedule and carried a statewide #1 ranking across most of the season.<br><br>In the spirit of March Madness, however, we'll go with the nominal upset pick and take Plainfield to come away with the win. Gordon is simply playing at a different level right now and infuses a level of belief in his teammates that's tough to pick against, especially with what's sure to be a spirited Plainfield crowd looking on with support. It should be a close game and it's hard not to trust Gordon to make the requisite plays down the stretch if that's the case.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->