Throne National Quarterfinal: Plainfield 58, Bergen Catholic 55

The Throne National Championship, hosted by the National Basketball Players Association and Gold Level Sports and Entertainment, returned for another year to American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ. Last night's quarterfinal matchups were headlined by none other than a de facto New Jersey Tournament of Champions matchup between two of the state's best teams— the #1 public school in New Jersey in Plainfield High and and #1 non-public school in the state of New Jersey in Bergen Catholic. In an intense wire to wire matchup that without a doubt did not disappoint a sold out crowd, let's dive into the number of prospects who delivered standout performances over the course of last night's thriller.    Widely regarded as the top guard here in the state of New Jersey, four star point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2344521' first='Micah' last='Gordon'] once again delivered a standout performance that highlighted not only his poise as a potent ball handler controlling the action with the ball in his hands for most of the contest but also his feel for the game as a skilled multi level scorer and a decisive and unselfish playmaker. Behind an impressive 23 point, 6 rebound, and 5 assist outing Gordon had his fingerprints all over this one for Plainfield— exceptional court vision and instinctive passing feel to create drive and kick and "one more" three point opportunities for his teammates, absorbing contact when attacking driving angles to routinely get to the free throw line and creativity and craftiness off the bounce to get to his spots to provide timely scoring converting on soft touch floaters, crafty finishes at the rim through bumps and smooth mid range pull ups.     [player_tooltip player_id='1595675' first='Julius' last='Avent'] is a physically imposing four star forward with broad shoulders and exceptional length who possesses an intriguing and versatile offensive skillset with his ability to impact the game both inside in the paint and out on the perimeter. Aggressive from the start and maintaining that approach throughout the entirety of the game, Avent demonstrated a diverse scoring attack— showcasing his floor spacing ability with his outside spot up shooting, putting the ball on the deck and attacking driving angles off the bounce, cutting to the basket for athletic above the rim finishing, and leveraging his physical tools to back down and punish smaller defenders on the interior.     Having firmly established himself as one of the most dynamic guards here in the state of New Jersey bringing a confident and versatile playmaking presence every time he has the ball in his hands. Brown plays the game with toughness and physicality, ultimately showing strong command of the offense while dictating tempo and that was evident with his decision making ability— particularly in transition, with his open floor playmaking, pushing the tempo for crafty finishing evading defenders, finding lane runners, and absorbing contact to generate ample trips to the free throw line. A legitimate threat to score the basketball from all three levels, Brown also flashed his shot creation ability, creating separation off the bounce and knocking down shots off the dribble from different areas on the floor.     A versatile wing who plays with nonstop energy and effort, [player_tooltip player_id='2414310' first='Bridgie' last='McMillan']'s value lies in his ability to be a true plug and play fit on the wing with his two way impact, often times making selfless difference making plays on both ends of the floor. In this matchup against Plainfield, McMillan made a number of defensive plays with his anticipation defensively to play the passing lanes and force steals while also setting the tone with his physicality and versatility guarding multiple positions and be impactful on the boards. Thriving as a complementary offensive piece who plays within the flow of the offense, McMillan demonstrated his ability to both knock down outside shots as a spot up shooter and run the lanes in the open floor out in transition.     A physically imposing and powerfully built forward with an aggressive approach who's thrived in a complimentary role all season, [player_tooltip player_id='2342647' first='Rashawn' last='Williams'] once again consistently put immense pressure on the rim and proved to be an effective inside scorer for Plainfield in their victory over Bergen Catholic. Williams got going leveraging his strength and sturdy frame to establish position on the interior in the low post sealing his defender for easy finishes, attacking the basket with aggression and purpose and being impactful on the offensive glass, bringing relentless energy as a rebounder and using his physicality to win battles consistently.     A extremely vital and immensely dependable piece in Plainfield's offensive success, [player_tooltip player_id='3273627' first='Devin' last='Thomas'] has consistently shown his value throughout the team's historic season and demonstrated much of that ability in their victory over Bergen Catholic. Known for his confidence off the ball—particularly as a perimeter threat, Thomas combined compact and fluid shooting mechanics with an aggressive shot ready mindset, allowing him to thrive as a reliable spot up option all while also attacking driving angles when additional offense opened up for him.

The Throne National Championship, hosted by the National Basketball Players Association and Gold Level Sports and Entertainment, returned for another year to American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ. Last night's quarterfinal matchups were headlined by none other than a de facto New Jersey Tournament of Champions matchup between two of the state's best teams— the #1 public school in New Jersey in Plainfield High and and #1 non-public school in the state of New Jersey in Bergen Catholic. In an intense wire to wire matchup that without a doubt did not disappoint a sold out crowd, let's dive into the number of prospects who delivered standout performances over the course of last night's thriller.