Top 5 Takeaways Hoop Group NJ Tip-Off Showcase

<p>The Hoop Group Tip-off Showcase is a great early season event as the top teams in New Jersey face off against each other. Teams like Rutgers Prep, the Patrick School and Blair Academy played on the opening day of the Showcase with five games being played tomorrow. The opening slate of games contained a couple of blowouts, but that does not diminish the overall play. Here are five takeaways from the opening day of the Hoop Group Tip-off Showcase.</p> <p><strong>1. Rutgers Prep is primed for a deep run in Non-Public B South</strong></p> <p>The Argonauts had to sweat out a 78-65 over Seton Hall Prep, but they showed the mental toughness to compete for a sectional title. Star forward <strong>Trey Patterson</strong> only made three shots, but he took it strong to the basket and shot 11 free throws. Sophomore guard <strong>Otega Oweh </strong>took a game-high 13 free throws in the game as he was constantly attacking the rim.</p> <p><strong>Noah Harris </strong>knocked down four three-pointers, solidifying his case as one of the top shooters in the state. Sacred Heart commit <strong>Nico Galette </strong>was selected as the Game's MVP after an 18-point, 8-rebound performance. While Rutgers Prep did have some rough patches during the game, the Argonauts were able to do enough to get a 13-point victory. Their determination is grit will be vital for Rutgers Prep when the state playoffs kick-off in early March.</p> <p><strong>2. Watch out for Seton Hall Prep </strong></p> <p>The Pirates entered their season-opening match-up against Rutgers Prep without senior guard <strong>Mike Curran</strong>. His absence from the lineup could have led to a big loss, but Seton Hall Prep was in the game until the end. Senior guard <strong>Mason Morial</strong> had a major impact in the game as he led the Pirates with 17 points.</p> <p><strong>Giye Jenkins</strong> was a force on both sides of the ball, while senior <strong>Zander Zebrowski</strong> was a rebounding machine in the first half. <strong>Mario Bollo </strong>fouled out early in the fourth quarter,but the 6'4 senior gave Rutgers Prep fits with his ability to score in the paint. The Pirates' ability to hang with a top-10 team in the state proves that they are capable of making some noise in Non-Public A North.</p> <p><strong>3. The Patrick School is the easy favorite to win the Tournament of Champions</strong></p> <p>The Celtics were without <strong>Jonathan Kuminga, Adama Sanogo </strong>and <strong>Bretner Mutombo</strong>, but they did not need them in their 70-49 win over the Hun School. <strong>Zarique Nutter </strong>was almost unguardable at times, while <strong>Samson Johnson </strong>dominated on both ends of the floor. IMG Academy transfer <strong>Noah Farrakhan </strong>had his ups and downs, but he still ended up with 18 points.</p> <p><strong>Kirk Parsons </strong>provided a spark off the bench with eight points, which brought him over 1,000 for his high school career. The Celtics struggled at times against Hun's zone defense, but three of their top six players missed the game. When fully available, the Patrick School should have little trouble making it to the Non-Public B North final.</p> <p><strong>4. Elizabeth is a legitimate TOC contender</strong></p> <p>The Minutemen came into the season with high expectations after a 26-2 campaign in 2018-19. They started off the year with a bang as Elizabeth dismantled Neptune 75-33. Game MVP <strong>Jayden Pierre</strong> was unguardable off the bounce and had numerous crafty finishes around the basket. His backcourt mate <strong>DJ Watkins </strong>looked like one of the top guards in the state as he made his living around the basket.</p> <p><strong>Jordan Price</strong> set the tone early with a forceful dunk in traffic, which riled up the Elizabeth fans. <strong>Zy'ree Beverly</strong> came off the bench to provide great energy and rebounding for the Minutemen. Elizabeth is one of the top five teams in New Jersey and has a great shot of winning the Tournament of Champions in 2019-20.</p> <p><strong>5. Akoldah Gak and Jaylen Blakes are game-changers</strong></p> <p>The Buccaneers were playing without Virginia commit <strong>Jabri Abdur-Rahim</strong>, but they did not need to beat Patrick School National 69-57. Gak was a force on both ends of the court as he blocked numerous shots and made a number of jump shots in the halfcourt. The junior forward did pick up a technical foul after dunking on <strong>Oumar Diahame</strong>, but that was the only real blemish on his performance.</p> <p>Blakes had been more of a set-up man for Blair Academy, but he proved that he was capable of being the main guy. The junior point guard poured in 25 points with the majority of them coming after half-time. Blakes and Gak were the difference-makers in Blair Academy's upset victory of Patrick School National.</p>