2026 Boys Basketball SCT Watch: Final Projection

Every game that counts toward a Shore Conference Tournament or Shore Conference Coaches Cup seeding has been played and we are now mere hours from learning what the two tournaments will look like when they start this week — the SCT championship bracket on Tuesday and the Coaches Cup on Wednesday.

Of course, in the meantime, we can take some guesses as to what the field might look like. Below, you can see mine.

Before you dive in on the final projection before the field is seeded in the late morning/early afternoon Sunday, keep in mind a few important details. First, the power points listed below are a projection based on each team’s state’s strength-of-schedule multiplier (OOWP) through Friday’s games. NJ.com does not update OOWP until the early-morning hours, so these power points are almost certain to change between the time of this post Saturday evening and when the field is finalized.

So, could the points change enough that the field looks different than the one projected below? Yes. Is it likely? No, but when it comes to the last spot, the team currently seeded No. 24 has less than a 0.1 lead over the team at No. 25, which is close enough that a change in the OOWP for both teams could result in the two teams flipping when the OOWP is updated Saturday morning. Based on the results of the opponents of the two teams today, a change to the below listing would seem unlikely. There could be changes within the field of 24, but that won’t have much of any impact on the projected seeding.

As for the projected seeding, power points is not the end-all-be-all this year. Once the 24-team is decided by the top 24 teams in power points, the eight-person seeding committee will rank the teams based on a vote for each spot in the seeding, with multiple criteria to consider: overall body of work, head-to-head results, results vs. common opponents, quality wins, “bad” losses and, yes, power points.

With a late alteration to the 24-team field possible early Saturday morning check back for any updates to the projection before the meeting gets underway at 11 a.m. With that said, here the latest power-point list with the seeding projection to follow.

Feb. 8 Update: Power points are now final as of Sunday morning, with no just one change to the update from Saturday night. Howell jumped Marlboro for the No. 4 ranking on the board, but other than that, the field of 24 stayed the same. In the Coaches Cup portion of the rankings, Middletown North jumped Keansburg for No. 11 in that tournament.

Team	Power Points	Section Seed
CBA (19-3)	39.08	SCT
Wall (17-1)	33.672	SCT
Red Bank Catholic (16-6)	32.793	SCT
Howell (17-4)	29.988	SCT
Marlboro (15-4)	29.95	SCT
Jackson (15-4)	28.456	SCT
Point Beach (17-6)	28.349	SCT
Ocean (15-8)	26.946	SCT
Manasquan (11-8)	25.812	SCT
Rumson-Fair Haven (14-7)	25.285	SCT
Freehold Twp. (11-8)	24.906	SCT
Central (14-7)	24.652	SCT
Ranney (11-8)	24.467	SCT
Shore (16-4)	24.346	SCT
Monmouth (15-6)	24.091	SCT
Holmdel (12-5)	23.698	SCT
Middletown South (13-8)	23.487	SCT
Point Boro (13-7)	23.382	SCT
Brick Memorial (13-8)	23.312	SCT
Colts Neck (11-9)	22.094	SCT
Southern (11-8)	21.14	SCT
Henry Hudson (15-6)	20.278	SCT
Toms River South (11-11)	20.136	SCT
Matawan (10-11)	19.472	SCT
Pinelands (14-5)	19.423	Coaches Cup
Toms River East (9-10)	19.366	Coaches Cup
Red Bank (7-15)	19.162	Coaches Cup
Toms River North (7-13)	17.106	Coaches Cup
Manalapan (8-13)	16.781	Coaches Cup
Brick (10-11)	16.327	Coaches Cup
St. Rose (4-19)	15.971	Coaches Cup
St. John Vianney (5-18)	15.033	Coaches Cup
Barnegat (10-10)	14.916	Coaches Cup
Donovan Catholic (5-12)	14.24	Coaches Cup
Middletown North (5-16)	14.223	Coaches Cup
Keansburg (11-8)	14.031	Coaches Cup
Neptune (6-12)	13.681	Coaches Cup
Freehold Boro (6-15)	13.229	Coaches Cup
Raritan (8-11)	12.931	Coaches Cup
Keyport (10-10)	12.398	Coaches Cup
New Egypt (8-12)	11.398	Coaches Cup
Long Branch (4-17)	9.485	Coaches Cup
Manchester (5-14)	8.928	Coaches Cup
Lacey (2-17)	8.012	Coaches Cup
Lakewood (2-16)	7.493	Coaches Cup
Asbury Park (0-14)	6.013	Coaches Cup

 

1. Christian Brothers Academy (19-3, 10-0)

Power-Point Rank: 1 (39.08)
Division Wins: Holmdel (2), Manasquan (2), Red Bank (2), Rumson-Fair Haven (2), St. Rose (2)
Division Losses: None
Non-Division Wins: Newark Collegiate, at Paramus Catholic, Hudson Catholic, St. Mary Rutherford, vs. ABF (Fla.), vs. Roselle Catholic, vs. Linden, Red Bank Catholic, vs. Middle Twp.
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Sagemont (Fla.), at Bergen Catholic, vs. Gill St. Bernard’s
Why They’re Here: The preseason No. 1 team has bent, but has yet to break against the Shore Conference. With an 11-0 record vs. the Shore Conference and a 3-2 record against teams currently ranked in the state top 20, CBA’s No. 1 case was just about undeniable before Saturday. If there was any case to be made for Wall as the No. 1 seed, it died down with the Crimson Knights’ first loss of the season on Saturday vs. Colonia, clearing the path for CBA to earn an easy vote at the top.

 

2. Wall (17-1, 10-0)

Power-Point Rank: 2 (33.672)
Division Wins: Freehold Twp. (2), Howell (2), Manalapan (2), Middletown South (2), St. John Vianney (2)
Division Losses: None
Non-Division Wins: St. Rose, at Ocean, vs. Red Bank Catholic, vs. Manasquan, vs. Freehold Twp., at Ranney, Neptune
Non-Division Losses: Colonia
Why They’re Here: Even if Wall beat Colonia on Saturday to go 18-0 heading into the SCT, it would not have been enough to overtake CBA for the No. 1 seed. Wall has plenty of quality wins, but CBA’s schedule is a level or two better and the Colts have gotten results. Saturday’s loss, meanwhile, ends Wall’s perfect run but it has a chance to serve the Crimson Knights well after they got a chance to play in a close game against a quality team that made tough shots in crunch time. It won’t get any easier in the Shore Conference Tournament and after learning some tough lessons on Saturday, Wall should be prepared to handle the challenge of being the No. 2 seed.

 

3. Red Bank Catholic (16-6, 8-2)

Power-Point Rank: 3 (31.793)
Division Wins: Colts Neck (2), Freehold Boro (2), Middletown North (2), Marlboro, Ranney
Division Losses: At Marlboro, at Ranney
Non-Division Wins: At Red Bank, at Freehold Twp., vs. Point Beach, vs. Central, at Donovan Catholic, Lawrence, vs. St. John Vianney, Point Beach
Non-Division Losses: Rumson-Fair Haven, vs. Wall, at CBA, East Brunswick
Why They’re Here: Since RBC lost to Wall by a 10-point margin in December, the Caseys were never really a serious threat to knock Wall from the No. 2 spot, even before they lost to East Brunswick on Saturday. The loss to East Brunswick, however, puts RBC in Howell’s crosshairs, since the Rebels are within two full power points of the Caseys and beat East Brunswick on a neutral floor in December. Ultimately, RBC’s schedule and body of work is stronger than what Howell has to offer and it is reflected in that power-point difference. Taking No. 1 CBA to overtime in the closest call of the season against the Shore for the No. 1 team is the cherry on top.

 

4. Marlboro (15-4, 7-3)

Power-Point Rank: 5 (29.95)
Division Wins: Freehold Boro (2), Middletown North (2), Colts Neck, at Ranney, Red Bank Catholic
Division Losses: At Colts Neck, Ranney, at Red Bank Catholic
Non-Division Wins: At Howell, Red Bank, vs. Middletown South, at Red Bank, at St. Rose, Toms River East, vs. Bayonne, Manalapan
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Howell
Why They’re Here: A 12-point loss to Ranney to open this week could be the result that costs Marlboro the No. 4 seed, but the Mustangs have an excuse if they want to use it. Leading scorer and junior guard Dylan McEwan missed the game while in concussion protocol, according to head coach James Reuter and the Panthers took advantage by earning a season split with the Mustangs. All four of Marlboro’s losses have come vs. teams it also beat, so there is no team on the Mustangs’ résumé they have not beaten this year. As for McEwan, Reuter said he is cleared to play as of this past Friday and will be available in Marlboro’s first SCT game.

 

5. Howell (17-4, 7-3)

Power-Point Rank: 4 (29.988)
Division Wins: Freehold Twp. (2), Manalapan (2), St. John Vianney (2), at Middletown South
Division Losses: Wall (2), Middletown South
Non-Division Wins: At Middletown North, vs. Steinert, vs. Old Bridge, vs. East Brunswick, vs. Marlboro, at Matawan, Monmouth, at Robbinsville, at Toms River South, at Hamilton West
Non-Division Losses: Marlboro
Why They’re Here: Despite losing to Middletown South by 31 points to open the week, Howell remains the No. 5 seed thanks to the fourth-ranked power-point total and common-opponent advantage over the projected No. 6 seed (Freehold Township). If there is a concern about Howell, it is that three of its four losses have been by at least 16 points, with the two losses to Wall coming by a combined 40 points. The win over East Brunswick remains one of the better non-conference wins in the field and it now gives Howell and angle to be the No. 3 seed over Red Bank Catholic, which lost to East Brunswick on Saturday.

 

6. Jackson (15-4, 7-1)

Power-Point Rank: 6 (28.456)
Division Wins: Barnegat (2), Central (2), Donovan Catholic (2), Southern
Division Losses: At Southern
Non-Division Wins: Lacey, at Red Bank, Point Boro, Manasquan, vs. Brick Memorial, vs. Manasquan, St. Rose, at Point Beach
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Freehold Twp., vs. Colonia, vs. Bayonne
Why They’re Here: Jackson has the same problem Howell has, with all four of Jackson’s losses coming by a margin of at least 16 points, with three of them by 24 points or more. One of those losses is vs. Freehold Township – a team Howell beat twice, hence Howell’s ranking ahead of Jackson. On the plus side, Jackson owns two wins over Manasquan and is playing its best basketball of the season after beating Central and Point Beach within a span of 24 hours. That should be enough to keep the Jaguars ahead of Manasquan and the tier of teams right behind the Warriors.

 

7. Manasquan (11-8, 6-4)

Power-Point Rank: 8 (25.812)
Division Wins: Red Bank (2), St. Rose (2), Holmdel, at Rumson-Fair Haven
Division Losses: CBA (2), at Holmdel, Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Wins: St. John Vianney, vs. Point Beach, Rancocas Valley, at Freehold Twp., vs. Thrive Charter
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Seton Hall Prep, at Jackson, vs. Wall, vs. Jackson
Why They’re Here: The Warriors began a stretch of five games in seven days with a loss at Holmdel, but roared over the past six days. Manasquan handled a Thrive Charter squad that won the 2025 NJSIAA Group I championship and is favored to do it again in 2026, then took down Red Bank and Rumson-Fair Haven to open this week. For the second time this year, Manasquan trailed CBA by a point in the final four minutes, only to fall in a tight game to the No. 1 team in the field. The two losses to Jackson make Manasquan’s climb into the top five a complicated one, but the Warriors are playing well at the right time, plus expect to be getting All-Shore guard Rey Weinseimer back into the lineup for the first time this season sometime this week.

 

8. Freehold Township (11-8, 5-5)

Power-Point Rank: 11 (24.906)
Division Wins: Manalapan (2), St. John Vianney (2), at Middletown South
Division Losses: Howell (2), Wall (2), Middletown South
Non-Division Wins: Vs. Lawrence, Holmdel, vs. Central, vs. Jackson, Toms River North, at Freehold Boro
Non-Division Losses: Red Bank Catholic, vs. Wall, Manasquan
Why They’re Here: Double-digit wins over both Jackson, Holmdel and Middletown South give Freehold Township the boost into the top eight, which comes with good news and bad news. The good news is that at No. 8, the Patriots would get a bye. The bad news, of course, is that a successful defense of its home court in the round of 16 would almost certainly mean facing CBA in the quarterfinals. The Patriots and CBA have played some memorable battles over the years and three highly competitive games vs. Wall this year would made Freehold Township a dangerous quarterfinal opponent for CBA should the matchup come to pass.

 

9. Holmdel (12-5, 6-4)

Power-Point Rank: 16 (23.698)
Division Wins: Red Bank (2), St. Rose (2), Manasquan, Rumson-Fair Haven
Division Losses: CBA (2), at Manasquan, at Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Wins: Ranney, vs. Spotswood, vs. East Brunswick Magnet, St. John Vianney, at Middletown South, at Freehold Boro
Non-Division Losses: At Freehold Twp.
Why They’re Here: With a win over Manasquan a little more than a week ago, Holmdel has a case to be seeded ahead of the Warriors since both teams finished with the same division record and Holmdel won the more recent matchup. Ultimately, though, the head-to-head portion of that comparison is a stalemate and Manasquan has done more to boost its profile beyond those two games vs. Holmdel than the Hornets have. They also lost a December game to Freehold Township in which they were missing two starters (Jack Cannon and Nick Serini) that is the difference between a bye and playing in the first round in this scenario, so this could be considered a hard-luck draw for Holmdel, even through the Hornets are worthy of being seeded ahead of Middletown South, Rumson-Fair Haven, Ranney and Point Pleasant Beach.

 

10. Middletown South (13-8, 6-4)

Power-Point Rank: 17 (23.487)
Division Wins: Manalapan (2), St. John Vianney (2), at Freehold Twp., at Howell
Division Losses: Wall (2), Freehold Twp., Howell
Non-Division Wins: At St. Rose, vs. Notre Dame, Middletown North, vs. Long Branch, at Raritan, Rumson-Fair Haven, Ranney
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Marlboro, vs. Ranney, Brick Memorial, Holmdel
Why They’re Here: Consistency has not been a staple of a Middletown South team that leans heavily on a pair of freshmen, but when the Eagles have been on top of their game, they have proven to be dangerous. They own double-digit wins over Freehold Township, Rumson-Fair Haven and Howell, but also have a 20-point loss to Brick Memorial that could be something to overcome in the seeding. This week’s 31-point win over Howell set the stage for a move into the top 10 and beating Ranney on Saturday should solidify it.

 

11. Rumson-Fair Haven (14-7, 5-5)

Power-Point Rank: 10 (25.285)
Division Wins: St. Rose (2), Holmdel, at Manasquan, Red Bank
Division Losses: CBA (2), at Holmdel, Manasquan, at Red Bank
Non-Division Wins: Manalapan, Long Branch, at Red Bank Catholic, St. John Vianney, vs. Roselle, vs. Westfield, at Rahway, vs. Holy Cross Prep, Union Catholic
Non-Division Losses: At Middletown South, vs. Lenape
Why They’re Here: A 14-point loss to Middletown South could keep Rumson out of the top 10, as it is doing in this projection. The Bulldogs were all banged up for that game, but they were mostly healthy when they lost to a 7-15 Red Bank team that missed out on the SCT. Those two losses laid the groundwork for a drop in the rankings and Rumson sealed its fate with a four-game division losing streak vs. Red Bank, CBA, Holmdel and Manasquan. Rumson did mix in an impressive win over Union Catholic, so there is still enough to like about the Bulldogs to push them into the top 10, assuming that is even a desirable outcome when this draw would keep the Bulldogs away from Wall or Manasquan until the semifinals and CBA until the championship game.

 

12. Ranney (11-8, 7-3)

Power-Point Rank: 13 (24.467)
Division Wins: Freehold Boro (2), Middletown North (2), Colts Neck, at Marlboro, Red Bank Catholic
Division Losses: At Colts Neck, Marlboro, at Red Bank Catholic
Non-Division Wins: Vs. Old Bridge, vs. Middletown South, at St. John Vianney, vs. Red Bank
Non-Division Losses: At Holmdel, vs. East Brunswick, at Morristown-Beard, Wall, at Middletown South
Why They’re Here: After moving into a spot in the top 10 earlier in the week, Ranney drops back to No. 12 after losing at Middletown South on Saturday. That gives the Panthers a split with the Eagles this season and pours some cold water on a streak that included a road win over a short-handed Marlboro squad, which gave them wins over both Red Bank Catholic and Marlboro within the span of a week. Ranney is behind Rumson because Rumson’s wins over Union Catholic, Manasquan and Holmdel are stronger than Ranney’s unique wins over Marlboro, Middletown South and Colts Neck. Both, however, own wins over RBC and Ranney’s wins over Middletown South and Red Bank at least give the Panthers a fighting chance to convince a room of eight coaches.

 

13. Point Pleasant Beach (17-6, 8-2)

Power-Point Rank: 7 (28.349)
Division Wins: Point Boro (2), Toms River East (2), Toms River North (2), at Brick Memorial, Toms River South
Division Losses: Brick Memorial, at Toms River South
Non-Division Wins: At Brick, at Henry Hudson, Matawan, Woodbury, vs. Brick Memorial, at Central, at New Egypt, at Lacey, at New Providence
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Manasquan, vs. Red Bank Catholic, at Red Bank Catholic, Jackson
Why They’re Here: Power points paint a prettier picture for Point Beach, but losing to Toms River South was a blow to the Garnet Gulls’ hopes for a bye and Saturday’s chance to climb back in vs. Jackson did not come through, with Jackson winning in Point Pleasant, 56-46. That leaves Point Beach with a sweep of Point Boro, two-out-of-three wins vs. Brick Memorial, plus a win over Central as its best results. Solid enough to comfortably earn a home game, but not enough to seriously push for a bye or a top 10 spot. With competitive losses to Manasquan, Red Bank Catholic and Jackson, Point Beach will certainly embrace an underdog role and what could wind up being a decent draw.

 

14. Point Pleasant Boro (13-7, 7-3)

Power-Point Rank: 18 (23.382)
Division Wins: Brick Memorial (2), Toms River East (2), Toms River South (2), Toms River North
Division Losses: Point Beach (2), at Toms River North
Non-Division Wins: At Hamilton West, Ocean, at Brick, Lacey, Matawan, vs. Rahway
Non-Division Losses: At Jackson, Princeton, Monmouth, vs. Hudson Catholic
Why They’re Here: Point Boro does not have a lane to the No. 13 seed because of two close losses to Point Beach in two tries, but the Panthers have a case to grab the No. 15 seed over Central on the strength of two wins over Toms River East, which beat Central this week. There are some warts – losses to Princeton, Toms River North and Monmouth – but nothing that should bury the Panthers, who just welcomed 6-foot-6 freshman Chase Scarponi into the rotation after he missed the first six-plus weeks with a knee injury.

 

15. Central (14-7, 6-2)

Power-Point Rank: 12 (24.652)
Division Wins: Barnegat (2), Donovan Catholic (2), Southern (2)
Division Losses: Jackson (2)
Non-Division Wins: Brick Memorial, Lacey, vs. Brick Memorial, Brick, vs. Toms River North, at Matawan, vs. Morris Knolls, vs. Haddon Heights
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Freehold Twp., vs. Red Bank Catholic, Point Beach, at Mainland, at Toms River East
Why They’re Here: With a two-point loss to Point Beach in early January, Central will come in behind the Garnet Gulls and it could very well be one spot behind them. The Golden Eagles have 2-0 records vs. both Brick Memorial and Southern, but not much else to boast when making a case to be higher than No. 14. A loss to Toms River East makes it hard for them to justify going ahead of Point Boro for reasons stated in the Point Boro blurb above, but the loss to Toms River East is the only thing resembling a bad loss for Central, while Point Boro has more downside on its résumé than do the Golden Eagles.

 

16. Ocean (15-8, 8-2)

Power-Point Rank: 8 (26.946)
Division Wins: Long Branch (2), Monmouth (2), Neptune (2), Raritan (2)
Division Losses: Matawan (2)
Non-Division Wins: Henry Hudson, at Shore, vs. Hightstown, vs. Minnechaug (Mass.), vs. Colts Neck, vs. Bridgeton, at Middletown North
Non-Division Losses: Wall, vs. Morris Knolls, at Point Boro, vs. Lawrence, vs. Hillsborough, vs. St. Peter’s (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Why They’re Here: It has become fairly routine for every team that makes the Shore Conference Tournament to hope to avoid the Nos. 16 and 17 seeds at all cost, but somebody has to do it. Ocean’s power points suggest the Spartans should be the No. 8 seed, which would mean they avoid CBA until the quarterfinal round, but a closer look at the résumé suggests the power points have some blind spots. Ocean’s best in-state power-point wins are against a pair of Group I teams in Shore and Henry Hudson, plus two wins over division rival Monmouth Regional. The Spartans also beat Colts Neck, which had a shot to win a share of the Class B North championship on Thursday at Red Bank Catholc. A loss at Point Boro came without 1,000-point scorer Aidan Saint Louis and Ocean’s loss to Wall was only decided by seven points, so there are some arguments to make to get out of the No. 16 hole if the Spartans can overcome two losses to Matawan.

 

17. Monmouth (15-6, 7-3)

Power-Point Rank: 15 (24.091)
Division Wins: Long Branch (2), Neptune (2), Raritan (2), Matawan
Division Losses: Ocean (2), at Matawan
Non-Division Wins: East Brunswick Magnet, at Pinelands, Brick, at Point Boro, at Freehold Boro, at Shore, Lakewood, at Colts Neck
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Morris Knolls, at Henry Hudson, at Howell
Why They’re Here: A win over Colts Neck on Saturday improves Monmouth’s profile, perhaps more than the Falcons would like. Monmouth jumps up to No. 17, which could mean a third meeting against Ocean – which beat Monmouth twice in divisional play – and a potential round-of-16 game at CBA. A win over Point Boro gives the Falcons a chance to argue for a home game, but finishing second in the division behind Ocean and losing twice to the Spartans takes the juice out of that argument. In the right matchup, Monmouth could be dangerous, but getting stuck at No. 16 or 17 would likely put a ceiling on the Falcons.

 

18. Colts Neck (11-9, 6-4)

Power-Point Rank: 20 (22.094)
Division Wins: Freehold Boro (2), Middletown North (2), Marlboro, Ranney
Division Losses: Red Bank Catholic (2), at Marlboro, at Ranney
Non-Division Wins: St. Rose, vs. Manchester, at Toms River North, Southern, vs. Ferris
Non-Division Losses: At Red Bank, vs. Toms River East, vs. Ocean, vs. Holy Spirit, Monmouth
Why They’re Here: Head-to-head losses to Ocean and Monmouth will almost certainly cost Colts Neck a home game, even though this is a team with some impressive results and remaining championship pedigree from its 2025 NJSIAA Group III title run. To be sure, the Cougars have some slip-ups, but they have also beaten Marlboro and Ranney in divisional play and lost to Holy Spirit in the final seconds one day before the Spartans handed Cherry Hill East its only loss of the season. Getting routed by Red Bank Catholic and losing at home to Monmouth was not a good closing argument, but the Cougars will have a chance to regroup and, perhaps take advantage of a better draw as a road team in the opening round.

 

19. Brick Memorial (13-8, 5-4)

Power-Point Rank: 19 (23.312)
Division Wins: Toms River North (2), At Point Beach, Toms River East, Toms River South
Division Losses: Point Boro (2), Point Beach, at Toms River East
Non-Division Wins: Neptune, Princeton, at Matawan, Lacey, at Manchester, at Middletown South, Donovan Catholic, Manalapan
Non-Division Losses: At Central, vs. Jackson, vs. Central, vs. Point Beach
Why They’re Here: Wins over Point Beach and Middletown South give Brick Memorial a good foundation with which to build a case for a home game in the first round, but the two close losses to Point Boro, two more losses to Central, plus a lopsided loss to Toms River East may keep Brick Memorial on the road in round one. With a match-up problem and 1,000-point scorer in Sean Collins leading the way, plus two standout athletes in Nyzier Matthews and Jason Lajara in the fold, Brick Memorial could be very dangerous as a No. 19 seed, which would keep them away from Wall and CBA in each of the first three rounds.

 

20. Southern (11-8, 5-3)

Power-Point Rank: 21 (21.14)
Division Wins: Barnegat (2), Donovan Catholic (2), Jackson
Division Losses: Central (2), at Jackson
Non-Division Wins: Cedar Creek, at Toms River North, Pleasantville, vs. Atlantic Tech, Toms River East, St. Rose
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Overbrook, Lawrence, Trenton, at Colts Neck, Atlantic City
Why They’re Here: Southern has the guard play that can scare a first-round opponent, but the season just has not come together for the Rams – at least not yet. They have a convincing home win over Jackson to their credit, but the rest of the résumé is lacking. Close losses to Trenton, Lawrence and Atlantic City should give Southern some reassurance that they are not far off from playing their way to the winning side of a tournament-caliber game, but it is hard to envision the Rams getting a chance to prove themselves at home in the first round of the SCT.

 

21. Matawan (10-11, 7-3)

Power-Point Rank: 24 (19.472)
Division Wins: Long Branch (2), Ocean (2), Monmouth, Neptune, Raritan
Division Losses: At Monmouth, at Neptune, at Raritan
Non-Division Wins: Lakewood, vs. Carteret, Pinelands
Non-Division Losses: At Toms River North, at Point Beach, Brick Memorial, vs. Westfield, vs. Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Howell, Central, at Point Boro
Why They’re Here: Matawan went from completely off the radar to stealing the last spot in the tournament by winning four in a row, capped by a home win over Pinelands on Saturday. The two games prior were wins over tournament teams Monmouth and Ocean, the latter of which was the second win of the season over the Class B Central champion. Those wins over the other top teams in their division, plus Toms River South’s loss to a Long Branch team Matawan beat twice (albeit less than convincingly) give the Huskies the nod at No. 21.

 

22. Toms River South (11-11, 2-7)

Power-Point Rank: 23 (20.136)
Division Wins: Point Beach, at Toms River North
Division Losses: Point Boro (2), Toms River East (2), at Brick Memorial, at Point Beach, Toms River North
Non-Division Wins: At Shore, Lakewood, vs. Allentown, vs. Manchester, Brick, at Barnegat, Bordentown, Princeton, vs. Atlantic Tech
Non-Division Losses: At Long Branch, vs. Donovan Catholic, vs. Brick, Howell
Why They’re Here: The Indians entered the week with three great power-point opportunities and they did not waste any time. Toms River South opened its week Tuesday by knocking off Point Beach – a 13-3 team through 16 games that gave the Indians the power-point windfall they needed to jump into the field. Toms River South has a solid case to be a spot higher thanks to that win over Point Beach, plus a win over Shore, but the Long Branch loss early in the year makes it more of a coin flip with Matawan.

 

23. Shore (16-4, 8-0)

Power-Point Rank: 14 (24.346)
Division Wins: Asbury Park (2), Henry Hudson (2), Keansburg (2), Keyport (2)
Division Losses: None
Non-Division Wins: Central Jersey College Charter, Lacey, Pinelands, New Egypt, Brick, Pinelands, at Manchester, Long Branch
Non-Division Losses: Toms River South, Ocean, Red Bank, Monmouth
Why They’re Here: The Blue Devils have a power-point ranking that suggests they should be in the running for a home game, but the main sources of most of their points are four wins over two teams (Henry Hudson and Pinelands) that were on the fringes of the field – one in and one out.  With no wins over teams currently in the field and head-to-head losses to Toms River South, Monmouth and Red Bank, Shore will have a tough time avoiding No. 24 if the field stays the same. Head-to-head losses to Toms River South, Ocean and Monmouth slot the Blue Devils near the bottom of the field, while the two wins over Henry Hudson keep them from the very bottom.

 

24. Henry Hudson (15-6, 6-2)

Power-Point Rank: 22 (20.278)
Division Wins: Asbury Park (2), Keansburg (2), Keyport (2)
Division Losses: Shore (2)
Non-Division Wins: At Calvary Christian, vs. South Amboy, vs. Keansburg, Thomas Edison Energy, Monmouth, at Academy Charter, Roselle Park, at Koinonia, New Egypt
Non-Division Losses: At Ocean, Point Beach, Red Bank, Pinelands
Why They’re Here: For the second straight year, Henry Hudson qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament by winning on the final day before the cutoff. The Admirals beat both Keyport and New Egypt to secure one of the last three spots in the field, but it was a win over Monmouth earlier in the season that really carried the Admirals’ power-point formula. Five of Henry Hudson’s six losses were competitive, with a 28-point loss to Point Beach in the second game of the year – played without 6-foot-4 forward Masio Tucker – the lone exception.

 

Projected Match-ups

(17) Monmouth at (16) Ocean, winner at (1) CBA

(18) Colts Neck at (15) Central, winner at (2) Wall

(19) Brick Memorial at (14) Point Boro, winner at (3) Red Bank Catholic

(20) Southern at (13) Point Beach, winner at (4) Marlboro

(21) Matawan at (12) Ranney, winner at (5) Howell

(22) Toms River South at (11) Rumson-Fair Haven, winner at (6) Jackson

(23) Shore at (10) Middletown South, winner at (7) Manasquan

(24) Henry Hudson at (9) Holmdel, winner at (8) Freehold Twp.

 

Coaches Cup Pairings 

The Shore Conference Coaches Cup is seeded in order of power points

(17) New Egypt at (16) Keyport, winner at (1) Pinelands

(18) Long Branch at (15) Raritan, winner at (2) Toms River East

(19) Manchester at (14) Freehold Boro, winner at (3) Red Bank

(20) Lacey at (13) Neptune, winner at (4) Toms River North

(21) Lakewood at (12) Keansburg, winner at (5) Manalapan

(11) Middletown North at (6) Brick

(10) Donovan Catholic at (7) St. Rose

(9) Barnegat at (8) St. John Vianney