J.P. Stevens to Compete in Believe in a Cure Showcase

Hawks to take on Madison at FDU-Florham on January 19th

MADISON, NJ—Earlier this week, GMC Hoops learned that J.P. Stevens will be representing the Greater Middlesex Conference in the 2020 Believe in a Cure Showcase taking place at FDU-Florham on Sunday afternoon, January 19th.

The Hawks will be playing against hometown team, Madison in the third game of a quadrupleheader at FDU-Florham on Sunday. Stevens will play the Dodgers at 5:00 PM in the third game of the day before the main event nightcap matching up 16th ranked West Morris Central and 17th ranked Watchung Hills at 7:00 PM.

Conferences represented in this showcase include: Greater Middlesex Conference, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, Skyland Conference, and Union County Conference. West Morris Central reached the 2019 North Jersey Section 2 Group 3 Championship before losing to GMC White power, Colonia while Watchung Hills lost to another GMC school in Piscataway in the 2019 North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Quarterfinals.

The Hawks are rebuilding this season with only one returning player from last year’s team that knocked off St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Joseph’s en route to a 7-0 start. Stevens finished its season 13-13 overall including a 6-8 mark in the GMC Red after losing a heartbreaker to Union Township in the opening round of the 2019 North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 playoffs.

This year, Stevens is only 2-10, and has lost 8 straight games, but the Hawks knocked off a GMC Hoops Top 10 team in Monroe (47-45) on opening weekend, and lost three of its last four games by only five points or less. JPS is led by the trio of Nas Majied, Quacier Cuebas, and freshman, Keyshawn Winchester. The supporting cast also includes: Willie Moore, Justin Smith, and Jordan Shiluli.

Majied, a junior, is averaging 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game according to nj.com. Cuebas, a bright spot in a recent loss to Edison in the 3rd Annual City of Light Game on Monday, January 13th with 6 points and with 16 in an OT loss to Old Bridge on Tuesday, January 14th, is averaging 11.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Winchester is averaging 8.8 points per game while Moorer, who had 8 points in the loss to Edison, is averaging 3.0 points per game for the Hawks.

Stevens opponent on Sunday, Madison, enters Friday with a 6-5 overall record after victories in 4 of its last 6 games including three in a row before losing to Mountain Lakes (51-31) on Thursday night. Madison and JPS have both played a common opponent in Somerville, which defeated both the Dodgers and Hawks. Somerville first defeated Madison (53-42) in a holiday tournament on December 27th while Stevens only lost to the Pioneers by five (47-42) in the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout last Saturday at Montgomery High School.

Below is the schedule for Sunday’s Games at the 2020 Believe in a Cure Showcase at FDU-Florham:

2020 Believe in a Cure Showcase—FDU-Florham—January 19th

  • Chatham vs. Morris Knolls, 10:00 AM
  • Governor Livingston vs. Randolph, 1:30 PM
  • J.P. Stevens vs. Madison, 5:00 PM
  • West Morris Central vs. Watchung Hills, 7:00 PM

GMC Hoops is not scheduled to cover this showcase.