GMC Hoops Preview—2016 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions Final

Linden Attempts to Become 1st Public School to Win T of C Since Camden in 1999

TRENTON, NJ—On Monday night, GMC Hoops will travel down to Sun National Bank Arena in Trenton to see both the Girls and Boys Tournament of Champions Finals. The Girls T of C Final is a repeat of last year’s championship with third seeded Manasquan taking on top seeded St. John Vianney of Holmdel. Then, in the Boys Championship Game, St. Anthony’s makes its first appearance since winning it all in 2012 over Plainfield. Meanwhile, Linden is making its first T of C finals appearance since losing to Patrick School in 2006. Let’s take a look at the Boys T of C Final.

#3 Linden (25-5) vs. #1 St. Anthony’s (31-0)—The closest that a GMC team came to reaching this game this season was St. Joseph’s, and the Falcons lost to eventual Non-Public A State Champion, St. Augustine’s of Richland in the Non-Public A South Championship on March 10th at Jackson Liberty in OT (69-67). The Hermits played both Linden and St. Anthony’s this year with the Friars being the Cape-Atlantic League school in the regular season on February 20th in Richland (52-41). Linden played St. Augie’s in the T of C semifinals, and in an epic contest, the Tigers won 59-56 to advance to this game.

The Tigers and Friars have several other common opponents including Patrick School, Roselle Catholic, Newark Eastside and The Hun School of Princeton. Linden lost four of its five games this season to the Patrick School and RC. The Tigers lost both meetings to the Celtics including a 65-46 loss at home on January 9th, and a 56-51 loss on the road on January 21st. Linden defeated Roselle Catholic the first time the two teams played on January 14th (55-52) in Linden, but then lost the next two meetings on February 2nd in Roselle (55-52), and 56-46 at Kean University in the Union County Tournament semifinals.

St. Anthony’s played the Patrick School and Roselle Catholic only once. The Friars defeated the Celtics in a classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up back on January 16th in the Dan Finn Classic and then knocked off the Lions for the first time in four years in the Non-Public B State Championship at Pine Belt Arena on March 12th (53-37). St. Anthony’s also defeated Newark Eastside on February 5th (54-41) while Linden edged the Red Raiders in the North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Championship at Linden High School on March 7th (62-59). The Tigers also had to rally from behind in its first game of the season against The Hun School of Princeton in the 2016 Hoop Group Tip-Off Classic on December 20, 2015 at Caldwell University (55-50) while St. Anthony’s rolled past the MAPL post-graduate school (57-33) on January 31st.

Since losing to Elizabeth in the 1990 NJSIAA T of C Final, St. Anthony’s hasn’t lost, and has compiled a 27-1 record in 14 appearances in the event. The Friars are 12-1 in previous finals games including back to back wins over another solid Union County Conference School of its time in Plainfield in 2011-12. Linden was supposed to have made a T of C run last year, but didn’t even make it to the event after losing to Paterson Eastside in the Group 4 State Semifinals at Dunn last year. The Ghosts went on to lose to Newark Tech in the T of C Quarterfinals. Linden reached the semifinal round two years ago before losing to eventual champion, St. Joseph’s in a classic contest that saw the Tigers come back from nowhere to make it a ball game at the end before losing.

Linden didn’t appear early on to be headed to the T of C, but after shocking Roselle Catholic and having to contend with a very rugged schedule night in and night out in the Watchung Division of the Union County Conference, the Tigers had a lot of swag, and that carried them here. St. Anthony’s is looking to complete its 8th undefeated season. Linden is looking to become the first public school to win the NJSIAA T of C Championship since 2000 when Dajuan Wagner and Arthur Barclay led Camden defeated defending champion Seton Hall Prep and Marcus Toney-El for the title. This will be a knock down, drag out fight, but the Friars won’t be denied in a close one.

GMC Hoops Prediction: St. Anthony’s wins, 60-53.