With the holiday tournaments drawing to a close, GMC Hoops took a look back on what has transpired already in the first two weeks of the season. One of the early trends that has caught our attention is the fine start that all of the teams in the GMC Blue are having.
Of the eight teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference that claimed holiday tourney gold this season, five of them came from the GMC Blue including the following:
- J.F. Kennedy–Gene Haley Tournament
- Metuchen–Roselle Park Tournament
- Middlesex–Shello/Santy Tournament
- South River–South Amboy Tournament
- Spotswood–Bound Brook Crusader Classic
In addition, Highland Park also reached the final of their tournament, but unfortunately they lost to Middlesex in that title tilt. After the first two weeks of play, the Blue Division Standings show all seven teams in the division are above .500 with two teams having four wins, four having three, and one having two. These seven teams have also performed well in crossover games against other GMC teams, and versus non-conference foes.
Blue Division teams have been involved in 13 games against schools from other conferences, and have posted a combined mark of 11-2 so far this season. Meanwhile, the GMC Blue is currently undefeated in crossover games at 5-0. There are a lot of talented players on all seven teams in the division. Here’s a list of some of them:
- Bishop Ahr–Darius Griffin, Justin Peoples, and Rob Gomulka
- Highland Park–David Webb, Frank Husslein, and Mike Long
- J.F. Kennedy–Joe Marciano, Rasheed Howard, and Daishon Robinson
- Metuchen–Mike Crusco, Elijah Sellers, and Evan Carberry
- Middlesex–Avery Barnes, Adam Wells, and Terrell Mayers
- South River–Brandon Walsh, Shawn Fenton, Xavier Foster, and Larry Smith
- Spotswood–Cody Pace, Tyler Osofsky, James Pareti, and Allen Kuiper
Bishop Ahr and Spotswood appeared to be favorites to win the division, but Metuchen, Kennedy, Highland Park, and South River have made gains this past offseason, and it shows already. Meanwhile, Middlesex got a big break with Avery Barnes returning to the lineup after being out with a back injury since August. Over the past several years, the GMC White has been the most solid from top to bottom. This season, the Blue Division may be able to claim that distinction.