SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–Good afternoon everyone. Well, in a short while, I’ll be heading over to the Raritan Bay Summer League at the always air conditioned South Amboy Middle/High School to take in the third night of action the 2009 edition of the league. But, before I leave, I wanted to put up this post regarding the GMC Hoops Pre-Season #1. Over the past several years, I have put up my pre-season predictions on an upcoming season, or at least a Pre-Season Top Ten. Now, I have had some success with picking the pre-season number ones with Colonia in the 2000-01 season, and South Plainfield in the 2003-04 season as both went on to win the GMCT that season. However, over the past three seasons, the GMC Hoops Pre-Season #1 has ended up faltering in the latter rounds of the GMCT. Take for instance the following table:
| Year | Pre-Season #1 | GMCT Performance | Final Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | South Brunswick | Lost in GMCT Semis | #1 | 2008 | Piscataway | Lost in GMCT Semis | #1 |
| 2009 | St. Joseph’s | Lost in GMCT Final | #2 |
Now, in the case of both South Brunswick (2007) and Piscataway (2008), the Vikings and the Chiefs redeemed themselves in the state tournaments by winning their sectional championships, and advancing to the state finals. However, with this recent trend, one has to wonder if GMC Hoops Pre-Season #1 is like getting on the cover of Sports Illustrated, or on the cover of the latest Madden NFL DVD. Will have to see next year. Right now, I see St. Joseph’s as the favorite, but Piscataway and Monroe will have something to say about that.