St. Joseph’s standout and 1,000-point scorer, Josh Ingram is headed to Lehigh of the Patriot League.
St. Joseph’s Standout Goes D1 with Patriot League’s Mountain Hawks
METUCHEN, NJ – On the final weekend of the New Jersey High School boys’ basketball season, St. Joseph’s Josh Ingram made a big splash. Prior to the 2023 NJBCA North-South Senior Boys All-Star Game at Rutgers Prep, the St. Joseph’s standout and 1,000-point scorer, announced that he had committed to play at Lehigh University. Ingram was a huge reason why the Falcons managed to reach the NJSIAA Non-Public A South Championship Game for the first time in five years.
Ingram was the lone representative from the Greater Middlesex Conference at the NJBCA North-South Senior All-Star Game. Although he struggled from the field and finished with just two points, Ingram contributed in other areas. He collected 6 rebounds, an assist, and a blocked shot off the bench. During this past season, Ingram played in all 29 games for the Falcons according to NJ.com.
In those 29 games played, Ingram connected on 136 total field goals including 34 treys. He also made 79 of 82 free throws for a staggering 96.3 percent and totaled 625 points. Averaging 21.6 points per game, Ingram was among the top scorers in the Garden State. Ingram became St. Joseph’s 18th 1,000-point scorer with a 38-point performance to lift the then 4th-seeded Falcons to a 75-72 win over 13th-seeded Spotswood on February 10th. He finished ranked 12th on the school’s scoring list with 1,141 points. Ingram also ranks 72nd on the GMC Hoops Grand Club.
In 2022-23, Ingram averaged 21.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. He was named Player of the Year by a couple of area publications. Ingram was selected to the 2023 All GMCT Team and the 2022-23 All GMC Team. He joins another standout, Jake Pike from Texas as Lehigh men’s basketball’s Class of 2027. Ingram replaces another former area standout in Jake Betlow of St. Benedict’s Prep, who played originally at Gill St. Bernard’s with the likes of Paul Mulcahy (Rutgers). With Josh Rivera going into the transfer portal, Ingram will be the lone GMC player in the Patriot League.
Over his three-year varsity career, Ingram made 208 total field goals including 67 three pointers and 100 free throws for his 1,141 points. He played in 71 games including the COVID shortened 2020-21 season as a sophomore. During his career, Ingram averaged 16.1 points per game. This past season, Ingram scored in double figures in every game. His lowest point total was 12 in games against South Plainfield in the 2023 GMCT and Union Catholic in the NPA South Final.
Ingram’s highest point total was against Spotswood in the 2023 GMCT Round of 16. He scored at least 30 or more in a game five times in 2022-23. Ingram scored 20 or more on 15 occasions. Over his career, Ingram scored at least 20 in a game twenty-one times including his first game as a sophomore. During his last two seasons, Ingram scored in double figures in 56 of 57 games. He scored at least 10 points or more in 58 career games.
However, the big jump in Ingram’s game came from his playmaking ability this past season. Ingram may have been limited to just 12 points against 5th-seeded South Plainfield, but he made others on the floor better. He handed out a number of assists to help Anthony Williams collect a game high 22 points on 10 of 13 shooting. Ingram’s ability to control the game helped St. Joe’s garner wins over Rutgers Prep (twice) and Immaculata for a sectional finals berth.
In addition to his scoring and playmaking, Ingram also contributed on the boards. On top of his 38 points to lead the Falcons past Spotswood in the GMCT, Ingram grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double. Ingram also played at a high level in a number of big games this season. In three games versus arch-rival, St. Thomas Aquinas, Ingram averaged 21 points per game. In the two wins over Rutgers Prep, he averaged 25 per contest. Against Seton Hall Prep he scored his second highest point total of the year with 36.
St. Joseph’s reached the GMCT Semifinals for the 15th straight time. Over Ingram’s three varsity seasons at St. Joseph’s, the Falcons were 50-22 including a 30-4 mark in GMC Red play. The Falcons also made two sectional semifinal appearances and one sectional championship berth. In the 72 games that St. Joseph’s played during that stretch, the Falcons averaged 68.7 points per game. Ingram accounted for 23.1 percent of the team’s scoring during that span.
Ingram will be joining one of the top men’s basketball programs in the Patriot League in Lehigh. Despite the loss to arch-rival Lafayette and former St. Thomas Aquinas standout, Rivera in the 2023 Patriot League Tournament, the Mountain Hawks still finished 16-14. The year before, Lehigh finished 13-19 overall including a 10-8 mark in conference play. Back in 2018-19, the Mountain Hawks finished 20-11 overall including a 12-6 mark in league play. Lehigh also finished 20-12 and 12-6 in the league back in 2016-17.
Lehigh has had a number of notable players including C.J. McCollum, who went on to play for the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA. McCollum was selected as the 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft. At Lehigh, McCollum led the 15th-seeded Mountain Hawks to a 75-70 upset of 2nd-seeded Duke in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Last year, McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Other former GMC players that have played in the Patriot League include former Metuchen hoops standout Larry Spigner (Lafayette) and Sayreville’s Jehyve Floyd (Holy Cross). Floyd is now playing professionally overseas in Turkey.
Congratulations Josh on your accomplishment, and best of luck at the next level.