Potential Bracket Busters in Group 2

The cutoff date for power points was Saturday, February 15th with the seeding meeting being held on Tuesday the 18th to determine the official NJSIAA playoff brackets. If these seeds hold, the postseason could make for some great basketball with potential shocking upsets! Which team could write their own Cinderella story in a few weeks? Let's dive in and take a look at the state's Group 2 classification:   Manchester Township | South Jersey   Projected Seed: 8   Those who thought this program would crumble after the departure of Devyn Quigley (NC State) were sadly mistaken! They've put together a 15-7 record, including notable wins over Middletown North and Toms River East. Playing alongside Quigley last season was a learning experience for sophomore Maddie Nolan who has assumed the role of a leader, averaging 15.0 ppg. Freshman and scrappy guard [player_tooltip player_id='1194606' first='Jesse' last='Sarana'] has contributed nearly 12 points per contest, including a team-best thirty-three triples on the season. Another freshman, Savannah Jackson, has proved reliable in Year 1 and can be labeled an "x-factor" because of her consistency and contributions across the board; averaging 5.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.1 apg & 2.1 spg. Guard [player_tooltip player_id='852759' first='Jade' last='Andrews'] is this team's defensive anchor and fearless glass crasher, averaging 2.6 spg & 6.4 rpg. They'll need significant contributions from her if they want to battle with the biggest and baddest teams in the field. She has four games with double-digit rebounds and four with at least five steals. If she can continue wreaking havoc, Manchester Twp has a shot against anyone in the bracket!   Spotswood | Central Jersey   Projected Seed: 9   With dynamic duo [player_tooltip player_id='525406' first='Lizzie' last='Calandruccio'] and [player_tooltip player_id='831443' first='Gabby' last='Hill'] in the back court, Spotswood could shoot teams under the table come playoff time! They have some solid wins on their resume this season, highlighted by a double-digit dub over Middlesex and two big wins over South Plainfield. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='831443' first='Gabby' last='Hill'] leads this team in scoring at 16.0 ppg while senior and 1,000-point scorer [player_tooltip player_id='525406' first='Lizzie' last='Calandruccio'] is putting up a fiery 14.6 ppg. The two-way tandem also leads the Chargers on defense, averaging 2.6 spg and 3.8 spg, respectively. Shutting one down is a task in itself, but shutting both down? Not easy and not likely! This team has great depth and balanced scoring, with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='651506' first='Cat' last='Caro'] chipping in 5.6 ppg and senior Alex Costantino tallying just over 4 a game, their third and fourth scoring options.The 3 ball flies often on this team and they sure love to run! If they can force turnovers, get out in transition and knock down the 3 at a high clip, they'll be good to go against anyone! Basically, if they just play their style of basketball, they'll be a force. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1194607' first='Violet' last='Tharney'] brings experience and a knack for getting after it on the glass. Her 5.3 rpg could be absolutely crucial come crunch time. She could be a game-changer for the Chargers when it's all said and done!   Leonia | North Jersey, Section 1   Projected Seed: 12   Leonia might be the most dangerous 12 seed in the state. Led by two-way terrors [player_tooltip player_id='835219' first='Dani' last='Daproza'] and [player_tooltip player_id='601403' first='Angelica' last='Do'], the Lady Lions are capable of causing more than a few upsets along the way. Daproza has averaged a torrid 22.5 ppg & 6.4 spg while Do has put up nearly identical numbers at 19.1 ppg & 7.0 spg. While they are certainly the central focus of every opponent's scouting report, neither one has been entirely shut down. Both have notched two triple-doubles each, with Do also recording twelve double-doubles in points and rebounds; at 5'8", she's fearless rebounding from the guard spot. The defense will have their hands full with these two, but if they can somehow manage to contain both, they'll have to deal with the Lions' third (and reliable) scoring option in [player_tooltip player_id='1194608' first='Celeste' last='Garzon'], chipping in 5.6 ppg. She's proven she can step up when her number is called, having put up double-figure scoring numbers in three games this season. She puts in work defensively also, grabbing a handful of d-boards per game (5.8 rpg combined) and keeping active hands to swipe just over 3 steals per contest. Junior Emriqca Jario brings some size to this smaller, guard-heavy roster and has imposed her will on the glass to pull down nearly 11 rebounds per game! This squad plays with the mentality that everyone crashes the glass, from 1-5, something that could prove significant in the postseason. Aside from Jario's 10.9 rpg, Do is pulling down 9.4 rpg, Garzon with 5.8 rpg, Daproza with 4.5 rpg and junior Darryl Smtih with 3.9 rpg.   Snyder | North Jersey, Section 2   Projected Seed: 7   Young and dangerous! With two freshmen and five sophomores on the roster, this team has proved that inexperience doesn't mean inefficient! Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='651519' first='Taleiyah' last='Smith'] leads the way at 13.6 ppg, while junior [player_tooltip player_id='662796' first='Javaeh' last='Agosto'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='959821' first='Jadasia' last='Davis'] trail closely at 13.4 ppg and 12.9 ppg, respectively. The Tigers have put together a string of quality wins, including an 8-0 start to the season and a (current) 7-game winning streak. Their strength lies in their ability to run and gun but also assert themselves on defense to ignite the fast break. Agosto and Smith spearhead the defense by forcing 8.0 turnovers per game combined, while Davis uses every bit of her 5'9" frame to protect the rim and swat away 1.3 bpg. This squad had a strong core 3 on the offensive attack, but it's secret weapon [player_tooltip player_id='671379' first='Samya' last='Ragin'] who can really be the difference-maker if any of those three get shut down or in foul trouble. The junior has seen action in sixteen games and has certainly made the most of every minute played. She's the second best shooter from distance and is averaging 4.8 ppg while also snatching 2.4 spg. If she can continue to play aggressively on both sides of the ball and deliver when her number is called, this team might just make waves in their Group 2 sectional.   SUPERSTARS IN THE FIELD   [player_tooltip player_id='559133' first='Erin' last='Reid'] | Rumson-Fair Haven   13.4 ppg & 6.6 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='583460' first='Madeline' last='Wylie'] | Bordentown   18.3 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='892157' first='Vanessa' last='Haas'] | Point Pleasant Boro   14.1 ppg & 6.0 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='414237' first='Mackenzie' last='Teevan'] | Holmdel   17.8 ppg & 10.2 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='831443' first='Gabby' last='Hill'] | Spotswood   16.0 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='525406' first='Lizzie' last='Calandruccio'] | Spotswood   14.6 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='677735' first='Harper' last='Cohn'] | Mahwah   14.4 ppg & 5.0 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='835219' first='Dani' last='Daproza'] | Leonia   22.5 ppg & 6.4 spg   [player_tooltip player_id='601403' first='Angelica' last='Do'] | Leonia   19.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg & 7.0 spg   [player_tooltip player_id='835485' first='Addison' last='Keenan'] | Caldwell   19.3 ppg & 4.6 spg   [player_tooltip player_id='671407' first='Tea' last='Fiore'] | Caldwell   16.1 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='414424' first='Charlotte' last='Tuhy'] | Madison   25.7 ppg & 9.0 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='601337' first='Aletha' last='Reynolds'] | Bernards   16.0 ppg & 9.3 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='898071' first='Reagan' last='Powell'] | Middle Township   15.6 ppg & 6.0 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='1134658' first='Brasaiyah' last='Stern'] | Mastery Camden   21.5 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='1194619' first='Zemirah' last='Enalls'] | Barnegat   15.1 ppg & 16.2 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='414250' first='Emma' last='Thornton'] | Barnegat   18.4 ppg & 14.9 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='668417' first='Madeline' last='Nolan'] | Manchester Township   15.0 ppg

The cutoff date for power points was Saturday, February 15th with the seeding meeting being held on Tuesday the 18th to determine the official NJSIAA playoff brackets. If these seeds hold, the postseason could make for some great basketball with potential shocking upsets! Which team could write their own Cinderella story in a few weeks? Let's dive in and take a look at the state's Group 2 classification: