Potential Bracket Busters in Group 4

The official NJSIAA playoff brackets were unveiled yesterday (February 18th), building anticipation for First Round action which kicks off next week. This postseason could make for some great basketball with potentially shocking upsets! Which team could write their own Cinderella story? Let's dive in and take a look at the state's largest public school classification, Group 4:   Pennsauken | South Jersey   Seed: 7   Pennsauken has put together one of the best seasons in recent memory, compiling a 15-6 record (8-0 in BCSL-Patriot) including statement wins over Woodstown, Holy Cross Prep, Gloucester Tech and two wins over Northern Burlington. [player_tooltip player_id='1197425' first='Hadley' last='Rodriguez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='669301' first='Kimora' last='Truitt'] have controlled the back court while 5'11" [player_tooltip player_id='583710' first='Sianni' last='Hill'] has dominated the paint. Rodriguez and Truitt are putting up similar numbers across the board and making a big impact on both sides of the ball, with 13.5 ppg & 2.1 spg and 9.5 ppg & 3.2 spg, respectively. Hill has been a formidable interior presence, averaging a near double-double at 10.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg. She's also shown off some range, knocking down shots from the mid-range and even way back behind the arc; she has five triples so far this season. She's expanded her versatility and has become a problem matchup for a lot of opponents. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='525480' first='Halliyah' last='Dunlap'] is having a stellar season in her first year with the Lady Indians since transferring from Camden. She's been a go-to scorer since being cleared in mid-January, averaging 12.4 ppg over the last fourteen and providing a huge spark. She's fresh off a 33-point explosion vs Palmyra on Friday, which marked a career-high for the electric guard. This team's x-factor, 5'4" [player_tooltip player_id='1197362' first='Aliza' last='Allen'], may be the most important piece of the puzzle come next week. One of the smallest players on the roster, Allen is downright fearless, attacking the defense at it's core and doing battle against much bigger players on the glass. She's chipping in 4.2 ppg while pulling down 5.6 rpg, good for second on the team. In some of their biggest wins, Allen was absolutely crucial: in a 55-44 win over Woodstown, she tallied 8 points and 9 rebounds and in the latest meeting with Northern Burlington (9-point win), she recorded 8 points and 11 rebounds. If this team remains a cohesive unit, they are certainly capable of shaking up South Jersey.   Franklin | Central Jersey   Seed: 5   Is there a more dangerous 5 seed in all of New Jersey?! This squad is young, loaded with talent and fully prepped for the postseason after playing an extremely difficult schedule. They challenged the state's best teams in Morris Catholic, Rutgers Prep, Montclair Immaculate, RBC, St. Rose, Gill and Bayonne and ducked zero smoke as the season progressed. With the state's best sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='651517' first='Aleah' last='Sunkins'] leading the way, they pulled off some big wins, including two over Pingry and a 3-point win over Hillsborough. That win over Hillsborough is significant because the Raiders secured the #1 seed in this sectional, which could make for a spicy semifinal come March 5th. Franklin shares the ball very well and has five legitimate scoring threats who can go off for 20 points on any given night. Sunkins is first in command at 15.9 ppg, followed by junior [player_tooltip player_id='601334' first='Alissa' last='Myers'] at 8.9 ppg, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='651521' first='Alivia' last='Stewart'] at 6.5 ppg and lone senior (Rutgers commit) [player_tooltip player_id='525477' first='Precious' last='Wheeler'] putting up 6.0 ppg. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='964995' first='Gianna' last='Mattia'] is enjoying a breakout season, upping the ante from a year ago and tallying just under five points per contest. The 5'4" scrappy PG has shown off superb court vision and leads them in assists at nearly three assists per game. She has been able to dish freely, with so many reliable scorers on the floor at once. In addition to this core five, freshman [player_tooltip player_id='981911' first='Nola' last='Bright'] has made a significant impact in Year 1. With season averages of 3.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg & 1.1 bpg, she's served as a secret weapon who can come off the bench and make a difference. This is a 5 seed that can go all the way!   Paterson Kennedy | North Jersey, Section 1   Seed: 7   The Knights already have quality wins over a few teams in the bracket (Paterson Eastside, Passaic Tech & Hackensack) and are currently riding a seven-game winning streak, both factors that should boost their confidence heading into the postseason. They come well equipped to make some waves in their sectional, with veteran leadership, shifty guards and size in the front court. They may be small in numbers, but this team is big in production. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='583453' first='My'Shayla' last='Clancy'] is the focal point of their offense and nucleus, averaging a strong double-double at 20.0 ppg & 10.3 rpg. She's been a force in and around the paint all season long, joined by 6'0" forward [player_tooltip player_id='559075' first='Zahniya' last='Castillo'], who's averaging 9.5 ppg & 6.7 rpg. [player_tooltip player_id='601345' first='Juliana' last='Odum'] and [player_tooltip player_id='879786' first='Yalanis' last='Jarrett'] have controlled the back court with 11.0 ppg and 6.9 ppg, respectively. Both guards have moved the ball well, finding their teammates and each other, dishing out a combined 5.2 apg. For being all of 5'5", Jarrett has ben especially impressive rebounding the ball, pulling down 6.9 boards per game, good for second on the team. Her efforts as a do-it-all guard have helped this team time and time again, especially when things get tight late in the game. In so many ways, she's their Swiss Army knife and someone who can be relied upon to sink a quick bucket or force a clutch turnover. A battle with #2 Morristown in the quarters is imminent.   Piscataway | North Jersey, Section 2   Seed: 7   The Chiefs will take comfort in knowing that they've already beaten their First Round opponent (10th seeded Watchung Hills) by 30 just a few games ago. They used an all-out assault from leader [player_tooltip player_id='835821' first='Sarae' last='Croley-Battle'] and dynamic freshman duo [player_tooltip player_id='1197364' first='Caelyn' last='Cook'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1197369' first='Alyssa' last='Iduh'] to overwhelm the Warriors early on and never look back! At just under 6'0", Sarae has been a two-way terror, with season averages of 17.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg & 3.0 spg. Her versatility at the Wing has been a big part of this team's success, with her ability to score the ball inside and out efficiently. 5'6" combo guard Cook came out the gate guns blazing and has racked up fifteen games in double-figure scoring en-route to 11.2 ppg. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='1197369' first='Alyssa' last='Iduh'] has dominated the boards, securing a team-best 11.4 rpg to go with 7.8 ppg. She's been stellar on the defensive end as well, serving as this team's rim protector and swatting away nearly 2 shots per game. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='525416' first='Makayla' last='Williams'] is having the best season of her 4-year career, averaging 9.4 ppg & 7.4 rpg. She's recorded three double-doubles, playing much bigger than her 5'9" size. Her efforts were crucial in close wins over South Brunswick (2 points, 10 rebounds) and Old Bridge (14 points, 5 rebounds, 6 steals). Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1048714' first='Khloe' last='Thomas'] has given them a huge spark across the board, doing a little bit of everything to help her team eek out wins. She's their second best 3-point shooter and also second in steals at 2.6 spg. Thomas has recorded five games in double-digit scoring, including the season-opener vs Colonia. For the aforementioned reasons, she's my chosen x-factor and someone who may play a critical role in just how far Piscataway goes in these playoffs.   SUPERSTARS IN THE FIELD   [player_tooltip player_id='583701' first='Francesca' last='Schiro'] | Hillsborough   22.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg & 5.0 apg   [player_tooltip player_id='414408' first='Alexis' last='Lease-Springer'] | South Brunswick   14.7 ppg & 8.8 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='982719' first='Ava' last='Catanho'] | East Brunswick   18.0 ppg & 4.3 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='651517' first='Aleah' last='Sunkins'] | Franklin   15.9 ppg & 8.7 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='982746' first='Hayley' last='DeKok'] | Hightstown   16.6 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='600912' first='Anna' last='Winters'] | Princeton   17.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5.2 apg & 5.5 spg   [player_tooltip player_id='525414' first='Evangelina' last='Francisco'] | Monroe   21.8 ppg & 4.4 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='825463' first='Rhyan' last='Watt'] | West Orange   16.4 ppg & 4.6 spg   [player_tooltip player_id='782573' first='Anaya' last='Karriem'] | West Orange   15.1 ppg & 12.7 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='414293' first='Jaida' last='Guerra'] | Union City   22.6 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='919624' first='Nawel' last='Lefebvre'] | Morristown   19.3 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='583453' first='My'Shayla' last='Clancy'] | Paterson Kennedy   20.0 ppg & 10.3 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='871374' first='Sophie' last='Lane'] | Westfield   14.7 ppg & 5.9 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='835906' first='El-Anita' last='Joe-Samuel'] | Lenape   17.1 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='414394' first='Alivia' last='Mauz'] | Williamstown   22.1 ppg & 4.4 spg   [player_tooltip player_id='559132' first='Brielle' last='Alaba'] | Cherokee   14.8 ppg

The official NJSIAA playoff brackets were unveiled yesterday (February 18th), building anticipation for First Round action which kicks off next week. This postseason could make for some great basketball with potentially shocking upsets! Which team could write their own Cinderella story? Let's dive in and take a look at the state's largest public school classification, Group 4: