Potential Bracket Busters in Non-Public

The official NJSIAA playoff brackets were just unveiled on Tuesday, building anticipation for First Round action which kicks off next week. This postseason could make for some exciting basketball with potentially shocking upsets on the way! Which team could write their own Cinderella story? Let's dive in and take a look at the state's Non-Public classification for A & B:   Our Lady of Mercy | South Jersey, Non-Public A   Seed: 9   Led by a dynamic duo in the front court, the Villagers have notched impressive wins over teams both in and out of the state; 56-44 W over Archmere Academy (DE), 55-49 W over Cinnaminson, 65-34 W over Penns Grove, 64-60 W over Egg Harbor). 6'0" forward [player_tooltip player_id='831437' first='Khalia' last='Lewis'], one of NJ's best sophomores, has averaged a monster double-double at 17.9 ppg & 12.0 rpg to lead them in battle. She's truly a matchup nightmare, able to dominate in the paint and also stretch out beyond the arc to knock down 3's. By her side is 5'11" freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1198653' first='Muffin' last='Bethea'], this team's second leading scorer and rebounder at 9.7 ppg & 7.5 rpg. She has been relentless on the glass, securing rebounds and second-chance scoring opportunities. With her and Lewis on the floor at the same time, good luck winning the battle on the boards! The back court is paced by [player_tooltip player_id='1198659' first='Katelyn' last='Coryell'], averaging 8.5 ppg and doing most of her damage from 3-point land. A proven sharpshooter, she's been excellent at getting off shots with little to no space given by the defense. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1198661' first='Alessia' last='Lentini'] has been an important piece in Year 1, tallying just over five points per contest and also making a difference on the defensive end, with thirty-one steals in twenty-five games. If OLMA wants to upset 8th seeded Union Catholic in Round 1 and set up a clash with the top seed, Paul VI, they'll need to rely on senior leader and x-factor [player_tooltip player_id='1198655' first='Adriana' last='Bristow']. At 5'8", she brings size to the back court and can alternate between the 1 & 2. Her experience is something her teammates can lean on if things get tight and a clutch play is needed. Adriana has been steady across the board, chipping in where she can and doing a little bit of everything: 6.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.0 apg & 1.3 spg. This team has great balance on both sides of the ball, something that may give them the edge in the long run.   DePaul | North Jersey, Non-Public A   Seed: 5   Let me start off by saying this team reminds me of a young Red Bank Catholic, the way its roster is comprised of mostly underclassmen, with freshmen leading the way. If they stick together and continue to build, just like RBC did, they are truly capable of accomplishing great things. Ultra talented freshman [player_tooltip player_id='981887' first='Giovanna' last='Burress'] has come out guns blazing, averaging 20.3 ppg. One of the state's leaders in scoring, she began her HS hoops career by tallying 12 points vs Mahwah and kicked it into another gear just a few games later, dropping 22 on Bloomfield. That was the first of what would be nine games with at least 20 points, with two back-to-back 30-point games in between. Her fiery two-way game is complete with 2.9 spg as she's suffocated ball-handlers using her 5'10" frame (long arms) and quick hands. 6'0" lefty wing and fellow freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1198649' first='Maya' last='Morrison'] leads the Spartans in rebounding at 7.0 rpg while ranking second in points, chipping in a near double-digit average of 9.3 ppg. Her length and versatility on defense has made life miserable for opponents, with her ability to defend inside and out at a high level, making for 1.0 bpg and 2.2 spg. Yet another freshman, 5'10" combo [player_tooltip player_id='995787' first='Breya' last='LeTennier'] has dazzled in Year 1, averaging 8.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.4 apg & 2.0 spg. She's truly does it all, displaying a sharp basketball acumen and great instincts with the ball in her hands. Because of her size, she's able to bully smaller guards off the bounce and penetrate through multiple layers of defense as she carves paths to the hoop; strong drive and kick game. Breya & GiGi have combined for fifty-one triples this season, forcing defenders to guard them from all spots on the floor or suffer the consequences. With sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='835253' first='Gisela' last='Tapia'] and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1116141' first='London' last='Reese'] rounding out the scoring at 7.5 ppg and 6.4 ppg, respectively, the Spartans have proved that all five on the floor can score the ball reliably. If they get past 12 seeded Kent Place next Friday, there could be a potential meeting with #4 Pingry in the quarters. A win there could set up a date with nationally ranked juggernaut Morris Catholic in the semis. Shocking upsets could be in store when the tourney kicks off! Don't sleep on this team!!   Holy Spirit | South Jersey, Non-Public B   Seed: 5   Holy Spirit has put together a strong regular season, complete with quality wins over OLMA (twice), Absegami (twice), Pennington, Colts Neck and Wildwood Catholic, the #3 seed in this sectional. They've relied on their strengths and have shared the ball beautifully, with balanced scoring across the starting five. This is a very experienced team, with senior [player_tooltip player_id='525308' first='Sabrina' last='Little'] leading the way at 17.2 ppg (39 points removed from 1,500 for her career at the time of this article being written). 3-point specialist [player_tooltip player_id='564263' first='Lauren' last='Cella'] is tallying 10.2 ppg and shooting it at 92% from the charity stripe. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='850498' first='Kieran' last='Brewster'] has upped the ante from a season ago and truly saved her best for last, averaging 7.5 ppg and pulling down 5.2 rpg. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='965009' first='Megan' last='Kane'] is also having a breakout, averaging 6.4 ppg and a team-best 7.0 rpg. Rounding out the starters, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1198646' first='Ava' last='Catona'] is also in the middle of a career-year, contributing 5.2 ppg and swiping 2.0 spg, good for second on the team. When things have gotten tight, their crisp ball movement, knockdown shooting and lockdown defense has seen them pull out close dubs over Gami (43-39), Mainland (55-50), Haddonfield (34-36) and WWC (58-54). If you're the opponent, it's almost like you have to pick your poison because focusing on just one or two players will allow the others to go off. Every single player in the starting rotation is capable of dropping 20+ on any given night. This team is certainly dangerous.   Villa Walsh | North Jersey, Non-Public B   Seed: 6   A lot of Villa Walsh's eighteen wins this season weren't close, which should serve as a big boost of confidence heading into the postseason. They know they are capable of not only beating teams, but beating them by a wide double-digit margin. Eleven of those eighteen wins came by a margin of at least 25 points! Balanced and near identical scoring numbers by Tessa Bowers, [player_tooltip player_id='835194' first='Caroline' last='Tully'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1198643' first='Serena' last='Sabatella'] has been a big part of their success, with averages of 10.2 ppg, 9.4 ppg and 9.4 ppg, respectively. The other part? Well, that comes in the form of terrific production from the bench and supporting cast. 5'11" forward [player_tooltip player_id='1198645' first='Michela' last='Vaccaro'] has been superb all season long, playing tough in the paint and averaging 6.7 ppg & 5.2 rpg. Bowers, another 5'11" forward, has also made a big impact on the glass in addition to her team-leading scoring numbers, pulling down just under five boards per contest. The Vikings have an x-factor coming off the bench by the name of Sofia Kearns who has made significant contributions in some of their biggest wins. The 5'7" guard is putting in work across the board, averaging 2.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.4 apg & 2.4 spg. They'll enjoy a First Round BYE before clashing with #3 Saddle River Day on the first Monday in March. If they want to make a statement from the jump, they'll have to keep playing as a cohesive unit and continue sharing the ball. EVERYBODY EATS!!   SUPERSTARS IN THE FIELD   [player_tooltip player_id='333302' first='Mia' last='Pauldo'] | Morris Catholic   18.9 ppg & 5.2 apg   [player_tooltip player_id='333305' first='Mya' last='Pauldo'] | Morris Catholic   15.2 ppg & 4.5 apg   [player_tooltip player_id='981887' first='Giovanna' last='Burress'] | DePaul   20.3 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='414401' first='Taylor' last='Francis'] | Pingry   23.2 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='601267' first='Mia' last='Washington'] | Pope John   18.6 ppg & 5.2 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='591477' first='Gandy' last='Malou-Mamel'] | Gill St. Bernard's   17.6 ppg & 9.5 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='333330' first='Faith' last='Williamson'] | Saddle River Day   20.0 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='559076' first='Jayah' last='Curtis'] | Montclair Immaculate   12.7 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='789189' first='Brooke' last='Stagliano'] | Paul VI   14.7 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='414234' first='Azanah' last='Campbell'] | Paul VI   12.3 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='831437' first='Khalia' last='Lewis'] | OLMA   17.9 ppg & 12.0 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='878971' first='Gabrielle' last='Ziegenbalg'] | Union Catholic   18.7 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='559039' first='Madison' last='Kocis'] | St. John Vianney   12.1 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='559085' first='Addison' last='Nyemchek'] | Red Bank Catholic   13.8 ppg & 6.7 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='600922' first='Trista' last='Whitney'] | St. Thomas Aquinas   13.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg & 3.9 apg   [player_tooltip player_id='559073' first='Grace' last='Feeney'] | Trinity Hall   15.4 ppg & 7.4 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='559070' first='Jada' last='Lynch'] | St. Rose   19.3 ppg & 6.8 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='333333' first='Cassidy' last='Kruesi'] | St. Rose   14.4 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='601413' first='Jahzara' last='Green'] | Gloucester Catholic   17.0 ppg & 5.8 rpg   [player_tooltip player_id='835956' first='Rhaiyna' last='Brown'] | Timothy Christian   22.4 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='525308' first='Sabrina' last='Little'] | Holy Spirit   17.2 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='333355' first='Haley' last='Poser'] | Ranney   17.2 ppg   [player_tooltip player_id='1048715' first='Lola' last='McGonigle'] | Wildwood Catholic   15.7 ppg & 5.1 apg   [player_tooltip player_id='559046' first='Ava' last='LaMonica'] | Rutgers Prep   13.2 ppg & 5.2 rpg

The official NJSIAA playoff brackets were just unveiled on Tuesday, building anticipation for First Round action which kicks off next week. This postseason could make for some exciting basketball with potentially shocking upsets on the way! Which team could write their own Cinderella story? Let's dive in and take a look at the state's Non-Public classification for A & B: