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The first five minutes dictated how last Friday’s meeting with Freedom was going to go. East Rutherford mens hoops team beat Freedom 74-55 in 32 minutes of havoc. Honestly, when opponents play East, especially at East, they better be ready to face a daunting full throttle game.
“Usually when you practice well, you play well and we did so last week.” East Rutherford basketball coach Brad Levine said. “We shared the ball, hit the boards, which led to good transition play on our part.”
T.J. Watkins was a mad man scoring 12 first half points, which helped East gain a 25-8 lead that never really was threatened.
They play at Shelby on Tuesday (February 18th) in a gigantic game for control of the top spot in conference.
The fight for two through four in SMAC ladies hoops has gotten real interesting. R-S Central leads the number two spot in conference by just one game now over Patton and East Rutherford, following Central‘s loss at Patton.
While we are on the subject of basketball, I’d say its time to evaluate the ACC as March quickly approaches.
12) Boston College- I’m not completely impressed, yet they seem to make it interesting losing eight games overall by five points or less. Could jump a spot or two at any time.
11) Virginia Tech - Has the ACC’s best player in Erick Green and still manages to lose to Georgia Southern and Boston College…at home.
10) Georgia Tech - Has won two of the last three games. The leap frog Virginia Tech after beating them, plus the Hokies have lost six in a row.
9) Clemson - Want to hold a lead for 39 minutes and lose it? These Tigers can show you how to master it. I am amazed that they could easily be 19-4 overall and 9-2 in conference, but as expected are 12-11, 4-7. Season ended with a loss at Boston College.
8) Wake Forest - Upset N.C. State earlier in the season and just beat Florida State by 25. Although, they can‘t win on the road, unless a win at UNC Greensboro counts?
7) Florida State - The potential has underachieved and Wake just destroyed any chance of an NCAA tourney berth. It’s the NIT at best this year for Michael Snaer.
6) Maryland - Probably has the easiest overall schedule in the ACC and could finish with 20-plus wins and have a shot at a NCAA berth. For thought, just 2-6 against teams inside the top 100 RPI.
5) Virginia - Despite a bad road loss at Old Dominion, things are coming around in Charlottesville. With a win at Wisconsin and two home victories against UNC and N.C. State, right now I think they are the fifth ACC team to make the NCAA tourney.
4) North Carolina - Still keeping afloat in ACC above .500 with a win over UNLV in their pocket. However, they have to go to Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Clemson. It doesn’t end there as they host Virginia, N.C State, Florida State and Duke. Should see how tough these young Heels are after the fact.
3) N.C State - I am puzzled. No worse than the third best team in the ACC and yet disappear at times. Have some great wins, but I do like their chances in the next seven games to get 22 wins or better before the conference tourney starts.
2) Duke - The Blue Devils are still strong in beating three top five teams in the land. Only lost twice, but that was on the road. A rematch with Miami on is set for March 2nd at Cameron. Duke typically doesn’t lose twice to the same team in a year.
1) Miami - They do everything well and proved it by clobbering Duke. Has beaten Duke and North Carolina by 26 points or more during this 11 game win streak. Nobody has beaten Duke and North Carolina in the ACC by that many points in the same year since 1973.
Before I go, congrats to Cody Hall of East Rutherford and Will McGraw of Thomas Jefferson for winning their 100th matches in wrestling.
