by Alex Schwartz

It is here, finally. Since almost a month and a half ago, the top two teams in my national top 25—as well as that of just about every other publication/website—have been a pair of New Jersey powerhouses. The Celtics of St. Patrick's in Elizabeth and the Friars of St. Anthony's in Jersey City have been on a collision course to determine not only the NJSIAA Non-Public North B sectional champion, but the mythical national champion as well. The highly anticipated meeting between the two undefeated squads will take place tonight at 8:00pm at the RAC on the campus of Rutgers University.

The History
The bitter rivals are located just 14 miles and 25 minutes apart according to MapQuest. They have not met since 2008 when the Friars defeated the Celtics en route to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions crown, consensus number one ranking, and the mythical national title. That was one of the best and most talented teams in recent memory in high school hoops.

In 2009 the Friars lost to now defunct Paterson Catholic in the sectional semifinals and the Celtics then beat PC before going on to win the TOC. Last year St. Patrick's was ruled ineligible for the state tournament for illegal offseason workouts and St. Anthony's was upset in the state championship game by eventual TOC champion Trenton Catholic.

The Stakes
Now, recent Hall of Fame inductee Bob Hurley and the Friars will face Naismith Coach of the Year Kevin Boyle and the Celtics for all the marbles. Of all the times the schools have faced off, this meeting will be by far the biggest as they come in as the top two ranked teams in America. The winner—assuming it goes on to win the state title and TOC—will be the undisputed national champion.

It is very rare that the top two ranked teams in the nation—especially when they are seemingly unanimous one and two—play each other. It is even more rare when those two teams are from the same state and meet this late in the season in the season. Adding more intrigue to the game is that the two teams are intense rivals and their prolific coaches are publicly known to not be best of friends, to put it lightly. All said, this game is absolutely huge and is about much, much more than a sectional champion.

Brian Falzarano of MaxPreps summed it up in his article by saying, "Indeed, the biggest boys basketball game ever played in the Garden State could legitimately crown a national champion."

The Teams- St. Patrick's
The Celtics of St. Patrick's have been ranked number one in my national top 25 since mid-January. In all the great seasons the Celtics have had, they have never won the mythical national title, so this season has a change to be extremely special. The team is led by 6'7 small forward Michael Gilchrist, a Kentucky-signee. Gilchrist is not only a McDonald's All-American, he is also the #1 ranked player in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top150. The best player in the nation regardless of class since even before his junior season began, Gilchrist is an elite talent. A do-it-all star with a nonstop motor, he is arguably both the best rebounder and best defender in the country.

The future Wildcat is by no means a one-man show, though. The number two threat at coach Kevin Boyle's disposal is 6'3 shooting guard Derrick Gordon, who has signed with Western Kentucky. Gordon, the #8 ranked player in the New Jersey Class of 2011 Fab 50, is having a fantastic senior season. Gordon is a superb perimeter defender and a talented scorer.

While Gilchrist and Gordon are in their fourth year at the school, 6'1 point guard and fellow senior Chris Martin is in his first. A transfer from St. John's (DC), Martin is ranked #9 in the New Jersey Class of 2011 Fab 50, making it three in the top 10 for the Celtics. Martin is a standout shooter from beyond the arc, but he can also lead an offense and score off the bounce. The other senior in Kevin Boyle's rotation is also a point guard in 6'0 Jarrel Lane. The UMBC-signee, ranked #41 player in the New Jersey Class of 2011 Fab 50, came up clutch for the Celtics earlier this season when he hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in the championship of the City of Palms to beat top 10 ranked Milton (GA).

St. Patrick's has a pair of talented underclassmen as its main interior players in 6'9 freshman center Dakari Johnson and 6'9 sophomore center Austin Colbert. Johnson is a special talent and arguably the best player in America in the class of 2014. A beast on the blocks who rebounds, scores, alters shots, and plays all out, Johnson is surprisingly nimble considering his huge overall frame at such a young age. Colbert is also a high-major prospect and he too is a hard worker down low who does the dirty work. If needed, 6'6 junior power forward Tyrone O'Garro can provide some minutes off the bench in relief of the two young stars.

Not to be overlooked for the Celtics are DaShawn Suber, Jason Boswell, and Trevis Wyche. The top junior on the roster, Suber, a 5'10 point guard is yet another member of the Celtics' backcourt rotation. A transfer from Rice (NY) in his first year at St. Pat's, Suber is a tough player who can get to the basket. Boswell, a 6'7 sophomore small forward, is another high-major Division I prospect on the Celtics' roster. A versatile player who can score in a number of ways, Boswell is the main support behind Gilchrist and Gordon on the wing. Wyche is a 6'3 shooting guard who provides more depth in the backcourt for the Celtics.

The Teams- St. Anthony's
Considered by many to be the greatest high school basketball coach of all-time, Bob Hurley has built St. Anthony's into arguably the most prestigious high school basketball program in America. The go-to guy for the Friars this year has been Rutgers-signee Myles Mack, a 5'9 point guard ranked #4 in the New Jersey Class of 2011 Fab 50 and #88 in the NBE Top 150. Mack is a rarity at St. Anthony's, a senior transfer. He spent the first three years of his high school career at Paterson Catholic and came over to St. Anthony's when PC shut its doors for good this summer. Mack has developed his point guard skills, yet retains his ability to score the ball from all over the court. He is a terrific 3-point shooter, but he can also use his handle and quickness to get to the basket and score off the drive.

St. Anthony's has another trio of seniors who are vital members of the rotation as well. Lucky Jones, a 6'6 shooting guard, is ranked #24 in the New Jersey Class of 2011 Fab 50. Jones has good size on the wing and is a tough matchup for many high school defenders. He has the ability to get hot with his jumpshot and really fill it up. The #38 ranked player in the New Jersey Class of 2011 Fab 50 is 6'5 small forward Tyuan Williams. A quietly effective wing, Williams plays hard, defends well, and can also provide some scoring output. He is an ideal glue guy and has been key to the Friars' success the past couple of years. Jordan Quick is a 5'9 point guard who checks in at #42 in the New Jersey Class of 2011 Fab 50, giving coach Hurley's squad four players on the list. Quick is the consumate point guard, as he is a faciliator who knows how to get others involved. In addition, although undersized, he can score the ball himself and can really hit shots from beyond the arc. What stands out most about Quick is his toughness and terrific play on the defensive end of the court.

Along with Mack, the other-big time player for St. Anthony's is 6'8 power forward Kyle Anderson. The top junior in the state of New Jersey and the #19 ranked player in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2012 Top 50, Anderson previously attended PC with Mack. Versatile enough to play point guard, small forward, and power forward, Anderson is a unique player with a fantastic overall skill set. He can stretch the defense with his ability to shoot the ball, but he has also developed into a terrific interior scorer, both off the catch and the drive as well as off putbacks. Anderson is long and rebounds well and forms a two-headed monster with Mack to lead the Friars.

A trio of juniors are the other key players for the Friars. Two of them are big men in fellow 6'6 power forward Jerome Frink and Jimmy Hall. Frink is the type of player that every winning team has, as he goes nonstop every second he is on the court and contributes in so many facets of the game. While Frink's statistics are not eye popping by any means, his ability to impact the game is quite important for the Friars. Frink can put the ball in the hoop, he plays fantastic defense, rebounds the ball, and understands his role. Hall is a big body who can score when given the opportunity. He moves well for his size and can also get it done on the glass.

The other important junior for St. Anthony's is 6'5 small forward Rashad Andrews. A wing who can fill up a score sheet if he gets in a groove, Andrews is an athletic player and a key extra scoring option for coach Hurley to use. Amongst the other players who can contribute for the Friars if needed are three sophomores in 6'2 shooting guard Josh Brown, 5'10 point guard Jordan Forehand, and 6'2 shooting guard Hallice Cooke.

The Game
This matchup has been extremely hyped for quite some time and now that it has arrived, the excitment level is off the charts. Both teams are very well coached and play exceptional defense. Both have ultra talented players and terrific depth. Both are storied programs with a tradition of winning.

The Celtics will have the best player on the floor in Gilchrist, but that is no different than every time the team has taken the floor the past two seasons. Kyle Anderson will likely have the unenviable task of trying to guard Gilchrist, but he will also be counted upon to score the ball at the other end. The star junior may well be the key for the Friars in this contest.

While Gilchrist is the best player who will take the floor, St. Anthony's has the next two in line in Myles Mack and Anderson. Although the St. Pat's backcourt has more weapons, Mack will be the best guard in the game. He is a noted scorer and he will need to do his usual work in this one. Gordon will likely be the player asked to guard Mack. The future Hilltopper is a terrific defender, but Mack is much shorter and quicker and may be able to use that to his advantage. Chris Martin could end up as a player who has a major say in the outcome of the game, as his ability to hit the 3-pointer can cause problems for others teams when trying to deal with all of the Celtics' other weapons.

St. Patrick's has a major advantage in the low post as Dakari Johnson and Austin Colbert are both 6'9, which is taller than anyone on the St. Anthony's roster. Anderson is the tallest Friar at 6'8, and he would be a player who could guard Colbert well, though Johnson has too much girth for just about any high school player. As aforementioned, though, Anderson will likely be on Gilchrist. That leaves Jerome Frink and Jimmy Hall to deal with the Celtics' towers. Both of them play bigger than their height, but the three inch difference is certainly a lot. Due to some of the mismatches, it would not be a surprise to see coach Hurley try some zone defense or some other types of strategic defenses.

St. Pat's has the edge in overall talent with a plethora of high-major prospects and arguably the top player in two of the four classes. One thing that the Friars have going for them though is that, quite frankly, they play very good basketball. The team is smart, disciplined, and knows how to get the job done. There is a reason they are top two in the nation despite having just two lock high-major players.

This should be a truly fantastic game and one that many people, including yours truly, are very excited for. If you are like me and you cannot be there, but really want to see the action, NJ.com will have a live stream of the game.

The Prediction
I could see this game playing out in a number of ways, but I am going to go with the St. Patrick's Celtics as the victors. My prediction is St. Patrick's by seven over St. Anthony's in an intense, hard fought contest that will almost certainly decide the 2010-11 mythical national champion.


Note- photos from top to bottom are of Bob Hurley, Kevin Boyle, Michael Gilchrist, Dakari Johnson, Myles Mack, Kyle Anderson, Derrick Gordon, and Jerome Frink; photos of Hurley and Frink are from http://www.hudsoncountyvarsity.com/; photo of Boyle is from http://www.maxpreps.com/national/national.htm; photo of Gilchrist is from http://rise.espn.go.com/; photo of Johnson is from http://www.naplesnews.com/; photos of Mack and Anderson are from http://stanthony.powermediallc.org/; photo of Frink is from http://www.nj.com/