Tournament of Champions: 5 facts about Teaneck by Greg Mattura of The Record
After winning the NJSIAA Group 3 boys basketball championship with Sunday’s 74-68 win over Ewing, Teaneck advanced to the 29th annual Tournament of Champions. Seeded fourth, the Highwaymen will play No. 5 Newark West Side in the quarterfinals on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River.
1. Teaneck makes fourth trip to TOC
Teaneck makes ifs fourth TOC appearance – the most by a school from Bergen or Passaic counties. (Bergen Catholic and Eastside are tied for second with two apiece). The program is 3-3 all-time in the TOC, and in 1999 won twice and was runner-up to Seton Hall Prep.
2. Highwaymen defeated West Side last year
Coach Jerome Smart and the Highwaymen won last year’s quarterfinal over West Side, 71-62. Junior G Ja’Quaye James, senior G/F Adrian Baucom and junior F Cory Gordon return from the group that topped West Side, then lost in the semifinals to top-seeded St. Anthony, 67-30.
3. Team adjusts to major lineup changes
The lineup has changed dramatically. Senior F Jawaun Daniels, last year’s Record Player of the Year, sat out this entire season, after being ruled ineligible as a fifth-year senior. Senior G Leondre Washington transferred back after spending his junior year at Roselle Catholic, and he sat out the first 30 days.
4. They run a seven-player rotation
James and Washington provide almost all the ball-handling and more than half the scoring. Baucom provides a little of everything. A quartet delivers defense, rebounding and a few baskets: Gordon, 7-foot senior C Pierre Sow, senior G/F Korey Pettie and junior F Jayden Dawson.
5. Shooting for a record fourth game
A victory over West Side will give James and his fellow returnees the record for most TOC games by a player representing a Bergen or Passaic county school – 4. The 1999 Teaneck team, coached by Curtis March, played in three games.