Girls March Madness soon to begin in New Jersey

Our annual trek through the NJSIAA girls basketball brackets begins Feb. 28, with dozens of schools harboring hopes of capturing a sectional title. Or, better still, winning the Tournament of Champions on March 21 at East Rutherford's Izod Center.

Before we get to see whether there will be a Shabazz-Neptune battle in the TOC title game, though, which other contenders will emerge? The two biggest challengers could come emerge from the state capital in Trenton Central (Group 4) and Trenton Catholic Academy (Non-Public A).

Here is our breakdown of this year's tournament, from the sectionals all the way through the TOC. We give you the favorites, dark horses (only squads seeded outside of the top four), best brackets in group, top players, group winners and the TOC field before picking the Garden State's finest.

MaxPreps New Jersey girls basketball freeman Rankings

GROUP 1
Favorites: Fourth-seeded New Providence is a slight favorite to repeat in North 2, while top seeds Emerson (North 1), New Egypt (Central) and Haddon Township (Westmont) (South) have a small edge in their wide-open brackets.

Upset Possibilities: Audubon (No. 5, South), Cedar Creek (Egg Harbor City) (No. 10, South), Midland Park (No. 7, North 1), Palmyra (No. 5, Central), University (Newark) (No. 7, North 2), Weequahic (Newark) (No. 6, North 2).

Best Bracket: University is much better than its No. 7 seed in North 2, which No. 2 Secaucus will learn in the second round. Don't be surprised if any of the top seven seeds celebrate a sectional title here as No. 1 Dunellen, No. 3 Whippany Park and No. 5 Dayton (Springfield) are also quite capable.

Players to Watch: Emily Bausher and Morgan Knigge, New Egypt; Jewel Brown, Clayton; Lavon Childress, Paulsboro; Cori Conner and Gabrielle Cooper, Gloucester City; Shaqui Coppage, Salem; Olivia Dudley, Whippany Park; Nicole Fleck, Wood-Ridge; Brandi Harvey-Carr, LEAP Academy; Taneequa Hester and Nicole Kiett, Weequahic; Andrea Innis, Secaucus; Amanda Langan, Verona; Meghan Nowak, Gateway; Brittney Sykes and Amber Thompson, University.

Fearless Forecasts: After ending Cresskill's quest to repeat, No. 3 Verona will derail Emerson in the North 1 final before bowing to University, which will edge New Providence in North 2. Second-seeded Gloucester City will eliminate Haddon Township in the South before dispatching Central champion New Egypt, which won its bracket by defeating No. 3 Highland Park.

Final Thought: Gloucester City over University.

GROUP 2
Favorites: The state's best team thus far, Shabazz (Newark), is the top seed and overwhelming favorite in the Central bracket. Two other top seeds, Pascack Hills (Montvale) (North 1) and Sterling (Somerdale) (South), appear the class of deep sectionals, while third-seeded Newark Tech rates an ever-so-slight advantage in North 2.

Upset Possibilities: Glen Rock (No. 5, North 1), Hackettstown (No. 7, North 2), Haddonfield (No. 7, South), Manasquan (No. 6, South), Parsippany (No. 5, North 2), Pequannock (Pompton Plains) (No. 6, North 1), Roselle Park (No. 7, Central).

Best Bracket: While North 1 boasts up to five title contenders, the South bracket is seven-deep starting with top-seeded Sterling all the way through defending champion and seventh-seeded Haddonfield. Haddonfield's half of the bracket is difficult: The Bulldawgs will need to upset No. 2 Middle Township (Cape May Court House) just to reach the semifinals, where the winner between No. 3 Point Pleasant Boro and No. 6 Manasquan will probably await them.

Players to Watch: Kate Brock, River Dell; Erin Brogan, Haddonfield; Yasmin Cooper and Annarose Pierre, Newark Tech; Andrea Dunchus, Kinnelon; Katelynn Flaherty and Michaela Mabrey, Manasquan; Daijanae Greene and Katherine Rosa, Dumont; Kelsey Haycook, Point Pleasant Boro; Micayha Owens, Willingboro; Samantha Tabakman, Pequannock.

Fearless Forecast: Shabazz has the easiest path to a sectional title and will face Sterling, which is the pick to outlast Manasquan and its terrific duo of Flaherty and Mabrey. Pascack Hills will stop Dumont in the North 1 final before handling North 2 titlist Newark Tech, which will upend No. 5 Parsippany.

Final Thought: Shabazz over Pascack Hills.

GROUP 3
Favorites: Defending Tournament of Champions winner and top-seeded Neptune is the favorite to breeze through the Central bracket and represent this group again in the TOC. Second-seeded Teaneck has been tested more than No. 1 High Point (Sussex) in North 1, while top seeds Chatham (North 2) and Delsea (Franklinville) (South) are the best of their bunches.

Upset Possibilities: Hamilton (No. 6, Central), Millburn (No. 5, North 2), Pascack Valley (Hillsdale) (No. 7, North 1), Ramapo (Franklin Lakes) (No. 5, North 1), Seneca (Tabernacle) (No. 5, South), Timber Creek Regional (Erial) (No. 7, South).

Best Bracket: On depth and unpredictability alone, it is hard to top a South bracket where each of the top seven teams could legitimately make a run. Prediction: The top two seeds will be gone before the finals.

Players to Watch: Kimmy Bachmann, Lakeland; Caroline Barberi, Somerville; Alicia Bradley, Burlington Township; Syessence Davis, Chyna Golden and Shakena Richardson, Neptune; Shayna Ericksen, West Morris; Liz Faulkner, Kingsway; Sarah Halejian, Ramapo; Alexis Johnson, Hamilton; Jakelle King-Gilchrist, Teaneck; Tori Levari and Jackie Short, Delsea; Jasmine Lytle, New Brunswick; Jessica McCoy and Morgan Miller, Cranford; Raquel Scott, Leanna Tallamy, High Point; Kelly Williams, Hopewell Valley; LaRhonda Womack, South Plainfield.

Fearless Forecasts: Teaneck survives Ramapo in the North 1 final, then escapes North 2 champion Chatham, which beat West Morris. Neptune will cruise past No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven in the Central before toppling Timber Creek, which squelches Seneca in the South.

Final Thought: Neptune over Teaneck in a rematch similar to the one staged Jan. 8, when the Scarlet Fliers escaped with a 68-56 victory.

GROUP 4
Favorites: Two of the last four remaining undefeated teams are also top seeds, though Trenton Central (Central) and Cherry Hill East (South) will be tested. Fourth-seeded Kennedy (Paterson) has proven more than anyone in the North 1 bracket thus far, while you can flip a coin between No. 1 Edison and No. 2 Bayonne in North 2.

Upset Possibilities: Bridgewater-Raritan (No. 10, North 2), East Orange Campus (No. 6, North 2), Jackson Memorial (No. 5, Central), Lenape (Medford) (No. 6, South), Passaic County Tech (Wayne) (No. 7, North 1), Piscataway (No. 7, North 2), West Windsor-Plainsboro North (Plainsboro) (No. 7, Central).

Best Bracket: Three squads ranked in our New Jersey Top 20 reside in the Central bracket. A potential semifinal between second-seeded Rancocas Valley (Mt. Holly) and third-seeded Howell (Farmingdale) sets up nicely opposite Trenton Central facing either No. 4 Freehold Township or No. 5 Jackson Memorial.

Players to Watch: Chisom Amaefuna, West Orange; Erika Brown and Kylla Champagne, Kennedy; Kyra Dayon and Kara Dayon, Trenton Central; Gina DiDomenico, Egg Harbor Township; Danaejah Grant, Piscataway; Jasmine Jackson, Old Bridge; Eboy Jennings, Monroe Township; Jacquie Klotz, West Windsor-Plainsboro North; Kerri Kosakowski, Bayonne; Lauren Moses, Rancocas Valley; Teana Muldrow and Delisha Thompson, East Orange Campus; Jessica Pellechio, North Hunterdon; Ashley Stenftennagel, Freehold Township; Jasmine Walker, North Brunswick.

Fearless Forecasts: Cherry Hill East and Trenton Central would make a better group final, but we will get this game in the semifinals instead after CHE edges No. 2 Egg Harbor Township in the South and Trenton Central stops second-seeded Rancocas Valley in the Central. Either of these teams has a decided edge over either the North 1 (No. 2 Morris Knolls (Rockaway) over No. 4 Kennedy) or North 2 (East Orange Campus over No. 1 Edison).

Final Thought: Trenton Central over Morris Knolls.

NON-PUBLIC A
Favorites: Top seeds Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township) in the North and St. John-Vianney (Holmdel) in the South.

Upset Possibilities: Academy of the Holy Angels (Demarest) (No. 5, North), Kent Place (Summit) (No. 6, North), Monsignor Donovan (Toms River) (No. 6, South).

Best Bracket: Despite losing two of its top players to injury, Holy Angels just knocked off Teaneck in the Bergen County Tournament and came within a point of beating Immaculate Heart on Feb. 7. The Angels have the look and feel of a team ready to break through and win the North, which offers a more intriguing possibility than the seemingly inevitable St. John Vianney-No. 2 Red Bank Catholic South final – a rematch of a Feb. 5 game the top-seeded Lancers won by a 50-39 count.

Players to Watch: Najah Chambers, Paramus Catholic; Samantha Guastella, Red Bank Catholic; Jackie Kates, Katie O'Reilly, Missy Repoli and Arron Zimmerman, St. John Vianney; Melanie Lockett, Holy Angels; Joanna McAllister, St. Vincent; Bridget Ryan, Mount St. Mary; Raquel Scott, Immaculate Heart; Melissa Tobie, Roselle Catholic.

Fearless Forecasts: Holy Angels breaks through and beats No. 2 Mount St. Mary in the North, while St. John Vianney turns back Red Bank Catholic again.

Final Thought: St. John Vianney repeats as group champion by beating Holy Angels.

NON-PUBLIC B
Favorites: The South's top seed, St. Rose (Belmar), owns two victories over Rumson-Fair Haven and a win apiece over Red Bank Catholic and St. John Vianney. In the North, the trio of Immaculate Conception (Lodi), No. 2 Eastern Christian (North Haledon) and No. 3 Morris Catholic (Denville) look relatively even.

Upset Possibilities: Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone) (No. 5, North), Holy Cross (Delran) (No. 6, South).

Best Bracket: While the North feels more wide open, the South boasts more quality depth. Any of the four top seeds could emerge here, including defending champion and fourth-seeded Trenton Catholic Academy.

Players to Watch: Antoninette Blake, Marist; Briyona Canty, Trenton Catholic; Samantha Clark, St. Rose; Karli Ernst, Our Lady of Mercy; Nicole Fallon and Kristina Reiter, Gloucester Catholic; Diane Forker and Kaydee Murphy, Holy Family; Olivia Gorczynski, Cardinal McCarrick; Brittany Harden, Sacred Heart (Vineland); Blair Landolfi, Montclair Kimberley Academy; Brianne Traub, Eastern Christian; Dominique Vitalis, Gill St. Bernard.

Fearless Forecasts: Trenton Catholic repeats in the South after conquering Cardinal McCarrick, while Morris Catholic ruins Immaculate Conception's quest for its first North crown.

Final Thought: Trenton Catholic over Morris Catholic.

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

Seeds: (1) Shabazz, (2) Neptune, (3) St. John Vianney, (4) Trenton Catholic, (5) Trenton Central, (6) Gloucester City.

First Round: St. John Vianney over Gloucester City; Trenton Catholic over Trenton Central.

Semifinals: Shabazz over Trenton Catholic; Neptune over St. John Vianney.

Final: Neptune avenges its 62-47 loss to Shabazz at the Newark National Invitational on Jan. 28 with a last-minute victory.