Big basketball tournaments in New Jersey this weekend

Posted by Star-Ledger Staff
Picture by fiveborosports.com

There are three top tournaments across the state this weekend. A look:


PrimeTime Shootout

WHEN: Friday at the Rutgers Athletic Center, Piscataway

SCHEDULE
Immaculata vs. St. Joseph (Met.), 5
Duncanville (Tx.) vs. LeFlore (Ala.), 6:30
Paterson Catholic vs. Lincoln (N.Y.), 8
Plainfield vs. Piscataway, 9:30

TICKETS: $25 and $15. Both prices include adults, students and senior citizens

BEST GAME: Plainfield, No. 7 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, vs. No. 11 Piscataway

PLAYERS OF NOTE: Lincoln guard Lance Stephenson (down to UCLA, Kanasas and Southern Cal); LeFlore forward DeMarcus Cousins (No. 2 overall player is undecided); Duncanville forward Shawn Williams (leaning toward Texas); Plainfield guard Isaiah Epps (headed to Pitt).

ONE MORE THING: Plainfield and Piscataway could be a preview of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. final.

Newark Invitational

WHEN: Saturday at the Prudential Center, Newark

SCHEDULE
St. Peter's Prep vs. Pinewood Prep (S.C.), 12:30
Don Bosco Prep vs. Neumann Goretti (Pa.), 2
GIRLS: Bloomfield Tech vs. Shabazz, 3:30
St. Anthony vs. Whitney Young (Ill.), 5
St. Benedict's vs. Lincoln (N.Y.), 6:30
Union vs. LeFlore (Ala.), 8

TICKETS: Reserved seats $20. General admission $12 adults, $9 students.

BEST GAME: St. Benedict's vs. Lincoln

PLAYERS OF NOTE: In addition to LeFlore's Cousins and Lincoln's Stephenson (both noted above), there's St. Benedict's Tristan Thompson and Lamar Patterson (Pitt), St. Anthony's Dominic Cheek (Villanova) and Whitney Young's Chris Colvin (Iowa State).

ONE MORE THING: LeFlore (No. 14 in USA Today), began the week with a 67-54 triumph over Lincoln on Monday. Cousins had 17 points and 20 rebounds for LeFlore while Stephenson had 24 points and eight boards for Lincoln.


The Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless Classic

WHEN: Saturday at the Dunn Center, Elizabeth

SCHEDULE
Scotch Plains-Fanwood vs. St. Mary's (Eliz.), 5
St. Patrick vs. East Orange Campus, 6:45
Piscataway vs. Elizabeth, 8:30

TICKETS: $12 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens

BEST GAME: Piscataway, No. 11 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, vs. No. 12 Elizabeth

PLAYERS OF NOTE: St. Patrick's senior guard Dexter Strickland (North Carolina), St. Patrick's Michael Gilchrist (just a sophomore), Piscataway swingman Tristan Benjamin and Elizabeth guard Latif Rivers.

ONE MORE THING: Two of the six teams playing in this event, Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Piscataway, were among the 12 finalists in the state public school group and non-public tournament championship games last March. Scotch Plains beat Timber Creek in the Group 3 final while Piscataway fell to Rancocas Valley in the Group 4 title game.