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For the second time in three years, the Metro Classic returns to Toms River after putting on a show in February of 2020 – this time offering four days of games at RWJBarnabas Health Arena, as well as at an alternate site at Toms River Intermediate East Middle School.

The headline two years ago was Sierra Canyon from Southern California, which boasted then-freshman Bronny James and current Los Angeles Clippers guard B.J. Boston playing on both Friday and Saturday night in the event.

Other notables in 2020 were Camden topping Gill St. Bernard and the Patrick School – led by current Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga – battling past Wildwood Catholic.

The Sierra Canyon show will not be back at the RWJBarnabas Health Arena this year, but the team from N.J. that just beat them will. Camden – the No. 1 team in New Jersey and a top-10-ranked team in the country – topped Sierra Canyon this past Saturday in Eastern Pennsylvania and will play on Day 1 and Day 3 of the showcase.

The Panthers will square off against Gill St. Bernard again on Thursday in a game that features a wealth of Division I and future NBA talent. Junior D.J. Wagner leads Camden as the nation’s top-rated guard in the Class of 2023, while Gill St. Bernard counters with a standout trio of senior Georgetown commit Denver Anglin, junior Mackenzie Mgbako and sophomore Naas Cunningham – with the latter two rating among the top players nationally in their respective classes.

Camden also has a local connection in senior guard Elijah Perkins, who spent his first three seasons at Ranney before transferring to play for the Panthers. Perkins was part of Ranney’s NJSIAA Tournament of Champions championship team as a freshman and an All-Shore player as both a sophomore and a junior.

Another team from outside the Shore has a local connection as well and in this case, it’s not even a team from New Jersey. La Lumiere of Indiana is lined up for three games in three nights and boasts Ryan Mabrey as a senior guard. Before his family moved to Indiana prior to last school year to be close to his sisters at Notre Dame, Mabrey played two seasons at Christian Brothers Academy.

There are also two actual Shore Conference teams in action during the weekend. Manasquan – ranked No. 5 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 – will test itself against the Patrick School on Saturday afternoon at the alternate site. The Warriors played nationally-ranked Roselle Catholic close for one half on Monday before the Lions blitzed Manasquan in the second half. That experience should give a young Manasquan squad a frame of reference for Saturday’s game.

On Sunday, red-hot Rumson-Fair Haven takes on Newark Arts in the arena and will hope to extend its winning streak to eight games against an Arts squad that heads into Thursday 9-4. Currently ranked No. 6 in the SSN Top 10, Rumson is coming off an impressive, 53-37 win over No. 1 Red Bank Catholic on Tuesday.

As for the rest of the schedule, national power programs Montverde, IMG Academy and Oak Hill will all be in action, as will some of New Jersey’s finest in Roselle Catholic, St. Peter’s Prep and Bergen Catholic to go with Camden, Gill St. Bernard and Patrick School.

Check out the full schedule for the weekend below.

 

2022 NIBC Metro Classic - Website

Session 2

Thursday, Feb. 4

At RWJBarnabas Health Arena

Oak Hill vs. Legacy, 1 p.m.

Sunrise Academy vs. Bishop Walsh, 3 p.m.

La Lumiere vs. IMG Academy, 5 p.m.

Camden vs. Gill St. Bernard, 7 p.m.

Montverde vs. Bergen Catholic, 9 p.m.

At Toms River Intermediate East

Wasatch vs. Long Island Lutheran, 6 p.m.

 

Friday, Feb. 5

At RWJBarnabas Health Arena

IMG Academy vs. Patrick School, 1 p.m.

Legacy vs. Bishop Walsh, 3 p.m.

Oak Hill vs. Wasatch, 5 p.m.

Sunrise Academy vs. Westtown, 7 p.m.

Montverde vs. La Lumiere, 9 p.m.

 

Saturday, Feb. 6

At RWJBarnabas Health Arena

Compass Prep vs. St. Thomas More, 9 a.m.

La Lumiere vs. Gill St. Bernard, 11 a.m.

Wasatch vs. Bishop Walsh, 1 p.m.

Montverde vs. Legacy, 3 p.m.

IMG vs. Sunrise Academy, 5 p.m.

Camden vs. St. Peter’s Prep, 7 p.m.

Oak Hill vs. Roselle Catholic, 9 p.m.

At Toms River Intermediate East

Manasquan vs. Patrick School, 12:30 p.m.

 

Sunday, Feb. 7

At RWJBarnabas Health Arena

St. Thomas More vs. Phelps, 10:30 a.m.

Phelps Prep vs. First Love Christian, 12:30 p.m.

Rumson-Fair Haven vs. Newark Arts, 2 p.m.

IMG Prep vs. Patrick School Prep, 3:30 p.m.

Westfield vs. St. Joseph Prep, 5:30 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas vs. George School, 7 p.m.

 

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