Cape-Atlantic Tournament: Players to Watch
Photo by Courier-Post The Cape-Atlantic Tournament is one of the final ones to tip-off around the state. Eight teams will take the floor on Monday to see who will move onto the semi-finals. These games will be played at the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPhoto by Courier-Post
The Cape-Atlantic Tournament is one of the final ones to tip-off around the state. Eight teams will take the floor on Monday to see who will move onto the semi-finals. These games will be played at the home courts of the higher seeds before moving to neutral sites for the final two rounds. This is going to be one of the more exciting tournaments because of the size and skill involved in the tournament. Here are the top players to watch as round one approaches.
Jahlil White (2020) | Wildwood Catholic
Wildwood Catholic comes into the tournament as the No. 1 seed and it is no surprise to anyone. This is a team with TOC aspirations because of their dynamic duo. White is one half of the duo. The Temple commit is averaging 15.8 points per game this season to lead Wildwood Catholic. He is an extremely talented player who can score in a multitude of ways. Temple is getting a high-level recruit and one of the best players in New Jersey.
Taj Thweatt (2020) | Wildwood Catholic
Thweatt is the other half of the duo and one of the reasons that Wildwood Catholic has turned into a powerhouse. He will play at West Virginia next season and that is no surprise when watching him on the floor. Thweatt is averaging 15.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a senior. He is a player who thrives at getting to the rim and scoring inside with contact. He is a slasher and one that is tough to guard on the perimeter. Wildwood Catholic is the favorite to win this tournament and Thweatt is a huge reason why.
Matthew Delaney (2021) | St. Augustine
One of the best big men in the conference plays at St. Augustine. The 6’7 Delaney is a monster down low. He can score in many ways down on the post. He is scoring 15.1 points per game to lead St. Augustine as a junior. They finished the regular season 18-4 and will look to compete for a Cape-Atlantic League title. Delaney is a player who can protect the rim on the defensive end and take over on offense. Delaney is also a capable passer who knows how to find the open man if defenses send a double-team.
Daniel Skillings (2022) | St. Joseph’s (Hamm.)
Skillings is a 6’5 guard who can do it all on the floor. He is averaging 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game this season. He has stepped into a main role on St. Joe’s offense this season. He has knocked down 33 three’s and 36 free throws. He is also strong on the defensive end. Along with Marcus Pierce, Skillings creates a duo that is hard to take down. They will compete in this tournament and expect to surprise some people.
Gannon Brady (2021) | Ocean City
Ocean City has the unpleasant task of taking on Wildwood Catholic in the first round. If they want to pull off the upset of the season, Brady will have to go off once again. He is leading Ocean City in scoring with 16.9 points er game. He is a player who can shoot from deep as he has knocked down 21 three’s or he can score down low. Brady has knocked down 58 free throws to lead the team as a junior. Brady has led Ocean City all season and he will have to do so once again if they want to make it to round two.
Marcus Pierce (2021) | St. Joseph’s (Hamm.)
Pierce is leading St. Joe’s in scoring this season with 20.1 points per game. Pierce and Skillings will both be back next season and they have St. Joe’s set up for next year but they are not done in 2020. They have the duo that can make a run. Pierce is elite at getting to the free throw line. He has knocked down 128 free throws this season. He does most of his work on the inside. He is a gifted scorer and one that does not come around that often.