Nottingham becomes only fourth county school to reach ToC

And then there was one. After three months of high school basketball action, Nottingham’s boys are the last team standing in The Trentonian’s coverage area.

The Northstars (29-2), coming off the first Group III state title in school history Sunday night at Rutgers, will play in the final phase of the NJSIAA state tournament — the Tournament of Champions, which begins Tuesday at the RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River.

Nottingham is seeded fourth and will be taking on fifth-seeded Haddonfield (29-3) at 7:30 p.m. The Bulldogs beat Newark Central, 6245, to win the Group II title.

The first quarterfinal game will be played at 5:30 between Group IV champion Shawnee and Group I champion Woodbury. Non-Public A champion Roselle Catholic and Non-Public B champion Don Bosco Prep, the top two seeds, have byes to Thursday’s semifinals.

Only three other Mercer County schools have ever advanced this far.

Trenton Catholic Academy won it all in 2010 as the two seed. Ewing lost in the quarterfinals in 2012 and 1992. And Hamilton West, coached at the time by Nottingham coach Chris Raba, made it in 2006 and also played Haddonfield, losing 80-67.

If Nottingham can win Tuesday, the Northstars would get a crack at mighty Roselle Catholic, which beat fellow powerhouse Ranney in a thrilling Non-Public A final Saturday night, 63-61.

The heavily-favored Lions feature 6-11 power forward Naz Reid, a five-star recruit who is committed to play at LSU next season.

Since the ToC started in 1989, the only public schools to hoist the trophy are Camden (2000), Orange (1994), Shawnee (1992) and Elizabeth (1990).

Now-closed St. Anthony captured a record 13 titles. Roselle Catholic won the tournament in 2015 and 2013. No. 3 Shawnee vs. No. 6 Woodbury (RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River), 5:30 p.m.

No. 4 Nottingham vs. No. 5 Haddonfield (RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River), 7:30 p.m.

No. 2 Don Bosco Prep vs. Shawnee/Woodbury (RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River), 5:30 p.m. No. 1 Roselle Catholic vs. Nottingham/Haddonfield (RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River), 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals winners, time TBA (CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton)

FRED GOODE — FOR THE TRENTONIAN Nottingham’s Darell Johnson (5) lays in two of his 20 points against Chatham in the Group III state final at Rutgers on Sunday night.