Sometimes, a rule change can be a game-winner.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) will use a power-point system to determine the state basketball tournaments for the first time this season, going away from the traditional win-loss record. The power point system—which is also used in football, soccer and wrestling among others—takes into account the records of opponents and quality of competition. The NJSIAA released the power rankings on Tuesday, giving teams an indication of where they stand heading into Saturday’s cutoff date.
Although they are subject to change in the coming days, the standings currently place all six Black Horse Pike Regional School District basketball teams in the playoffs. The Timber Creek boys’ basketball team seems to make out the best from the switch, sitting in fourth place in Group 3, despite a 7-8 record. Highland is currently in 13th with Triton sitting in 10th in Group 4.
On the girls’ side, the Chargers (7-7) are in the No. 6 slot, seven places ahead of Highland (8-7). Triton is right on the fringe of a playoff birth, sitting in 16th in Group 4. Only the first 16 games count toward the power points, so the Mustangs (6-10) will have no way of increasing their standing.
Below is a complete look at the Group 3 and 4 rankings (as of Monday, courtesy of nj.com).
GIRLS
Group 3
1) Camden Wilson (12-3) 348; 2) Central Regional (9-6) 339; 3) Ocean City (11-2) 330; 4) Delsea (6-9) 278; 5) Kingsway (8-7) 278; 6) Timber Creek (7-7) 265; 7) Winslow (7-8) 246; 8) Seneca (7-6) 245; 9) Gloucester Tech (7-10) 222; 10) Moorestown (7-8) 210; 11) Westampton Tech (7-7) 208; 12) Pinelands (7-8) 189; 13) Highland (8-7) 188; 14) Camden (6-7) 133; 15) Burlington Township (3-11) 130; 16) Lacey (2-12) 129; 17) Hammonton (2-13) 123; 18) Cumberland (1-14) 116; 19) Oakcrest (2-11) 95; 20) Camden Tech (0-8) 42.
Group 4
1) Lenape (14-2) 494; 2) Shawnee (14-1) 446; 3) Washington Township (13-2) 419; 4) Williamstown (9-4) 335; 5) Toms River South (10-5) 315; 6) Toms River East (11-4) 313; 7) Clearview (9-4) 311; 8) Eastern (8-6) 309; 9) Cherokee (10-5) 287; 10) Mainland (8-8) 267; 11) Millville (10-5) 245; 12) Atlantic City (7-8) 225; 13) Toms River North (7-8) 225; 14) Southern (8-7) 222; 15) Egg Harbor (6-9) 190; 16) Triton (6-10) 181; 17) Cherry Hill West (3-12) 151; 18) Pennsauken (4-10) 140; 19)Vineland (3-12) 137; 20) Absegami (3-8) 134; 21) Cherry Hill East (1-11) 109.
BOYS
Group 3
1) Hammonton (14-3) 375; 2) Burlington Township (10-5) 302; 3) Delsea (6-10) 282; 4) Timber Creek (7-8) 279; 5) Camden (7-6) 249; 6) Moorestown (6-9) 234; 7) Central Regional (5-9) 202; 8) Winslow (4-11) 193; 9) Kingsway (5-9) 178; 10) Lacey (5-9) 171; 11) Camden Tech (9-6) 159; 12) Oakcrest (5-8) 153; 13) Highland (5-9) 152; 14 Westampton Tech (2-13) 140; 15) Ocean City (4-9) 134; 16) Seneca (2-11) 133; 17) Pinelands (2-13) 125; 18) Camden Wilson (1-13) 122; 19) Cumberland (2 11) 86; 20) Gloucester Tech (1-14) 84.
Group 4
1) Atlantic City (13-1) 432; 2) Toms River North (15-2) 430; 3) Lenape (14-1) 429; 4) Shawnee (12-2) 402; 5) Southern (11-5) 349; 6) Eastern (10-3) 336; 7) Cherry Hill East (10-5) 334; 8) Williamstown (10-6) 317; 9) Egg Harbor (8-7) 303; 10) Triton (8-4) 269; 11) Cherokee (8-7) 249; 12) Clearview (8-5) 244; 13) Washington Township (5-10) 241; 14) Toms River South (6-8) 210; 15) Absegami (6-6) 207; 16) Millville (6-9) 203; 17) Cherry Hill West (7-4) 193; Pennsauken (4-11) 184; Mainland (5-9) 177; Vineland (3-13) 140; Toms River East (3-11) 128.
