Defending champion Seton Hall Prep - which has even more depth this season - and a restocked St. Benedict’s with its international additions, are going to be the top two seeds when the 79th Essex County Tournament assembles its field on Monday night (seeds will be officially released at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 27), but the jockeying for position behind those two leaders in the Super Essex Conference’s American Division could provide some intrigue.
Does Shabazz, which is 15-0 and has an early-season victory over Arts, deserve to be seeded as high as No. 3 even though the Bulldogs operate out of the SEC’s fifth of six divisions, the Freedom and therefore don’t have a full schedule to date that fits the caliber of what teams such as Arts (9-5, 4-2), East Orange Campus (10-6, 2-4) and others in consideration face in the top-shelf American Division?
Newark Collegiate (12-3, 6-0) is top dog in the SEC’s second division, the Liberty, but how high should that Brick City school be placed in a field where the SEC-American teams will probably be given the benefit of doubt in any close calls as far as placement in the order of teams moving forward into ECT preliminary round action on Thursday, Jan. 29, or in the first-round on Saturday, Jan. 31?
Newark Tech (10-7, 1-4) and 2025 ECT runner-up Payne Tech (5-8, 2-3) are two other sub-.500 teams in the SEC-American Division, but are capable competitors in a countywide hoops event so finding where they fit is another piece of the puzzle.
Also in the possible mix, as far as potential Top 12 seeds in the upcoming ECT field of teams, it would appear that Caldwell (12-2), Millburn (14-2), Bloomfield (11-5) and Montclair (11-5) are likely candidates to be in the first dozen seeded. The Chiefs operate out of the Liberty Division, while the other three teams are all competing for the top spot in the SEC’s third division, the Colonial.
SHP (10-5, 4-1), which owns an early-season 65-55 victory over St. Benedict's (10-4, 3-1), to put itsself in position to be the No. 1 seed in the 2026 ECT, was a solid unit when it captured its 20th ECT title last February, edging a talented Payne Tech squad, and now the Pirates are even more talent-stocked with the addition of backcourt performers such as sophomore Infinite Sincere-Amen Ra, who is a transfer from Immaculate Conception which closed its doors for good last June, and freshman Bryce McCray. The pair combine with holdover veterans such as 2025 Sideline Chatter Essex County Player of the Year Anthony Gonzalez, a junior guard, and sturdy senior forward Alex Ante to give the Pirates a solid core to work with in addition to a deep bench.
St. Benedict’s, which won the ECT title in 2023, has a nearly totally different lineup for the third straight year having added fresh talent such as Bulgarian import Daniel Hinkov, a strong 6-5 junior forward, and highly-rated freshman MJ Postell, among others, to combine with returning players such as steady senior forward Terrance Jamison and junior guard Jack Gonzalez, a native of the Dominican Republic, who has risen his game to another level this winter.
As far as who will be making decisions as far as how the field will ultimately look for the 79th ECT will be the 8-member coaches seeding committee which represents all six divisions including also ‘at large’ member Mike Passero of Bloomfield along with Anthony Tavares of East Side (Liberty Division), Pat Leonardis of Millburn (Colonial), Jimmy Salmon of Newark Tech (American), Sterling Gibbs of SHP (American), Elijah Allen of University (Independence), Charles Alexander of Weequahic (National), Robert Cole of West Caldwell Tech (Freedom) and Akbar Cook of West Side (Liberty).
The returning ECT co-directors are athletic directors Dan Romano of Caldwell and Larry Baggitt of SHP.
The ECT quarterfinals, which like the preliminary and first rounds will be played at the homecourt of the higher seeded team, are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 7, with the semifinals and championship game on Feb. 14 and Feb. 21, with both of those rounds being held in West Orange High School’s Tarnoff Gymnasium.
ECT Invitational Will Head Into Its Second Year
The ECT instituted an additional element to the entire event last season to try and add more zest and interest while following an identical format that has worked for the past few seasons in nearby Bergen County which utilizes a 2-tourney format for its boys basketball teams with the longtime Bergen Jamboree still creating the most attention with its elite-level teams such as Don Bosco Prep and Bergen Catholic, but with the addition of a Bergen County Invitational tourney providing excitement for an additional set of schools, including many of the smaller publics.
The plan as introduced last year is for 40 schools to be initially entered in the ECT with seeds 1 through 24 in the traditional ECT and seeds 25-40 in the new Invitational field.
Seeds 1-8 in the ECT receive a bye in the preliminary round games which determine two 16-team fields.
First up has seeds 25-40 in the invitational field playing to determine eight winners who then advance to match up with seeds 9-16 from the traditional ECT’s field of teams.
The eight winners from that second preliminary round then move into the ECT first round (or the Round of 16), where they will face the teams seeded 1-8 who had received an initial bye.
The eight losing teams from the prelim round in the ECT move into the invitational tourney for its own Round of 16.
Livingston won the initial ECT Invitational title last February with a 50-48 victory at East Side.
The 78 ECT Boys Finals:
2025: Seton Hall Prep 65 Payne Tech 61
2024: St. Benedict’s 57 Immaculate 34
2023: Seton Hall Prep 46 Arts 32
2022: Seton Hall Prep 60 Central 55
2021: no tourney due to covid-19
2020: Immaculate 63 Seton Hall Prep 51
2019: East Side 69 Immaculate 66
2018: East Side 58 Immaculate 54
2017: East Side 43 West Side 38
2016: Seton Hall Prep 50 East Side 44
2015: Seton Hall Prep 70 East Orange Campus 62
2014: East Side 60 Seton Hall Prep 42
2013: Seton Hall Prep 58 East Side 47
2012: Seton Hall Prep 67 University 47
2011: Seton Hall Prep 61 Irvington 49
2010: University 67 Seton Hall Prep 57
2009: University 59 East Side 48
2008: Science Park 54 Seton Hall Prep 43
2007: Seton Hall Prep 56 Bloomfield Tech 49
2006: Bloomfield Tech 79 Columbia 43
2005: Seton Hall Prep 56 Bloomfield Tech 31
2004: Seton Hall Prep 84 Bloomfield Tech 59
2003: East Side 53 Seton Hall Prep 47
2002: East Side 61 Seton Hall Prep 50
2001: Shabazz 49 Seton Hall Prep 44
2000: Seton Hall Prep 61 West Side 39
1999: Seton Hall Prep 91 Barringer 46
1998: Seton Hall Prep 56 Clifford Scott 36
1997: Seton Hall Prep 57 Shabazz 53
1996: Seton Hall Prep 56 Montclair 49
1995: Irvington 62 Montclair 58
1994: Irvington 70 Clifford Scott 69
1993: Irvington 66 Clifford Scott 62
1992: Irvington 67 Essex Catholic 53
1991: Seton Hall Prep 75 Clifford Scott 55
1990: Shabazz 59 Clifford Scott 57
1989: Clifford Scott 72 Shabazz 62
1988: Shabazz 61 Orange 56
1987: East Orange 73 Orange 60
1986: East Orange 59 Bloomfield 47
1985: Montclair 50 Seton Hall Prep 48
1984: Clifford Scott 67 Montclair 65
1983: Montclair 66 Seton Hall Prep 64 (2OT)
1982: Montclair 75 Shabazz 46
1981: East Orange 64 Shabazz 50
1980: Weequahic 62 Our Lady of the Valley 48
1979: *Our Lady of the Valley 78 Orange 76
1978: Our Lady of the Valley 61 Shabazz 56
1977: East Orange 76 Bloomfield 72
1976: East Orange 89 Bloomfield 67
1975: East Orange 90 Essex Catholic 85
1974: East Orange 76 Orange 72
1973: Central: 55 East Orange 54
1972: Weequahic 86 East Orange 78
1971: South Side 60 Bloomfield 50
1970: East Orange 54 South Side 53
1969: South Side 53 Vailsburg 38
1968: Orange 65 Central 64
1967: Weequahic 79 Central 55
1966: Weequahic 54 East Orange 36
1965: South Side 68 East Orange 58
1964: South Side 53 Central 41
1963: Central 64 St. Benedict’s 38
1962: Clifford Scott 56 Seton Hall Prep 47
1961: South Side 67 Immaculate 48
1960: Bloomfield 46 Montclair 45
1959: Orange 37 Irvington 35
1958: Bloomfield 57 West Orange 33
1957: Bloomfield 57 St. Benedict’s 55
1956: Seton Hall Prep 51 East Side 48
1955: West Side 33 Orange 31
1954: Montclair 61 South Side 52
1953: Orange 41 Montclair 33
1952: Seton Hall Prep 67 West Orange 44
1951: Seton Hall Prep 41 Belleville 37
1950: Belleville 38 Central 32
1949: Bloomfield 48 Seton Hall Prep 43
1948: Belleville 28 Immaculate 23
1947: Orange 46 Belleville 27
*Valley had to vacate 1979 title
**ECT historical information provided by Jeff Goldberg
***
Super Essex Conference Boys Basketball Divisional Alignment 2025-2026
AMERICAN DIVISION: St. Benedict’s, Arts, East Orange Campus, Seton Hall Prep, Payne Tech, Newark Tech
LIBERTY DIVISION: Central, East Side, West Side, Caldwell, Columbia, Newark Collegiate
COLONIAL DIVISION: Irvington, Orange, Bloomfield, Millburn, Montclair, Livingston
INDEPENDENCE DIVISION: West Orange, West Essex, Belleville, University, Science Park, North Star Academy, Glen Ridge
FREEDOM DIVISION: West Caldwell Tech, Verona, Shabazz, MKA, Newark Academy, Cedar Grove
NATIONAL DIVISION: Nutley, Weequahic, Barringer, Eagle Academy, Newark Lab, Technology, Golda Och, Bard
***
ECT Past Greats, A Partial List:
Alaa Abdelnaby, Bloomfield, Duke, NBA
Nas Amos, East Side, Felician College
Cliff Anderson, Essex Catholic, St. Peter’s College
Anthony Avent, Shabazz, Seton Hall University
Drayton Bembry, Central, Tennessee State
Michael Booker, East Orange, Upsala
Ira Bowman, Seton Hall Prep, Providence/Penn, NBA
Clyde Bradshaw, East Orange, DePaul
Mark Brown, Columbia, Siena
Mike Brown, Our Lady Of The Valley/Scott, George Washington, NBA
Ramadan Brunson, Irvington
Mark Bryant, Columbia, Seton Hall University, NBA
Da’Sean Butler, Bloomfield Tech, West Virginia
Brandon Costner, Seton Hall Prep, North Carolina State
Mike Dabney, East Orange, Rutgers
Cleveland Eugene, East Orange, Edward Williams (JUCO)
Randy Foye, East Side, Villanova, NBA
Ashton Gibbs, Seton Hall Prep, Pittsburgh
Sterling Gibbs, Seton Hall Prep, Texas, Seton Hall, UConn
T.J. Gibbs, Seton Hall Prep, Notre Dame
Lou Grimsley, Shabazz/Weequahic
Greg James, East Orange
Larry Johnson, South Side, Rhode Island
Dwayne Jones, Montclair, Central Connecticut
Edgar Jones, Barringer, Nevada Reno, NBA
Bill Key, Central, Colorado State
Brevin Knight, Seton Hall Prep, Stanford, NBA
Ron Kornegay, South Side, Monmouth
Paul Lape, Bloomfield, Seton Hall University/William Paterson
Bill Langheld, Seton Hall Prep, Canisius
Dennis “Mo” Layton, Weequahic, USC, NBA
Fred Matthews, Montclair, Montclair State
Keven McDonald, Seton Hall Prep, Penn
Curtis Ritchwood, Montclair, CCM/Mississippi
John Suminski, Essex Catholic, Seton Hall University
Kelly Tripucka, Bloomfield, Notre Dame, NBA
Greg Tynes, Orange, Seton Hall University
Troy Webster, Our Lady of the Valley/Clifford Scott, George Washington
Spencer Weiz Seton Hall Prep, Princeton
Grover Woolard, Central, Moorhead State
Lonnie Wright, South Side, Colorado State
Kenny Young, East Orange, Duke/ Montclair State
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