New Jersey High School Basketball Preseason Rankings: Top 25 Teams

The 2024 high school basketball season in New Jersey is set to begin in early December and the Garden State once again features some of the best hoopers in the Northeast.

Four New Jersey schools check in inside the preseason top 100 national programs, according to the On3 Massey Ratings. Leading the way is Ramsey’s Don Bosco Prep, a top-50 team in the country.

Below are the top 25 teams in New Jersey entering the 2024-25 basketball season, as of Nov. 19, per the On3 Massey Ratings.

The On3 Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.

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1. Don Bosco Prep

Last season, Don Bosco hoisted the NJSAA Non-Public A state championship trophy, capping off an impressive 29-win season. The Ironmen, No. 47 nationally, are favored to repeat coming into the 2024-25 season, with junior four-star center Keiner Asprilla, a top-40 prospect in the 2026 class, looking to lead the way. According to the Massey Ratings, Don Bosco has the No. 4 offensive rating and No. 3 defensive rating in the state.

2. Camden

Camden, the preseason No. 72 team in the nation, continues to churn out top college prospects, and they also hung a banner last season, coming out on top in the South Jersey Group 2 state tourney. The Panthers will look to eclipse their previous 24-win campaign this winter with an offense that ranks No. 3 in the state, per the Massey Ratings. An early ranked matchup against St. Patrick in January will serve as a measuring stick for the John Calipari pipeline.

3. St. Benedict’s Prep

A 22-win year for St. Benedict’s Prep last season ended in the quarterfinals of the Non-Public A state tournament. The Newark program has also accounted for its fair share of college recruits in the past and is eyeing a better campaign this winter. The Gray Bees, preseason No. 74 nationally, have the No. 2 defensive rating in the state entering the season, per the Massey Ratings.

4. The Patrick School

The top-ranked offensive rating in the state, per the Massey Ratings, resides in Hillside. The Patrick School, led by senior four-star shooting guard and Illinois commit Brandon Lee, is expected to overwhelm opposing defenses all season long. The Fighting Celtics also have a top-10 defensive rating and check in at No. 81 nationally.

5. Bergen Catholic

Like St. Benedict’s Prep, Bergen Catholic also saw its 2023-24 season come to an end in the state tournament quarterfinals. The Crusaders still won 22 games and are poised for an even bigger season this winter. Led by junior four-star small forward Julius Avent, a top-70 prospect, Bergen has the No. 2 offensive rating in the state, per the Massey Ratings.

6. St. Peter’s Prep

St. Peter’s Prep is one of three programs in the state top 10 that doesn’t have a top-10 offensive rating, but the Marauders make up it with the top-ranked defensive rating in the Garden State. They’re set to take on plenty of the Northeast’s finest early on in the upcoming season, including a Dec. 21 matchup against Roman Catholic, the No. 1 team in Pennsylvania. St. Peter’s lost in the Non-Public A state title game to Don Bosco Prep last season.

7. Roselle Catholic

Roselle Catholic won 18 games last year and was a semifinalist in the Non-Public B state tournament. The Lions’ roster includes a trio of intriguing junior prospects, headlined by four-star small forward Eric Hillsman, a top-100 overall recruit. Roselle has the No. 6 offensive rating in the state, per the Massey Ratings.

8. St. Rose

Checking in right behind Roselle is the defending Non-Public B state champs. St. Rose was dominant a season ago, finishing with a 20-2 record. The Purple Roses have one of the top junior prospects in the nation in four-star shooting guard Jayden Hodge, the nation’s No. 42 recruit. Spearheaded by a defensive rating that checks in at No. 5 in the state, St. Rose will be a tough out this winter.

9. Hudson Catholic

A Non-Public A state tournament semifinalist last season, Hudson Catholic is once again expected to contend for a title this winter. The Hawks are the only team in the top 10 to not have an offensive or defensive rating that is top-10 in the state, though they are right on the cusp in both. Hudson will look to one-up its 21-9 campaign from last year.

10. Blair Academy

Blair Academy will rely on an elite one-two punch from junior four-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. and senior Boston College three-star center commit Jack Bailey this season. Rippey is the No. 20 recruit in the 2026 class. The Buccaneers from Blairstown have the preseason No. 5 offensive rating in the state, per the Massey Ratings.

Teams 11-25 in New Jersey High School Basketball Rankings

11. Rutgers Prep
12. Immaculate Conception
13. Ramapo
14. Elizabeth St. Patrick
15. Manasquan

16. Elizabeth
17. College Acheive
18. Morris Catholic
19. Paul VI
20. Linden

21. Newark Arts
22. St. Joseph Regional
23. Union Catholic Regional
24. Gill St. Bernards
25. Lenape