Boys Basketball preview, 2021: Here’s what all 15 conferences will look like
The New Jersey high school basketball season is scheduled to begin its regular season on Jan. 26 and the NJ.com boys basketball staff is ready for the opening tip.
As part of our 2021 preview, check out the list below of what each of the state’s 15 conferences will look like this season.
Big North Conference
United Division: Bergen Catholic, DePaul, Don Bosco Prep, Paramus Catholic, St. Joseph (Mont.)
Independence Division: Fair Lawn, Lakeland, Passaic Valley, Wayne Hills, Wayne Valley, West Milford
National Division: Bergenfield, Demarest, Old Tappan, Pascack Valley, Teaneck, Tenafly
Liberty Division: Bergen Tech, Clifton, Paterson Eastside, Paterson Kennedy, Passaic, Passaic Tech
Freedom Division: Hackensack, Indian Hills, Northern Highlands, Paramus, Ramapo, Ridgewood
Patriot Division: Mahwah, Pascack Hills, Ramsey, River Dell, Westwood
American Division: Cliffside Park, Dumont, Dwight Morrow, Fort Lee, Ridgefield Park
Burlington County League
Bordentown, Burlington Township, Cinnaminson, Delran, Doane Academy, Florence, Holy Cross Prep, Maple Shade, Moorestown, New Egypt, Northern Burlington, Palmyra, Pemberton, Pennsauken, Rancocas Valley, Riverside, STEM Civics, Trenton Catholic
NOTE: Burlington City, Medford Tech, Westampton Tech and Willingboro have opted out and there is no division play this season.
Cape-Atlantic League
North Division: Absegami, Atlantic Tech, Cedar Creek, Egg Harbor Township, Holy Spirit, Oakcrest, Pleasantville
East Division: Atlantic City, Cape May Tech, Lower Cape May, Mainland, Middle Township, Ocean City, Wildwood Catholic
West Division: Bridgeton, Buena, Hammonton, Millville, St. Augustine, St. Joseph (Hamm.), Vineland
Colonial Conference
Liberty Division: Collingswood, Haddon Heights, Haddon Township, Haddonfield, Sterling, West Deptford
Patriot Division: Audubon, Gateway, Gloucester, Lindenwold, Paulsboro, Woodbury
Colonial Valley Conference
Allentown, Ewing, Hamilton West, Hightstown, Hopewell Valley, Lawrence, Notre Dame, Nottingham, Princeton, Robbinsville, Steinert, Trenton, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, West Windsor-Plainsboro South
NOTE: There is no division play this season.
Greater Middlesex Conference
Red Division: East Brunswick, J.P. Stevens, Monroe, New Brunswick, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, St. Joseph, South Brunswick
White Division: Carteret, Colonia, Edison, Iselin Kennedy, North Brunswick, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sayreville, Woodbridge
Blue Division: Dunellen, Highland Park, Metuchen, Middlesex, South Plainfield, South River, Spotswood
Gold Division: Calvary Christian, East Brunswick Tech, Perth Amboy Tech, Piscataway Tech, Somerset Tech, South Amboy, Timothy Christian, Wardlaw-Hartridge
Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic League
Bayonne, Dickinson, Ferris, Hoboken, Hudson Catholic, Kearny, Lincoln, McNair, Memorial, North Bergen, St. Peter’s Prep, Snyder, Union City
Note: University Charter has opted out this season. There is no division play this season.
Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference
American Division: Chatham, Delbarton, Mendham, Pope John, Randolph, Sparta, West Morris
Colonial Division: Hopatcong, Kittatinny, Lenape Valley, North Warren, Sussex Tech, Vernon
Freedom Division: Hackettstown, High Point, Jefferson, Morris Tech, Newton, Wallkill Valley
Independence Division: Boonton, Kinnelon, Parsippany, Pequannock, Whippany Park
Liberty Division: Dover, Hanover Park, Madison, Morris Catholic, Morristown-Beard, Mountain Lakes
National Division: Montville, Morris Hills, Morris Knolls, Morristown, Mount Olive, Parsippany Hills, Roxbury
North Jersey Interscholastic Conference
Division 1: Butler, Pompton Lakes, Eastern Christian, Hawthorne Christian, Hawthorne, Glen Rock
Division 2: Midland Park, Saddle River Day, Waldwick, Park Ridge, Cresskill, Emerson Boro
Division 3: Dwight-Englewood, New Milford, Bogota, Palisades Park, Ridgefield, Leonia
Division 4: Harrison, Secaucus, Lyndhurst, North Arlington, Rutherford, Weehawken
Division 5: St. Mary (Ruth.), Becton, Wood-Ridge, Wallington, Hasbrouck Heights, Bergen Charter
Division 6: Elmwood Park, Garfield, Lodi, Paterson Charter, Saddle Brook, Manchester Regional
Olympic Conference
Bishop Eustace, Camden, Camden Catholic, Cherokee, Cherry Hill East, Cherry Hill West, Eastern, Lenape, Paul VI, Seneca, Shawnee, Washington Township, Winslow, Woodrow Wilson
NOTE: There is no division play this season.
Super Essex Conference
American Division: Columbia, East Side, Irvington, Montclair Immaculate, Payne Tech, Seton Hall Prep, University
Colonial Division: Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Livingston, Millburn, Verona
Freedom Division: Cedar Grove, Montclair Kimberley, Nutley, Science Park, Shabazz, Technology, Weequahic, West Caldwell Tech
Independence Division: Arts, Barringer, Collegiate, Eagle Academy, Glen Ridge, Newark Academy, West Essex
Liberty Division: Central, East Orange, Orange, Montclair, Newark Tech, West Orange, West Side
NOTE: Golda Och and North Star have opted out this season.
Shore Conference
Pod 1: Christian Brothers, Freehold Boro, Freehold Township, Manalapan, Marlboro, Middletown South
Pod 2: Long Branch, Monmouth, Red Bank Regional, Red Bank Catholic, Rumson-Fair Haven, Shore
Pod 3: Colts Neck, Holmdel, Matawan, Middletown North, Raritan, St. John Vianney
Pod 4: Manasquan, Neptune, Ocean Township, Ranney, St. Rose, Wall
Pod 5: Asbury Park, Henry Hudson, Keansburg, Keyport, Mater Dei Prep, Point Pleasant Beach
Pod 6: Brick Township, Brick Memorial, Central Regional, Jackson Memorial, Howell, Lakewood
Pod 7: Donovan Catholic, Lacey, Southern, Toms River East, Toms River North, Toms River South
Pod 8: Barnegat, Jackson Liberty, Manchester Township, Pinelands, Point Pleasant Boro
Skyland Conference
Delaware Division: Hunterdon Central, Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, Franklin, Watchung Hills, Gill St. Bernard’s
Raritan Division: Ridge, Phillipsburg, Montgomery, North Hunterdon, Immaculata, Rutgers Prep
Valley Division: Warren Hills, Somerville, Voorhees, Bernards, North Plainfield, Bound Brook
Mountain Division: Belvidere, Manville, South Hunterdon, Pingry, Delaware Valley, Warren Tech
Tri-County Conference
Classic Division: Clayton, Gloucester Catholic, Pennsville, Pitman, Salem, Wildwood
Diamond Division: Glassboro, Overbrook, Penns Grove, Schalick, Woodstown,
Liberty Division: Cumberland, Delsea, Deptford, Highland, Triton
Royal Division: Clearview, GCIT, Kingsway, Timber Creek, Williamstown
Union County Conference
Mountain Division: Cranford, Hillside, New Providence, Oratory, Rahway, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Summit.
Valley Division: Brearley, Dayton, Gov. Livingston, Johnson, Roselle, Roselle Park.
Watchung Division: Elizabeth, Linden, Plainfield, Roselle Catholic, Union, Union Catholic, Westfield.
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Kevin Minnick covers South Jersey boys basketball. He can be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kminnicksports
Mike Kinney covers North and Central Jersey boys basketball. He can be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikeKinneyHS
Brandon Gould covers North and Central Jersey boys basketball. He can be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonGouldHS