TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Isaiah Briscoe has never been lacking in confidence.
So minutes after winning the New Jersey Non-Public B state title on Saturday night, it was no surprise that the Kentucky-bound Briscoe guaranteed that he and his Roselle (N.J.) Catholic teammates would win the upcoming New Jersey Tournament of Champions title.
“We going to win, we going to win it,” Briscoe said after going for 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists as Roselle Catholic held off Naismith Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley and St. Anthony, 56-52.
Asked what it would mean to end his high school career by winning the elusive TOC, he said, “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
After the games were postponed due to weather, No. 1 seed Roselle Catholic will play Paulsboro in one semifinal on Saturday back in Toms River.
Syracuse-bound forward Moustapha Diagne and Pope John are the No. 2 seed and will get Newark Tech in the second semifinal
The championship game is set for March 23 in Trenton.
Roselle Catholic won the TOC in 2013 when Briscoe was still at St. Benedict’s Prep, but Briscoe and company lost in last year’s semifinals to Newark East Side.
Current Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns, whom many believe should be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, won the TOC a year ago when St. Joe’s-Metuchen beat East Side in the final.
If Roselle Catholic wins this year, it will mark the second straight season a Kentucky pledge has won New Jersey’s ultimate team prize.
SCHEDULE
SEMIFINALSPINE BELT ARENA, TOMS RIVER
SATURDAY, MARCH 21 3:00 PM No. 1 Roselle Catholic vs. No. 5 Paulsboro
5:00 PM No. 2 Pope John vs. No. 6 Newark Tech FINAL
SUN NATIONAL BANK CENTER, TRENTON
MONDAY, MARCH 23
Semifinal winners, 8 p.m. Photo: NJ.com
