By ADAM ZAGORIA
TINTON FALLS, N.J. — Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis, the two Class of 2019 stars from the Ranney (N.J.) School, will play a loaded schedule in 2018-19 that includes a date with reigning national champion Montverde Academy (FL).
The Ranney School will face Montverde on Friday, Feb. 8 as part of the Metro Classic at Kean University. Led by projected No. 1 pick R.J. Barrett, Montverde won the GEICO High School National Championship last season under legendary coach Kevin Boyle, the former coach at St. Patrick in New Jersey.
Montverde, whose roster this year includes former St. Benedict’s Prep wing Precious Achiuwa, will also play Roselle (N.J.) Catholic, the defending New Jersey Tournament of Champions winner, on Feb. 9 at the Metro Classic. Led by coach Dave Boff, the Lions feature Kentucky-bound wing Kahlil Whitney.
In past years, the Metro Classic has featured Ben Simmons (Montverde, Sixers); Karl-Anthony Towns (St. Joe’s Metuchen, Timberwolves); D’Angelo Russell (Montverde, Lakers; Deandre Bembry (Patrick School, Hawks); Dakari Johnson (Montverde, Thunder); Cheick Diallo (Our Savior, Pelicans); Wade Baldwin (St. Joes Metuchen, Grizzlies); and Malachi Richardson (Trenton Catholic, Kings).
“I think we’re the favorite to win everything [in New Jersey], but we favored ourselves obviously,” Lewis said. “I feel like our chemistry on and off the court is going to lead us to a TOC championship this year.”
Said Antoine: “'[We want to] try to be ranked as a team top 5, top 10 in the country.”
The 6-foot-4 Antoine committed to Villanova in August, while the 6-5 Lewis is down to Florida and Kentucky and has no timetable on a decision.
As part of Ranney’s schedule, the team will also compete in the John Wall Classic Dec. 26-29 in Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; the Battle of the Boardwalk Jan. 12 against Bergen Catholic; the Empire Invitational Jan. 13 in New York against the MacDuffie (MA) School; the HoopHall Classic Jan. 21 in Springfield, MA against Shadow Mountain (AZ); the LeGrand Invitational Jan. 26 against Gill St. Bernard’s at Kean College; the Jersey Shore Challenge Jan. 30 against Roselle Catholic at Brookdale Community College; and the PrimeTime Shootout Feb. 8 against Sanford at Roselle Catholic.
In December, Ranney will also travel to a tournament in either Phoenix, AZ or Orlando, FL.
METRO CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 8
Our Savior New American v Linden
St. Thomas More (CT) v Montverde Center for Basketball Development
Montverde Academy v Ranney School
Saturday, Feb. 9
St. Thomas More v Perkioman School (Pa)
TSF Prep (GA) V Montverde Academy Center for Basketball Development
St. Peter’s Prep v. Rutgers Prep
Long Island Lutheran v. Gill St. Bernards
Montverde Academy v Roselle Catholic
Sunday, Feb. 10
Hunterdon Central v. Union Catholic
Coastal Academy v. TSF Prep
Christ the King v. TBA
Roselle Catholic v. TBA
Montclair Immaculate Academy v. TBA
Rutgers Prep Girls v. TBA
