This is the first year of the Super Essex Conference, which is looking like it will be a great success. There are 4 divisions, the American, Liberty, Colonial and Independent.
Seton Hall Prep is the favorite in the top division of the SEC, led by junior guard Sterling Gibbs. Although they are 7-1, the one loss came to non divisional powerhouse Plainfield. Gibbs, who's brother is Ashton, a sophomore guard at Pittsburgh, is considering: Seton Hall U, Maryland, Rutgers, Pitt and Indiana.(acc. ESPN) East Side High School in Newark is a very young, but talented group led by sophomore guard Kasim Chandler and cousin of Corey Chandler, a former Rutgers player. East Side, who is currently 5-1 and Seton Hall are both definitely teams to watch.
Liberty:
A very strong division, led by University(6-1, lost to East Side) Shabazz(4-1, lost to East Side) and West Orange(5-1, lost to Shabazz). Although there is not one standout player, there are many extremely talented, veteran players like senior forward Kazembe Abif of University, senior forward Daveon Boardingham of Shabazz and senior forward Rodney Clervil of West Orange.
Colonial:
What I consider the most exciting division in the conference, the Colonial division has a great mix of youth and veteran talent. Led by the Millburn Millers(7-0) and the Newark Academy Minutemen, the Millers have a veteran d led uo of senior forward Alex Rosenberg and senior guard Joey Kizel, both getting looks from D3 colleges. On the other hand, sophomore guard Zaire Williams are the wheels that make the Minutemen go. After a disappointing loss to Solomon Schechter in the quarter finals of the Prep B tournament last year, NA is back with Williams at the helm. They are 7-1, with there one loss coming to Millburn in overtime. However, they have beaten Irvington, a talented team in the American division. Other teams to watch are Caldwell(4-2) and West Essex(1-4).
Independent:
Don't sleep on the Independent division. Solomon Schechter of West Orange and Montclair Kimberly Academy of Montclair are clearly the best two teams in the conference. Schechter is 3-0, and just dominated Arts High School of Newark by a score of 79-33. They have the top player in the conference in 6"5 junior guard/forward Jacob Susskind, who is getting D1 looks. MKA is 6-1 and with more experience, including Gil St. Brenard transfer John Snow, they have a great chance to rebound from their 5-16 08-09 campaign.
All in all, it should be a very exciting year.
Top team: Seton Hall Prep
Top player: Sterling Gibbs
Team to look out for: Newark Academy
Top Coach: Sandy Pyonin of Solomon Schechter
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