Players throughout the state delivered this winter.
Some won championships and cemented their legacies, while others led their teams to the best season in program history. There were eye-catching performances and can’t-miss moments from beginning to end.
The NJ.com boys basketball staff has highlighted the top players and featured the best of the best on its 2025-26 All-State and All-Group teams.
BOYS THIRD TEAM ALL-STATE
Picture by: Matthew Wood | For NJ Advance MediaMatt Kennedy
St. Mary (Rutherford), Sr.
Position: Guard
Ht.: 6-4
College choice: Undecided
Resume: Kennedy took St. Mary (Ruth.) to new heights this winter. Reaching the Bergen Jamboree championship for the first time in history, St. Mary was led by Kennedy, who averaged 23 points in four county tournament contests. A marksman from beyond the arc, Kennedy’s game opened up thanks to his ability to drive with brute force and finish in the restricted area seamlessly. He averaged 22 points on the season and made 103 3-pointers, which was third-most in the state. The Lodi legend also paved the Gaels to a championship in the NJIC Tournament, defeating Lyndhurst behind a 20-6-4 line. He also kept his team in the game at Gill St. Bernard’s, scoring seven consecutive points in the closing minutes to cut the deficit to four points on the road against the third-ranked team in N.J. Kennedy produced 20 or more points in 20 games, which included a pair of 30-point efforts. He also grabbed 6.9 rebounds per game, totaling four double-doubles. Kennedy will graduate with 1,448 career points and 225 3-pointers.
Boys Basketball All-Group 1 teams
First Team
Andrew Del Rey, Waldwick, Sr., G
Second Team
Luke Kopczynski, Cresskill, Sr., F
Boys Basketball All-Group 2 team
First Team
Johnny Chaname, Lyndhurst, Sr., G
Boys Basketball All-Non-Public teams
Second Team
Matt Kennedy, St. Mary (Ruth.), Sr., G
NJIC 2026 boys basketball Player of the Year & full conference honors
Player of the Year
Matt Kennedy, St. Mary (Ruth.), Sr., G
Kennedy rose to superstardom this winter. As the main scoring option for a St. Mary team that remained in the statewide Top 20 all season, Kennedy averaged 22 points and 6.9 rebounds, and produced four double-doubles.
Finishing third in New Jersey with 103 3-pointers, Kennedy led the Gaels to a championship in the NJIC Tournament, as well as a finals appearance in the Bergen Jamboree.
He was difficult to stop from beyond the arc, but Kennedy’s strength down low made him a complete player and one of the premier scorers in the Garden State. He knocked in 20 or more points in 20 games, including a pair of 30-point efforts. In three varsity seasons, Kennedy totaled 1,448 points, averaging 17.2 for his career.
Coach of the Year
Perrin Mosca, Lyndhurst
You’ll have to dial it back to the early 1980s when Lyndhurst last won a sectional title.
Defeating the reigning champs in Madison, Lyndhurst won the North 2 Group 2 section tournament at home in dramatic fashion following Johnny Chaname’s unforgettable buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Mosca was able to hone in on Lyndhurst’s strengths this winter, which started with scoring. The Golden Bears scored 2,106 points this year, the most among all NJIC teams. That averaged out to a tick under 68 points per game, which included 94 and 85-point performances in the postseason.
Lyndhurst went 10-0 in the Meadowlands Division. They also reached the NJIC Tournament championship, and took Ramsey to two overtimes in the Group 2 state semifinal despite not leading for the greater majority of the second half and all of overtime. This was a never-say-die group that saw Chaname lead the state with 115 3-pointers, averaging 23.2 points. Avery Cano chipped in with 16.2 points and Filoteo Mosca added 11.7 points. Sam Ijeh produced 9.0 points, too.
Team of the Year
St. Mary (Ruth.)
For the fifth consecutive season, the Gaels won 20 or more games. But, this campaign also came with some history.
Finishing the season ranked No. 13 in the NJ.com Top 20, St. Mary reached the Bergen Jamboree championship for the first time ever. They also won the NJIC Tournament, plus the league title with a 10-0 record in the Colonial Division. Coach Brian Gaccione cashed in for his 400th career victory, too.
Headlined by senior Matt Kennedy’s 22 points and 103 made 3-pointers, St. Mary also reached the Non-Public B North section semifinals. They ultimately lost by eight points, but brought the game within four in the closing minute-plus against No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s on the road.
Sophomore Jake Ellis put himself on alert after averaging 13.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. Junior Merrick Olkowski produced eight double-doubles, averaging 11.3 points and 7.8 boards. CJ Brown, Eli Quiles, Ilan Santos, Xavier Sam, and Quentin Bunn were all significant contributors to St. Mary, too.
Final rankings
- 1-St. Mary (Ruth.) (25-5)
- 2-Lyndhurst (21-10)
- 3-Waldwick (21-10)
- 4-Dwight-Englewood (18-10)
- 5-Cresskill (24-5)
- 6-Glen Rock (16-12)
- 7-Paterson Charter (13-11)
- 8-Midland Park (18-10)
- 9-Elmwood Park (13-11)
- 10-Emerson Boro (21-7)
