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Who is the best boys basketball player from North Jersey?
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities.
These are our selections for the boys basketball players who defined North Jersey. The players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and professional levels.
We even saved a spot for you to write-in a candidate that we may have overlooked or that you feel strongly about.
Campbell was the first 1,000-point career scorer for the Highwaymen and led them to their first two Bergen County Jamboree titles (1979-80). The 6-foot-7 forward scored 1,153 career points and in 1980 guided the team to a Group 4 sectional title. He starred at Ohio State, then played 11 seasons in the NBA.
Cason is North Jersey’s all-time leading scorer with 2,871 points. The 6-8 center led the program to a trio of Group 1 state titles (1968, 70-71) and his coach was the legendary Dick Vitale. Alas, Cason is a cautionary tale for student-athletes, arrested dozens of times for drug dealing, and he died in 1997 at age 43.
Freemantle was the centerpiece for the program that won 2019 Bergen Jamboree and Non-Public A state titles and reached its first Tournament of Champions final. The 6-9 forward scored 1,152 career points. He was a standout at Xavier, and this past season he played for the NBA G League’s San Diego Clippers.
Gerdy is Passaic County’s all-time scorer with 2,613 points, and well before the advent of the 3-pointer. The 6-5 guard led the Hornets to their first Passaic County title in 1975, after they reached the final in 1972 and 1974. He starred at Davidson, scoring 2,483 points. He was drafted by the Nets and later played in the CBA.
Harper is the best to come out of North Jersey this century. The 6-5 guard led the Ironmen to back-to-back Bergen Jamboree titles (2023-24) and closed his career by winning the Non-Public A state crown. He scored a school-record 1,648 career points. He’s a rookie with San Antonio after being chosen No. 2 overall by the Spurs.
Scott was a 6-6 wing who led the Ghosts to back-to-back Passaic County titles. (1990-91). Despite missing the start of his senior season due to injury, he scored 1,764 career points. He was a two-time JUCO All-American who played his final two seasons at St. John’s. In 1996, he played eight games for the Miami Heat.
Sullivan carried the the mantle for small schools. The 6-8 forward scored 2,546 career points, No. 3 all-time in Bergen County, and led the Bucs to 1990 Bergen Jamboree and Group 1 state titles. He played at North Carolina, a member of three NCAA Final Four teams and the 1993 champions and is an assistant at his alma mater.
Thomas was a three-time high school All-American who led the Cougars to two Passaic County titles and the 1994 Non-Public B state crown and Tournament of Champions final. His 2,232 career points are No. 2 all-time in Passaic County. The 6-9 forward played 13 NBA seasons and is the coach at Paramus Catholic.
Thompson starred for the “Wonder Team,” which gained national notoriety for winning a record 159 consecutive games from 1919-1925. Their average margin of victory was 59.5-to-20.2, and Thompson was reported to be the first in the country to score more than 1,000 points in a season, over 33 games in 2021-22.
White was North Jersey’s greatest of his generation. White led the 1946-47 team to a 28-0 season, featuring a 49-point game, and Northeastern High School championship. In 1950-51 at LIU, he was the nation’s leading scorer at 27.7 per game, but he was indicted in a point-shaving scandal and banned for life from the NBA.
Willoughby was among the early pioneers to make the jump from high school directly to the NBA. The 6-8 forward scored 2,371 career points and led the Maroon Raiders to the 1975 Group 2 state championship. At the 1975 NBA Draft, he was selected 19th overall by the Atlanta Hawks and played eight seasons.
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Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities.
These are our selections for the boys basketball players who defined North Jersey. The players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and professional levels.
We even saved a spot for you to write-in a candidate that we may have overlooked or that you feel strongly about.
Tony Campbell, Teaneck (1980)
Campbell was the first 1,000-point career scorer for the Highwaymen and led them to their first two Bergen County Jamboree titles (1979-80). The 6-foot-7 forward scored 1,153 career points and in 1980 guided the team to a Group 4 sectional title. He starred at Ohio State, then played 11 seasons in the NBA.
Les Cason, East Rutherford (now Becton) (1971)
Cason is North Jersey’s all-time leading scorer with 2,871 points. The 6-8 center led the program to a trio of Group 1 state titles (1968, 70-71) and his coach was the legendary Dick Vitale. Alas, Cason is a cautionary tale for student-athletes, arrested dozens of times for drug dealing, and he died in 1997 at age 43.
Zach Freemantle, Bergen Catholic (2019)
Freemantle was the centerpiece for the program that won 2019 Bergen Jamboree and Non-Public A state titles and reached its first Tournament of Champions final. The 6-9 forward scored 1,152 career points. He was a standout at Xavier, and this past season he played for the NBA G League’s San Diego Clippers.
John Gerdy, Passaic Valley (1975)
Gerdy is Passaic County’s all-time scorer with 2,613 points, and well before the advent of the 3-pointer. The 6-5 guard led the Hornets to their first Passaic County title in 1975, after they reached the final in 1972 and 1974. He starred at Davidson, scoring 2,483 points. He was drafted by the Nets and later played in the CBA.
Dylan Harper, Don Bosco (2024)
Harper is the best to come out of North Jersey this century. The 6-5 guard led the Ironmen to back-to-back Bergen Jamboree titles (2023-24) and closed his career by winning the Non-Public A state crown. He scored a school-record 1,648 career points. He’s a rookie with San Antonio after being chosen No. 2 overall by the Spurs.
James Scott, Eastside (1991)
Scott was a 6-6 wing who led the Ghosts to back-to-back Passaic County titles. (1990-91). Despite missing the start of his senior season due to injury, he scored 1,764 career points. He was a two-time JUCO All-American who played his final two seasons at St. John’s. In 1996, he played eight games for the Miami Heat.
Pat Sullivan, Bogota (1990)
Sullivan carried the the mantle for small schools. The 6-8 forward scored 2,546 career points, No. 3 all-time in Bergen County, and led the Bucs to 1990 Bergen Jamboree and Group 1 state titles. He played at North Carolina, a member of three NCAA Final Four teams and the 1993 champions and is an assistant at his alma mater.
Tim Thomas, Paterson Catholic (1996)
Thomas was a three-time high school All-American who led the Cougars to two Passaic County titles and the 1994 Non-Public B state crown and Tournament of Champions final. His 2,232 career points are No. 2 all-time in Passaic County. The 6-9 forward played 13 NBA seasons and is the coach at Paramus Catholic.
Robert Thompson, Passaic (1922)
Thompson starred for the “Wonder Team,” which gained national notoriety for winning a record 159 consecutive games from 1919-1925. Their average margin of victory was 59.5-to-20.2, and Thompson was reported to be the first in the country to score more than 1,000 points in a season, over 33 games in 2021-22.
Sherman White, Englewood (1947)
White was North Jersey’s greatest of his generation. White led the 1946-47 team to a 28-0 season, featuring a 49-point game, and Northeastern High School championship. In 1950-51 at LIU, he was the nation’s leading scorer at 27.7 per game, but he was indicted in a point-shaving scandal and banned for life from the NBA.
Bill Willoughby, Englewood (1975)
Willoughby was among the early pioneers to make the jump from high school directly to the NBA. The 6-8 forward scored 2,371 career points and led the Maroon Raiders to the 1975 Group 2 state championship. At the 1975 NBA Draft, he was selected 19th overall by the Atlanta Hawks and played eight seasons.
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