Seton Hall Prep basketball players earn All-Area honors

WEST ORANGE – The Seton Hall Prep varsity basketball team enjoyed a memorable season, finishing with a fantastic 29-2 record.

Led by one of the best players in the state in senior guard TJ Gibbs, the Pirates won the Essex County Tournament championship for the second year in a row. SHP has won a tournament-record 17 ECT titles.

The Pirates brought a 24-game winning streak into the state North Jersey Non-Public A tournament championship at the Rutgers Athletic Center, but lost to top-seeded Don Bosco Prep, 73-53, to end the season.

Gibbs became the program’s all-time leading scorer during the sectional final, surpassing his older brother Sterling Gibbs’ mark. TJ, who will play at the University of Notre Dame on a full basketball scholarship, leads several SHP players on the Worrall Media All-Area first team. TJ also is the All-Area Boys’ Basketball All-Area Player of the Year.

TJ averaged 20.6 points 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals this season, and finished his career with 1,987 points, three more points than Sterling.

Other SHP players on the All-Area first team include:

• Zach Keller, senior forward. Keller averaged 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. He will play quarterback for the Princeton University football team in the fall.
• Stephen Ferraro, senior guard. Ferraro averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.
• Treyvon Bennett, junior forward. He averaged 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
• Ryan Toohers, senior forward. Toohers averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Toohers, a first baseman, will play baseball at Villanova University next year.

In addition, senior guard JJ Jenkins (3.9 points per game) and junior guard Austin Williams (5.5 points per game) made All-Area second team.