Wild weekend ahead: 11 bold predictions in boys basketball for Jan. 11-13

There is a ton of great action this weekend. Some of the state's top teams will be battling it out in showcases here in New Jersey, while three of the state's best squads are heading up to Massachusetts to take on national powerhouse.

In preparation for an exciting weekend, NJ.com's boys basketball reporters took a look into their crystal ball and made 11 bold predictions.

As tough as it always was to have  one's team on the floor against Bob Hurley's St. Anthony powerhouse all those years, some of the greatest angst of opposing coaches was no doubt formed during timeouts and in between quarters. No one matched the level of creativity and effectiveness of inbound plays that Hurley designed throughout his 45 years (and 1,185 victories) coaching the Friars.

But on Saturday at the Dan Finn Classic at the Jersey City Armory, Hudson Catholic coach Nick Mariniello will summon the spirit of St. Anthony and guide his second-ranked Hawks past seventh-ranked Patrick School with the help of several well-executed inbound plays. Hurley is still very much alive, but St. Anthony is not, having been forced to close its doors last June due to declining enrollment and an uncertain financial future. Mariniello was victimized by Hurley's high-percentage inbound calls numerous times in his career, though not last March. His Hawks dealt the Friars the final loss in their illustrious history, 64-61, in the North Jersey, Non-Public B championship.

This may not be enough to send non-public hoopsters scrambling back to their local sending districts, but the public schools will have their say this weekend (though barely) at the Public vs Private Showcase at Bergen Community College. There are nine games slated over two days, and the bold hunch here is that the publics come away with a 5-4 edge. Look for senior guard Jaylen Colon to do special things (like 25-point-vicinity special) along with junior forward Avante Gilbert as Paterson Kennedy (5-3) starts off the showcase 4 p.m. Saturday with a stunning victory over Lawrenceville. Another unexpected result will be spun by the productive hands of West Milford junior Josiah Basket (25.8 ppg.) as he steers the Highlanders (3-3) past DePaul (3-4) in the Sunday opener at noon.

Montclair Immaculate (6-2), ranked No. 13 in the NJ.com Top 20, won't have quite enough to produce an upset over nationally-ranked Findlay Prep (Nev.) Sunday at the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass. However,  Syracuse-bound senior guard Jalen Carey (averaging 25.7 ppg.) will play so well for Immaculate against Findlay, that he'll create widespread excitement at his future home in uptsate New York. Such a stir, in fact, that a group of clever interns in the athletic department suggest to head coach Jim Boeheim that 'Cuse rebrand the Carrier Dome to the Carey-er Dome in his honor each Jan. 14 during Carey's four years at the university. Boeheim declines, but threatens to replace the interns with a flock of Carey-er pigeons.