Paulsboro producing a basketball buzz

There is an undercurrent around South Jersey that one of the settled matters is this year's Group 1 boys' basketball champion. So many people are awarding that sectional title to Paulsboro, with a little more than a month gone in the season.

That talk is not soothing to coach Sean Collins, but because of his team's quick start, the conversation won't go away.

"We have a lot of work to do," Collins said.

The Red Raiders are 10-0, having survived their most difficult three-game stretch to date by beating Group 2 Haddon Heights, 64-60; defeating Group 3 Delsea, 73-65; and beating rival Woodbury, 86-60.

"We were hoping to get at least two out of three in that stretch," Collins said.

Collins, who was a standout player at Schalick and later competed at Monmouth, is like any coach in that he wants his team concerned only about the next game.

That's sound strategy, but the youngsters are dealing with the daily expectations and it's difficult not to look ahead.

Tuesday's game against Woodbury was played before a packed house at Paulsboro. A school that for years has fielded one of the country's top wrestling programs now is generating a basketball buzz in the community.

"There has been a lot of enthusiasm for the team, and when we have a packed house like this, it really makes us play better," said senior point guard Juwan Alford, who averages a team-high 4.8 assists.

As if the Red Raiders need any more advantages.

They already take the court every night with one of the best players in South Jersey, 6-foot-5 junior Xavier Lundy.

"He could be averaging more points, but he is so unselfish," Collins said.

That said, Lundy is still averaging 21.5 points, along with 11.7 rebounds and 3.5 steals. He has been on the Division I radar since his freshman season, and one of his strongest traits is his smothering defense.

Also, he won't wilt under the high expectations the Red Raiders have produced.

"I like the hype," he said.

It would be a mistake to portray this team as Lundy and four other guys. That's because the other starters can flat-out play. And so can plenty of the reserves.

Collins' biggest dilemma is apportioning playing time.

Besides Alford, the starting guards are seniors Donald Childress and Calvin Johnson. Joining Lundy in the frontcourt is 6-8 Julien Davenport, who could be a Division I football recruit by next season.

And then there is an impressive group of reserves. Against Woodbury, junior swingman Derrick Burgess came off the bench to score 25 points. Freshman guard Theo Holloway is among the up-and-coming young players.

In practice, the players figuratively beat each other up, hoping to earn some of those precious minutes.

"We really go at each other, and what I like is that the young players don't back down one bit," said Alford, who has a 3.8 grade point average. "We have some really talented young players."

And the older guys aren't bad, either.

"They are as good as any team we've seen in Group 1 the last few years," Woodbury coach Kenny Avent said of Paulsboro.

Avent should know a good team when he sees one. He guided the Thundering Herd to consecutive South Jersey Group 1 titles in 2009 and 2010.

Still, Woodbury will get another regular-season crack at Paulsboro and Avent is looking forward to the challenge.

There will be other teams in Group 1 and elsewhere in South Jersey that could provide resistance. Paulsboro will have games next month against heavyweights such as Shawnee, Lenape, Paul VI and Rancocas Valley, just to name a few. That will certainly prepare the Red Raiders for the state tournament.

Collins understands that championships aren't won in January, even though people are trying to crown the Red Raiders.

No, there are plenty of challenges that lie ahead, yet none bigger than finding a better favorite in the Group 1 tournament than the surging Red Raiders.