Boys Basketball – Players of the Week, Jan. 27

Alex Thomson, Sr., Keyport

Other players had good games against better competition, but regardless of the competition, it’s hard to top 40-point games on consecutive nights while reaching the 1,000-point milestone in one of those nights. If the numbers were not enough and flash is your game, Thomson joined Matt Farrell as the second player this year to record his 1,000th point on a dunk. He finished with 40 points and 12 rebounds in a win over METS Charter of Jersey City – including his 1,000^th point – on Thursday and put up 43 points and 13 rebounds one night later in a win over Asbury Park. Thomson is averaging 24.7 points per game in 10 games this season, which leads the Shore Conference.

Honorable Mention

Class A North

Ian Wyckoff, Middletown North – Wyckoff led the Lions in scoring in each of their two wins this past week, posting 18 points in a win over Howell and netting 13 in a defensive struggle against Marlboro.

Red Bank Catholic sophomore Evan Madigan (right) scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Caseys past Manasquan on Friday night. (Photo by Matt Manley)

Class A Central

Evan Madigan, Red Bank Catholic – There were a few other worthy candidates – Dan Largey (Shore), Vinny Facchino (St. John Vianney) and Gerard Nocera (Holmdel) among them – but the Caseys sophomore takes the title for scoring a career-high 24 points in RBC’s big win over 8-2 Manasquan on Friday.

Class A South

Eric Carter, Jackson Memorial – The Jaguars needed a win over a tough Brick Memorial team on the road to get back on track and Carter helped deliver one by scoring 21 points.

Class B North

Jason Dunne, Matawan – Apologies to Terrel Cox, who had two good scoring games (21 and 18 points) against Ocean and Freehold Township, but Dunne gets his second nod this year for a huge 28-point effort in a win over red-hot Holmdel on Saturday. Dunne also had nine points, five assists and four steals in a big divisional win over Red Bank on Thursday.

Class B South

James Sofield, Jackson Liberty – Alex Thomson was the first player to eclipse the 1,000-point milestone this week, but that’s only because Keyport’s game started before Jackson Liberty’s on Thursday. Sofield became the Lions’ first ever Jackson Liberty player to reach 1,000 points with a 27-point game in a win over Brick, then poured in 26 points the next night in a win over Barnegat.