Camden High boys’ basketball stars scheduled to play in The Throne, a new national championship event
After the Panthers were withdrawn from the NJSIAA postseason, Camden players return to the court in The Throne, a high school club tournament, featuring the top programs in the nation.
Camden High apparently isn’t done playing yet. FOX announced that a high school club team known as the Camden Avalanche will play in The Throne, a new basketball tournament event scheduled to take place at Morehouse College in Atlanta beginning March 29.
Fox released on Wednesday an image of Camden star DJ Wagner and first-round opponent Isaiah Collier, the No. 1-ranked player in the 2023 class according to 247Sports and Rivals. Wagner and Camden teammate Aaron Bradshaw, who also appears on The Throne’s social media promotion of the event, are Kentucky signees who are ranked No. 2 and No. 4 in the country by ESPN. Collier, a USC signee, played for Wheeler High in Marietta, Ga., and his team is entered into The Throne as the Wildcats with three top players sharing the spotlight in the game.
The event in partnership with the NBA players’ union features a 16-team single-elimination bracket over four days with nationally televised games, including Camden playing on FS1. The winners will be declared national champions. When it was noted on Instagram that Camden’s official mascot is the Panthers and no longer the Avalanche, The Throne replied, “Y’all can’t play as the panthers NJ rules.”
Under first-year head coach Maalik Wayns, Camden (23-2) ended its official high school season when an on-court altercation broke out between Camden and Eastside High in the Camden County boys’ basketball championship on Feb. 16. As a result, the Camden City School District withdrew both teams from the NJSIAA tournament, leaving the Panthers unable to defend the Group 2 state championship.