Three of the Final Four teams from last year’s CVC Boys Basketball Tournament are back in the semifinals, and the question is whether either of the underdogs can score an upset this time. No. 9 Robbinsville (16-8) will play at No. 2 Trenton (17-7) on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., while No. 12 Notre Dame (6-20) will get another crack at No. 1 Lawrence (17-7) at 6 p.m. Robbinsville has never been to the final round of the CVC or Mercer County Tournament (became defunct after the 2023-24 season) but now has advanced to the semifinals for three straight years, so what would a breakthrough win mean? “It would mean a lot to us,” said senior Tyler Bunnell, who is Robbinsville’s all-time leading scorer with 1,536 points and counting. “Our whole team, it’s been a goal our whole career, honestly. We’re gonna do our best to prepare for that and we’re gonna try to get there.” The Ravens have shown tremendous growth this season, highlighted by the fact that they lost to Ewing at home by 15 points in mid-December, then came back and won at the Blue Devils’ house in overtime in the CVC quarterfinals last Thursday, 61-57. One of the big reasons for the turnaround has been Robbinsville’s ability to handle ball pressure. Guards like Jackson Davis (second on the team in points), Gavin Hopkins (first on the team in assists) and Jax Kaber have all gained varsity experience and work hard in practice. Trenton, like Ewing, thrives on forcing turnovers and playing in transition, but at an even higher level. Robbinsville coach Conor Hayes noted that Trenton had about 56 transition points when Robbinsville lost to Trenton by 19 points in mid-December, so the key will be forcing the Tornadoes to play more half-court offense. “Ewing is a phenomenal team; they don’t necessarily have the size that Trenton has, which adds an extra dimension to the pressure and the intensity, and they’re physical,” Hayes said. “Kaleb Smith inside in an eraser at the rim. (Aivaye) Ingram is a huge athlete. They’re one of the teams that match up with us athletically with those two guys. They can match up with Liam (Butler) and Ty really well.” Ingram (21.8 points per game) leads the CVC in scoring and forms a lethal duo alongside Juan Sanchez (19.2 points per game). Jaydon English-Fulton adds 13.7 points per game, while Smith offers 7.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Trenton lost to Ewing in last year’s CVC quarterfinals but has ascended this season with a developed nucleus. The Tornadoes’ only CVC loss came against Hopewell Valley with two players suspended. “Trenton, in my eyes, has been the best team in the county all year,” Hayes said. “Darryl (Young) gets them playing ferocious on defense. The thing I appreciate most about watching them is they don’t have a game like our first half (against Nottingham on Saturday). There’s no ‘them not being turned on and ready to go’ from the moment the jump ball goes up. They are the hard-working team on the court. They love playing defense and they play it really well, so it’s gonna be a tough test for us.” In other semifinal, it’s a rematch from last year of crosstown rivals. Notre Dame, despite coming into the tournament with only four wins, has made an unprecedented run as the No. 12 seed thanks to the return of senior guard Will Foley, who missed four weeks with a fractured wrist. Foley dropped 27 points in the quarterfinals at Hopewell Valley and a season-high 30 points in the first round at Hightstown. Lucas Chuderewicz has been another key guard for the team with 10.6 points per game. After losing in the season opener at Lawrence by nine points, Notre Dame — like Robbinsville — is looking for a poetic moment. “Crosstown rival, they’re a great team obviously. They earned the one seed for a reason,” Foley said. “Marvin (McNeill) is a great player, but I’m super excited to get that semifinal matchup again.” McNeill has indeed been a dominant force for Lawrence with 17.3 points per game. He is arguably the CVC’s best guard at creating plays off the dribble, and he is surrounded by perhaps the league’s deepest backcourt with weapons like Michael Carrick (12 points per game), Josh Wilson (nine points per game) and Blake Amos-Whitfield (8.1 points per game). Coach Jeff Molinelli’s Cardinals are aiming for redemption in this tournament after falling as the No. 2 seed in last year’s CVC final to Ewing. The winners of the semifinals advance to Saturday’s 5 p.m. championship at West Windsor-Plainsboro North. ...read more read less