Plainfield High Big Man Najai Hines Commits to Seton Hall

Once a college football prospect, the 6-foot-11 Hines has reclassified and will enter Seton Hall as a freshman in 2025-26

Plainfield's NaJai Hines (25) goes for layup against Montgomery in the Group IV State Championship game on Sunday, March 16, 2025 evening at The Jersey Mike Arena in Piscataway. / Alexander Lewis / MyCentralJersey / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A one-time college football prospect at tight end and a three-star recruit with double-digit FBS offers, Najai Hines transferred in December from South Garner, N.C., to Plainfield, where his family has deep roots.

Hines Led Plainfield to a No. 1 State Ranking

Hines, who led the Cardinals to the top spot in the final 2024-25 High School on SI rankings, saw his stock skyrocket while playing for the New York Rens Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) program this summer, where he recently starred in the Peach Jam in Atlanta where the Rens team reached and fell to Brad Beal Elite, 77-55. At the Peach Jam, the big man averaged 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks across eight games.

Seton Hall's Shaheen Hollow Scouted Hines at the Peach Jam

Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway was at Peach Jam to watch Hines, who also held offers from Kansas, Indiana, NC State and Rutgers. A highlight of his summer plays came when he went for 28 points, 11 boards and 5 blocks in a win over the Florida Rebels at Peach Jam.

Hines Made a Big Splash in His First Game Last Season

In leading Plainfield to a 30-2 record last winter, the massive, yet agile, Hines made a huge splash in his first game for the cardinals with 17 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in a 59-41 victory over Paterson Eastside. His next game was a monster 26-point, 28-rebound, three-block performance to key a 67-44 win over Union County Conference division rival Linden.

A Season with 26 Double-Doubles Was Underscored with a 30-30 Performance

With a staggering 26 double-doubles last season, Hines’ most impressive performance of the season came in a 74-58 victory over Linden in the second round of the Section 2 Group IV tournament when he accumulated an astounding 32 points and 30 rebounds.

An unstoppable force in the low post, Hines would record a double-double in every other game.  In garnering the No. 1 spot in the state’s final poll, Hines guided the Cardinals to both the Union County Tournament and Group 4 state titles - a feat they had realized only once before in 2012 behind 6-8 power forward and future Yale star Justin Sears.

Hines Applauded for His Work Ethic

“Najai is an amazing kid. Has a tremendous work ethic and brings a winning mentality,” said Plainfield head coach Mike Gordon. “He is a great addition to an experienced Seton Hall team. I’m wishing nothing but the best for Najai, his family and Seton Hall.”

Plainfield’s magical 2024-25 season began to come into focus when Hines became eligible to suit up for the Cardinals on January 1. Now, Plainfield had a top-flight inside force to pair with Micah Gordon, one of the nation’s top-rated and most highly-recruited guards in the entire 2027 class.

“I’m very dominant,” Hines told Zagsblog.com following his Seton Hall commitment. “I pride myself in that. I’m very rebound and back-to-basket oriented. I can shoot, which not many people know that because most of the time I’m back-to-basket. But I know where I’m needed, and I knew what I need to do on this team to win.”

This marked the fifth time in Plainfield’s long, proud and rich history that the Cardinals have won a state title. En route to recording a 29-3 record, Plainfield survived arguably the toughest division among all public schools in the state, earning the co-title with Roselle Catholic in the Watchung Division of the Union County Conference, before going on to capture the 88th annual Union County Tournament at Kean University and ultimately the Group IV State championship.

BREAKING: Plainfield star NaJai Hines (@NajaiHines) staying in New Jersey, commits to Seton Hall!

Big news from the Garden State basketball world this morning as reigning JSZ Mr. Hoop Zone NaJai Hines announced his commitment to play for Shaheen Holloway.

Hines averaged 18.6… pic.twitter.com/fbApQgyhQ8

— Jersey Sports Zone (@JSZ_Sports) July 22, 2025

Hines Led Plainfield to a Rare Accomplishment, A Public School State Title

In doing so, the 2024-25 Cardinals joined the 2011-12 team as the only teams in program history win a state and county championship in the same season.

For a public school to win a state title in New Jersey it must overcome astronomical odds. Private schools have poached public school talent in the Garden State for decades and more recently magnet and charter schools have done the same.  But Plainfield head coach Mike Gordon, Jr. stemmed that tide when he and his son, star sophomore point guard Micah Gordon, turned deaf ears to the many programs interested in securing Micah’s services by electing to carve their paths together at Plainfield.

Plainfield etched its name in the history books with a commanding 65-48 triumph over Montgomery in the Group 4 championship game at Rutgers’ Jersey Mikes Arena, a virtuoso performance spearheaded by the standout performances of Gordon, who erupted for 24 points, and Hines who contributed 18 points and 16 rebounds.

Gordon, meanwhile, averaged 16.7 points, 5.4 assists, 3.8 steals and he will enter his junior year with 1,076 career points. The coach’s son will have his day soon enough but at the moment, it’s Najai Hines who is making the headlines.