Matt Manley

Coming off its worst season ever, Long Branch will be under the direction of one of it's all-time great players as the Green Wave look to claw back to the top of the Shore.

With a balanced group returning for 2021, Brick Memorial enters the season as a legitimate sleeper in Ocean County.

On the heels of a 10-year golden age for the program, a new era of Point Beach basketball begins in 2021.

After years of steady improvement, Brick finally had a down season in 2019-20. With more experience, the Green Dragons are ready to start a new climb.

The conditions could be ripe for Toms River South to move from the bottom of the Toms River basketball totem poll toward the top in 2021.

With a new starting lineup and lots of production to replace, Toms River East embarks on a transition year in 2021.

Raritan will be one of the youngest teams in the Shore in 2021, but the Rockets still have the depth and talent to make noise in the short season.

Coming off a rebuilding 2019-20 season and with a much different 2021 schedule, Howell is set up for a promising two-year run.

Monmouth's senior-led team won't have a full season, but 2021 is a chance to carry the program back to a winning record.

In recent years, Red Bank has shown it can raise its game in the postseason. With a shorter 2021 schedule, the Bucs will be out to prove themselves from the jump.

The Lions took their licks in 2020 and return a talented group led by a new head coach - a mix Middletown North is hoping leads to a turnaround season.

With three 18-plus win seasons over the last four years, Barnegat is turning into a dependable program in Ocean County with a chance to keep the machine churning in 2021.