Boys Basketball – 2021 Season Preview: St. Rose

For so many years, St. Rose bulldozed the then-underwhelming Class B Central divisional schedule, but in recent years, the Purple Roses have played in divisions that were home to powerhouse teams: Ranney, Mater Dei Prep and Point Pleasant Beach in Class B Central and then Manasquan, Rumson-Fair Haven, Red Bank Catholic and Holmdel once they moved into Class A Central. This year is St. Rose’s toughest draw yet, with the last two Shore Conference Tournament champions – Manasquan and Ranney – leading the field and established Top 10 teams Wall and Neptune in the next tier of the newly-formed pod.

The talent St. Rose had to face last year as part of a deep Class A Central field sometimes overshadowed the talent the Purple Roses had on their own roster, led by all-around 6-foot-4 wing John Beattie and crafty point guard Kevin Tombs. Losing those two players is a big hit to the roster, but the Purple Roses will have some backcourt options and plenty of size to send out against some of the Shore’s toughest opponents. Seniors Morgan Fahy and Frank DiNatale saw regular minutes last season, with DiNatale one of the better shooters on the team and Fahy capable of stepping in at point guard.

St. Rose will call on its big men to rise to the occasion, with 6-4 Tom Turnbach already having proved himself as a capable scorer and rebounder as a junior. Junior Luke Farrell and senior Trevor Donnelly are both 6-5 frontcourt players who will help St. Rose counter Manasquan and Ranney’s big lineups, but coach Frank Carmody will still have to see how well the two fit on the floor together in other situations. In smaller lineups, juniors Nick DiNatale and Colin Westhoven could provide a lift, as can seniors Shane Killeen and Nick Xanthacos. The schedule is brutal, but the roster has some versatility and the Purple Roses should be nothing if not battle-tested.

Head Coach: Frank Carmody, third season
2019-20 Record: 13-12 (6-8, fifth in Class A Central)
2020 Postseason Performance: Reached Shore Conference Tournament round of 16 (lost to Wall); Lost in NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public B first round (Immaculata)

Disclaimer: Projected lineups listed in the 2021 Shore Sports Network Preview are not necessarily directly from coaches. Some are, while others are projections from Shore Sports Network staff. In either case, the projected lineup is fluid and could change leading up to the start of the season and beyond. Check back for periodic updates to every team's projected starting lineup on shoresportsnetwork.com.

Projected Lineup

Morgan Fahy, Sr., 6-0, Guard (RS)

Nick DiNatale, Jr., 6-1, Guard (R)

Frank DiNatale, Sr., 6-2, Guard/Forward (R)

Luke Farrell, Jr., 6-5, Forward/Center (R)

Tom Turnbach, Sr., 6-4, Forward (RS)

Key Losses

John Beattie, 6-4, Guard

Kevin Tombs, 6-2, Guard

Fredrik Bang-Andreasen, 6-4, Guard/Forward

Off the Bench

Trevor Donnelly, Sr., 6-5, Forward

Colin Westhoven, Jr., 6-1, Guard

Nick Xanthacos, Sr., 6-2, Guard

Shane Killeen, Sr., 6-2, Guard/Forward

Mick Breen, Sr., 6-3, Forward

Declan Hogan, Sr., 6-2, Guard

Lucas Hope, Sr., 5-10, Guard

Tim Kelly, Jr., 6-5, Forward

Jack Lang, Jr., 6-2, Forward

Chris Tallarico, Jr., 6-0, Guard/Forward

RS – Returning Starter

R – Returning Varsity Player

Player to Watch: Tom Turnbach

Turnbach was St. Rose’s muscle on the inside last year, leading the team in rebounding while finishing second in scoring behind Beattie at 9.2 per game. With some ball-handling and scoring missing on the perimeter from last year, the Purple Roses can help themselves out by pounding the ball inside to Turnbach, who should pair well with St. Rose’s two 6-6 centers, Luke Farrell and Trevor Donnelly.

Big Shoes to Fill: Morgan Fahy and Frank DiNatale

With Beattie and Tombs out of the picture, St. Rose is looking for a backcourt duo that can hold their own and provide at least some of the production left behind by the two all-division players. Fahy is ready to run the point and DiNatale will look to expand his game after providing the Purple Roses with some knock-down shooting a year ago. Nick DiNatale will also help with some of those duties in an expanded role as a junior.

Impact Newcomer: Trevor Donnelly

Donnelly got into a handful of games as a junior and could prove to be a bigger factor this season on a St. Rose team that has some size to throw at teams. With some big front lines on the schedule – namely Manasquan and Ranney – having two 6-6 players in Farrell and Donnelly should prove valuable.

X-Factor: Point guard

Tombs was one of the Shore’s more under-the-radar point-guard standouts last season and finding a player to get St. Rose into its offense and create like Tombs did will be a challenge. On the positive side, St. Rose operates within a system that can produce scoring without a dominant ball-handler and that could be an option if players like Fahy and Nick DiNatale are best when looking for their shot.

Schedule

Jan. 27 at Manasquan, 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 29 at Manasquan, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 1 at Barnegat, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 2 at Ocean, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 4 vs. Ocean, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 at Neptune, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 10 vs. Neptune, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 16 vs. Ranney, 5:15 p.m.

Feb. 18 at Ranney, 5:45 p.m.

Feb. 22 vs. Wall, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 24 at Wall, 6:30 p.m.