Shore Sports Network Boys Basketball All-Shore Team: First Team

2023-24 Shore Sports Network Boys Basketball All-Shore Team

Selected by Shore Sports Network Basketball Editor Matt Manley based on a combination of stats, first-hand accounts, coaches input and impact on team success. Click here for the Coaches' All-Shore picks.

First Team

Matt Hodge, Sr., 6-8, Forward, St. Rose

2023-24 Stats: 17.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks, 63 3-pointers, 82.6 FT%

St. Rose senior Matt Hodge celebrates St. Rose's first ever Shore Conference Tournament championship. (Photo: Ray Rich Photography)

Signature Game: Out of the 29 games St. Rose won this season, its win over Rutgers Prep might not have been among the 10 most consequential, but it was an impressive win and it belonged to Hodge. As great as Hodge played in St. Rose’s championship runs, no other game he played in 2023-24 was better than the one he played at Rutgers Prep on Dec. 23. He scored 38 points on 15-for-17 shooting, shot 7-for-7 from three-point range and also added nine rebounds and five assists. Hodge would have had a shot at 40 points – perhaps even 50 – were it not for a hard fall he took while getting fouled. He exited the game and remained on the bench for the final five-plus minutes as a precaution.

For the second straight year, Hodge put up numbers that were First-Team-worthy, but somehow still not sufficient in conveying his impact on St. Rose. He upped his scoring average by more than two points per game to an even 17 per game, which made him one of 11 players in the conference to average 17 points or more. Hodge was the only one of those 11 whose team routinely put opponents away before the end of the third quarter, which meant Hodge put up his numbers while playing three quarters or fewer most nights.

When the games did go the distance, Hodge showed up in the fourth quarter and beyond. In St. Rose’s lone overtime game of the season, the Villanova-bound senior scored 10 of his 27 points in the two overtime periods in the Purple Roses’ 52-48 win over St. Benedict’s at Brookdale Community College in January’s Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase. Hodge went on to lead a march to both a Shore Conference Tournament championship and NJSIAA Non-Public B championship – St. Rose’s first SCT title ever and first overall state title in 47 years.

To read more about Matt Hodge’s season, check out his 2023-24 Shore Sports Network Player of the Year profile.

Griffin Linstra, Jr., 6-5, Guard, Manasquan

2023-24 Stats: 17.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 81.4 FT%

Manasquan junior Griffin Linstra guarded by Holmdel senior James Vallillo. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)

Signature Game: SCT Semis. Most of Linstra’s big scoring and rebounding efforts came early in the season, but as the year wore on, Manasquan’s junior leader leaned on his teammates as they gained experience with each day. When it was time to perform, though, Linstra still found another gear, which he did during the second half of a Shore Conference Tournament semifinal game vs. Holmdel. Manasquan led by one at halftime and dominated the second half, with Linstra scoring 17 of his 21 points after the break while also adding nine rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots in a 66-43 win that sent Manasquan to its sixth consecutive Shore Conference final.

All eyes were on Linstra at the start of the season, when Manasquan embarked on the new year of high school basketball with two of its All-Shore guards from 2022-23 missing – one due to a transfer (Darius Adams) and another due to a season-ending knee injury (Ryan Frauenheim). Linstra was one of two returning starters from last season and in December, he sent an early message with three 25-point games before the New Year – all of which came against high-level opponents (Red Bank, College Achieve and Toms River North) and included at least 15 rebounds for Linstra as well. For the season, Linstra posted 19 double-doubles to lead the Shore and scored at least 10 points in all but one of Manasquan’s 30 games.

Across the two postseason tournaments, Linstra averaged 13.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and five assists in nine games and came up one assist shy of his first career triple-double (14 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists) in a Central Jersey Group II quarterfinal win over Bordentown. He again came up clutch in the sectional final, scoring eight of his 12 points in the final two minutes of the game and assisting the go-ahead three by senior teammate Jason Larned to help Manasquan pull out a 36-30 win over Rumson-Fair Haven in a game that they trailed by seven with two minutes to go. Linstra gained national notoriety as the player who hit the buzzer-beater that was called back – a shot that would have beaten Camden had it counted, which the NJSIAA acknowledged it should have. Linstra left a lasting image on this season with his heroics in the Group II semifinal and will return for his senior year on a mission, along with several of his current Manasquan teammates.

Jaycen Santucci, Jr., 6-4, Guard, Central

2023-24 Stats: 21.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.7 steals, 1.4 blocks, 75 FT%

Central junior Jaycen Santucci. (Photo: Ray Rich Photography)

Signature Game: Santucci led the Shore Conference with five games of 30 or more points and his last 30-plus-point night was his most significant. In the South Jersey Group IV quarterfinals, Santucci went off for 31 points and 15 rebounds, accounting for half of Central’s scoring output in a 62-53 win over Rancocas Valley. The win sent the Golden Eagles to the sectional semifinal round for just the second time in school history and first in a Group IV section.

With more than 1,000 points in the last two seasons alone, Santucci has checked off a number of individual accolades and the team success has come with it. Central won 22 games, reached the quarterfinals of the SCT and the semifinals of the NJSIAA Tournament with Santucci leading the Golden Eagles in just about every category: scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. No Shore Conference players averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds on the season, but Santucci was the closest, falling just 12 total rebounds shy of 10 boards per game. His 21 points per game were second in the conference behind Henry Hudson’s Jack Fitzpatrick.

Early in the year, Santucci scored 30 points in back-to-back wins over Southern Regional and Barnegat, with the Central junior hitting a game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation. Central went on to win a quadruple-overtime classic, 74-72. The Golden Eagles played in five postseason games between the SCT and NJSIAA Group IV Tournaments and Santucci scored 20 or more points in four of them while averaging 24 to go with 10.2 rebounds. Although Central fell short of reaching a championship game, this season marked the first in program history in which Central accomplished all of the following: a 20-win season, a division championship, an SCT quarterfinal appearance and an NJSIAA sectional semifinal appearance. Santucci is set to return to help Central in its quest to break through in 2025.

Gio Panzini, Sr., 6-6, Forward, St. Rose

2023-24 Stats: 10.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.13 blocks, 33 3-pointers

St. Rose senior Gio Panzini challenges a drive by Manasquan senior Jason Larned. (Photo: Ray Rich Photography)

Signature Game: This is sort of cheating in that Panzini gets two games, but the caveat is they were consecutive games – one that he closed on a tear and another that he opened on a tear. On Jan. 20, St. Rose found itself fighting for its life, leading Ramapo, 32-30, early in the fourth quarter at Central Regional’s Jimmy V Showcase. It was at that point that Panzini took over. The senior forward drained four fourth-quarter three-pointers on the way to finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds in a 56-38 win. Two days later, Panzini started an anticipated showdown at Manasquan on a scoring tear, posting 14 of his team-high 17 points in the first half while also contributing six rebounds and two blocked shots in a 63-44 Purple Roses win.

Panzini’s high-school career got off to a promising start as a freshman sixth man at Red Bank Catholic and he closed out his sophomore year as one of the best players on a Caseys team that fell just short of winning a South Non-Public A championship in 2021-22. Last year, Gio (short for Gioacchino) made the move south to St. Rose and after he sat the required 30 days per the NJSIAA transfer rule, he spent much of the rest of his junior season attempting to adjust to his new surroundings, not to mention his new teammates.

This season, it all came together for Panzini. He was a two-way standout who served as a legitimate rim-protector, as well as a suffocating wing defender when called upon. His best offensive displays all came against standout competition: 18 points in a win over the George School at the Jordan Brand Classic; 16 and 19 points in consecutive SCT wins over Rumson-Fair Haven and CBA; 13 points and 14 rebounds in a sectional semifinal win over Holy Cross; and 16 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots in the Non-Public B final vs. Montclair Immaculate. With that performance in a 73-29 St. Rose win that nabbed the Roses their first state title in 47 years, Panzini completed a high-school career that included several twists and turns, but ended where he wanted it to. Panzini’s career is set to continue at Cornell next season after he announced his non-binding verbal commitment on Tuesday.

Jayden Hodge, So., 6-5, Guard, St. Rose

2023-24 Stats: 12.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals

St. Rose sophomore Jayden Hodge. (Photo: Ray Rich Photography)

Signature Game: As was the case with everyone on the St. Rose team, Jayden Hodge did not make this year's All-Shore team because of robust scoring numbers. He was, however, the second-leading scorer on the No. 1 team in New Jersey and in St. Rose’s most historic win of the 2023-24 season, Jayden did just about everything. On the floor of the OceanFirst Bank Center on the campus of Monmouth University, Jayden Hodge scored a game-high 19 points while grabbing 10 rebounds, handing out a pair of assists and nabbing three steals in St. Rose’s suffocating, 48-27, win over Manasquan to capture the program’s first ever Shore Conference Tournament championship. On top of his own stat line, Hodge shadowed Manasquan senior marksman Alex Konov and held him without a point in the game.

Jayden Hodge’s outing in the SCT final was among several high-profile, standout performances for the younger Hodge brother. Jayden combined to post 35 points and 11 rebounds in two wins at the Jordan Classic in December, went for 18 in a win at Rutgers Prep and scored a season-best 24 in a win over 2023 Non-Public A champion Union Catholic at the Metro Classic at Franklin High School. Hodge also burned Manasquan for 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists, five steals and two blocks in the regular-season showdown between the two rivals in Manasquan.

The performance in the SCT final was part of a strong postseason showing for Jayden Hodge, who averaged 12.25 points, six rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals in eight postseason tournament games. After dealing CBA 18 points and six rebounds in a regular-season win, he served the Colts 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the SCT semifinals. In the Non-Public B final at Jersey Mike’s Arena, he closed out a stellar sophomore year with 15 points, eight boards and three assists vs. Montclair Immaculate. Hodge is set to return to St. Rose for his junior season and will look to continue to raise his profile as one of the top 100 national recruits from the Class of 2026 while leading St. Rose toward more championships.

Evan Romano, Jr., 6-3, Guard, St. Rose

2023-24 Stats: 8.8 points, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 38 3-pointers, 72.2 FT%

St. Rose junior Evan Romano. (Photo Ray Rich Photography)

Signature Game: Romano’s highest-scoring game was a 25-point outburst in the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16 against Group III finalist Freehold Boro in which the junior guard nailed five three-pointers in his highest-scoring effort as a member of the St. Rose program. His most well-rounded game, however, came two rounds later, when he posted 22 points, four assists and three steals in St. Rose’s 76-38 win over Christian Brothers Academy. Romano hit only one three in that game, which gave him a chance to show off his adept finishing ability that complemented his improved perimeter game – both as a shooter and a passer.

There are players that put up better raw numbers, but there were only so many to go around at St. Rose, which not only boasts eight talented rotation players that likely would have put up big numbers playing more prominent offensive roles somewhere else in the Shore Conference, but also wrapped up many of its games before the fourth quarter even started. Despite the other talented players taking shots away from one another and the early exits from games as a show of mercy, Romano put up just under nine points and three assists while becoming a primary ball-handler and a tenacious defender for the No. 1 team in the state.

Romano began his high school career at Holmdel, where he was a freshman standout in his one season as a Hornet. He made his first trip back to Holmdel as a visiting player this season, scoring 16 points – a season-high at that point – while handing out four assists vs. his former team, which still rostered several former teammates from 2021-22. Romano averaged a shade under 13 points during St. Rose’s SCT championship run and finished off his junior season with a well-rounded performance (seven points, four rebounds, four assists) in the state final vs. Montclair Immaculate.

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