Boys Basketball Preview – Class B Central
For as good as the Point Pleasant Beach boys basketball team has been over the last several seasons, the Garnet Gulls did not win an outright division title until this past season. Now that they have broken the ice, the championship run should continue to rush in at Point Beach. The Gulls return a loaded roster littered with Division I talent while other traditionally strong teams at St. Rose and Asbury Park look to reconstruct their rosters.
The losses will be few and far between for the Garnet Gulls this year, but they will have a bulls-eye on their back again, which should make for possible drama at some point during the Class B Central season.
Point Beach
Head Coach: Nick Catania, 10th season
Record Last Year: 28-4 (14-0)
Returning Players: Matt Farrell (Sr., Guard), Dominique Uhl (Sr., Forward), Noah Yates (Sr., Guard/Forward), Jeff Bryant (Sr., Center), Chris Schifano (Jr., Forward), Matt Van Nostrand (So., Guard), Joseph Budija (Sr., Forward), Christopher Mangini (Sr., Guard), Ryan Sheehan (So., Guard)
Key Losses: Riley Calzonetti (Forward), P.J. Kineavy (Guard)
Newcomers: Michael Fraunheim (Jr., Guard), Andrew Pidduck (Jr., Forward), Ryan Prima (Sr., Forward), Tanner Smith (So., Forward), Christos Schwarz (Sr., Forward), Michael Licchio (So., Guard)
Prior to the 2009-2010 season, any measure of success, whether within the division or outside, would have been met with jubilance. Then, for the next three seasons, some serious talent showed up at Point Beach and with the talent came expectations. Up until last season, the Garnet Gulls enjoyed both near unprecedented success at the school while also falling short of championship expectations.
That all ended last year when the Gulls won their first ever NJSIAA Group I championship, which followed a trip to the Shore Conference Tournament championship game. With Division I recruits Matt Farrell and Dominique Uhl (University of Iowa) back in the fold and another Division I athlete in Noah Yates returning as well, Point Beach enters the year with the Shore’s most impressive roster of talent. Jeff Bryant and Matt Van Nostrand also played significant minutes and junior Chris Schifano looks to return from a season-ending ACL tear. Replacing Riley Calzonetti and P.J. Kineavy will be a challenge, but the talent returning is exceptional and worthy of a No. 1 ranking in the Shore Conference heading into the season.
St. Rose
Head Coach: Dennis Devaney, 28th season
Record Last Year: 18-8 (12-2)
Returning Players: Dan Borner (Sr., 6-5, Forward), Matt Skea (Sr., Guard)
Key Losses: Connor Leddy (Guard), Jim Rockstedt (Guard), Sean Maguire (Forward), John Stylinger (Guard), Tyler Long (Guard), Brendan Lynch (Guard), Mike Paterno (Guard)
Newcomers: Austin Talty (Sr., 6-1, Forward), Bobby Hendrickson (Sr., Guard), Nolan Slattery (Jr., Guard), John Krotulis (So., 6-5, Center/Forward), Craig Suchecki (Jr., Guard), Joe Forlenza (Jr., Guard), Bob Sun (Jr., 6-5, Forward), Jimmy Gowen (Sr., Guard), Matt Frost (Jr., Guard)
The Purple Roses had a good run with a team full of seniors last year, which means there are a lot of new faces on this year’s team. Seniors Dan Borner and Matt Skea return as the lone players with experience from last year, with Borner starting for most of the season. Even with a wave of newcomers making up the rotation, St. Rose has the track record in the past and in lower levels with this group to stay near the top of the Class B Central standings. Junior Nolan Slattery leads a strong core of new players that should help keep the Purple Rose competitive, although not close to Point Beach.
Mater Dei Prep
Head Coach: Bob Klatt, 18th season
Record Last Year: 11-13 (8-6)
Returning Players: Sam Miles (Sr., 6-1, Guard), Matt Eckert (Sr., 5-11, Forward), C.J. Williams (Sr., 6-0, Guard), Jordan Owens (Sr., 6-0, Guard), Tyshaun White (Jr., 5-7, Guard)
Key Losses: Ryan Branagan (Forward), Bobby Klatt (Forward), Connor Stimpson (Forward), Tom Delahanty (Guard), Glenn Slocum (Guard), Jesse Knutsen (Forward)
Newcomers: Patrick Donohue (Jr., 5-9, Guard), Jason Mandile (Jr., 6-0, Forward), Reese Entwistle (Jr., 6-7, Forward), Jalanie Mitchell (Sr., 6-0, Forward), Sean Canny (Sr., Guard) Matt LaPorte (Jr., Guard), Jamian Lawson (Jr., 6-0, Forward), Eddie Lewis (Fr., 6-1, Guard/Forward)
With St. Rose looking to restock its talent reserves, Mater Dei Prep has an opportunity to move into the top spot among Class B Central non-public teams. The Seraphs return one of their leading scorers in Sam Miles and three more quality seniors in C.J. Williams, Matt Eckert and Jordan Owens. Six-foot-7 center Reese Entwhistle brings some size to the fold while senior Jalanie Mitchell adds some more athleticism to the mix. The Seraphs have a gap to close between them and St. Rose, but with a good blend of players returning this year, they should be able to at least narrow the gap and perhaps close it altogether.
Keyport
Head Coach: Phil Recco, ninth season
Record Last Year: 12-10 (8-6)
Returning Players: Alex Thomson (Sr., 6-5, Guard), Kevin Walsh (Sr., 6-0, Guard), Ezra Hill (Sr., 5-7, Guard)
Key Losses: Tyler Alvarez (Forward), Connor Hubler (Senior), Connor Thomson (Center)
Newcomers: Brandon Bakerowski (Sr., 6-0, Guard), Anthony Fernandez (Jr., Guard), Joe Froncek (Jr., 5-9, Guard), Travis Alvarez (So., 6-6, Center), Zach Ochs (So., 6-1, Forward), Ky’Shun Pryor (So., 5-10, Forward), Jeff Sheard (So., 5-9, Guard)
Point Beach is the runaway favorite in Class B Central and likely the only top-10 team in the division, but there is plenty of individual talent in the division. Alex Thomson comes in just behind the Division I athletes at Point Beach and he stacks up favorably with many of the conference’s top scorers. For Keyport to take the next step as a team, Thomson will need plenty of help. Kevin Walsh came on strong last season and by the end of the year, he was the Red Raiders’ No. 2 scoring option. Keyport is hoping for a better defensive team to go with some of the dynamic scoring and if that develops, the Raiders are a team that could sneak into the second-place slot in the division.
Asbury Park
Head Coach: Dave Johnson, sixth season (28th overall)
Record Last Year: 3-13 (3-11)
Returning Players: Tyquis Davis (Jr., Guard), Robert Barksdale (Sr., Guard/Forward), Imani Stevenson (Sr., Forward), Paul Bacon (Sr., Forward), Makal Fearon (So., Center)
Key Losses: Willens Lezin (Forward), Jaquelle Goodman (Guard), Daquane Bland-Bennett (Guard), DeAndre Pitman (Guard)
Newcomers: Davon Thompson, Cishuime Simmons, Jasmere Thompson (Fr., Guard), Najir Ridout (Fr., Guard)
Even with the amount of talent Asbury Park had to replace last year, it was still puzzling to watch one of the Shore’s banner programs of the past five years struggle to the degree it did. Coach Dave Johnson expected a rebuild to some extent and now that this group has gone through some growing pains, this year’s sailing should be a little smoother. Tyquis Davis, was a bright spot as underclassman last year and with another year of development from players like Davis and senior Robert Barksdale, Asbury Park should begin its climb back into Class B Central contention.
Henry Hudson
Head Coach: Vinnie Whitehead, eighth season
Record Last Year: 7-13 (3-11)
Returning Players: Jacob Link (Sr., 6-3, Forward), Jaxon Terrell (Sr., 6-1, Guard/Forward), Tom DeFilippo (So., 6-0, Guard), Kyle Rauen (Jr., 6-0, Guard)
Newcomers: Chris Coberg (So., 6-5, Forward), Chris Dosantos (Jr., 5-7, Guard), Derek Lucas (Jr., 5-7, Guard), Joey Vamvakidis (Jr., 5-10, Guard), Tom Colantino (Fr., 5-5, Guard)
The good news for the Admirals last year was that they tied then-defending division champion Asbury Park in the standings. The bad news was that the Blue Bishops came back to them more than they chased down the Blue Bishops. Still, the fact that Henry Hudson was able to finish off three division opponents is a significant step forward in the rebuilding job and this year’s group should be able to build on that. Senior forward Jacob Link brings toughness and production down low and sophomore guard Tom DeFillipo will look to build on a freshman year in which he averaged four points and better than three assists per game.
Keansburg
Head Coach: James McCarthy, sixth season
Record Last Year: 14-12 (8-6)
Returning Players: Kason Preston (Sr., Guard)
Key Losses: Dan Markulin (Forward), Tyler Walters (Guard)
Newcomers: Dwane Butler (Jr., Forward), Shawn Woods (Sr., Forward), Joe Rodriguez (Jr., Guard), Mike Politano (Sr., Forward), Dylan Carson (Sr., Forward), Khalil Burgess (Sr., Guard), Tom Osterbye (Sr., Forward)
Depth was a problem at Keansburg last season and it will be an issue again for the Titans, which will carry eight players on the varsity team to open the year. Last year, Dan Markulin helped Keansburg overcome that shortcoming by turning in an All-Shore caliber season and this year’s team won’t have a player like that on which to fall back. Senior guard Kason Preston, however, is one of the top guards in the division and should help the transition to a crop of new players.
Ranney
Head Coach: Tyler Schmelz, fourth season
Record Last Year: 4-19 (0-14)
Returning Players: Joe Esquival-Murphy (Sr., Guard/Forward), Will Rotolo (Sr., 5-9, Guard), John Mejia (So., 5-10, Forward), James Geraghty (So., 6-0, Forward)
Key Losses: Jessie Zucker (Guard/Forward), Omar Hozayan (Forward), Madison Price (Guard)
Newcomers: Grahame Wade (Sr., Forward), Ryan Wade (Jr., Forward), Corey Natofsky (So., Guard), Phil Cantave (So., Forward), Joe Mahoney (Fr., Guard), Jerome Cohen (So., Guard), Henry Miller (Jr., Forward), Greg Marx (Fr., Guard)
The Panthers took their lumps in their first season as a member of the Shore Conference and this year should be a little better for the Shore Conference’s newest member. Senior Joe Esquival-Murphy returns after leading the team in scoring last year and sophomores Jon Mejia and James Geraghty were healthy contributors as freshmen last season. Ranney will add some new faces to the mix as it looks to grow its program and begin to contend with Mater Dei Prep and St. Rose as Class B Central non-publics. This probably won’t be the year for that, but expect to see progress.
Players to Watch
Matt Farrell, Point Beach – A first-team All-Shore pick as a junior, Farrell is the best returning guard in the Shore Conference and very likely the best player overall.
Dominique Uhl, Point Beach – If Farrell is not the best player in the conference, it is probably because Uhl had a breakout season. The University of Iowa recruit does a whole bunch of everything and does it at an athletic 6-foot-7.
Alex Thomson, Keyport – A talented guard with a college frame, Thomson figures to be the favorite to lead the Shore Conference in scoring thanks to his combination of scoring prowess and the B Central schedule.
Noah Yates, Point Beach – A potential All-Shore selection in three sports – football (first team this fall), basketball and baseball – Yates is about as versatile as they come on the basketball court. He can rebound, defend the basket, defend either guard position, shoot the three and run an offense.
Sam Miles, Mater Dei Prep – The Seraphs have some new players to work into the lineup, but Miles will make the transition easy by continuing to be a double-double threat every night.
Breakout Players to Watch
Noah Slattery, St. Rose – The Purple Roses have a bunch of new names in the lineup, one of which is Slattery. The two-guard is a good bet to lead the Purple Roses in scoring during his first varsity season.
Jeff Bryant, Point Beach – A key role player off the bench on last year’s Group I title team, the 6-8 Bryant began to assert himself at the end of last season.
Kevin Walsh, Keyport – The senior hit some big shots last year and began to emerge as a second scorer to Thomson at the end of the year.
Burning Questions
Could Point Beach be even better this season?
With three starters returning from last year’s team, Point Beach has the makings of a team that could not only repeat as Group I champion, but also win the Shore Conference Tournament championship after coming one win shy last year. Even with those outcomes possible, it will be difficult for the Garnet Gulls to be better after losing senior forward Riley Calzonetti and guard P.J. Kineavy to graduation. The key will be the development of players like senior center Jeff Bryant and sophomore guard Matt Van Nostrand, as well as the health of junior Chris Schifano, who tore his ACL last January. There is some potential depth here and if those young pieces grow up alongside the big three, Beach will be a force once again.
Is any team in the division within 10 points of Point Beach?
While there are a few teams in the Shore Conference with a realistic shot at taking down the Garnet Gulls, the Class B Central division is not as equipped to beat the Beach. Point Beach rolled through the division with a 14-0 mark last year, and that was with a more experienced St. Rose team to pose a potential threat. Keyport might be a little closer this season, but the Red Raiders did not come all that close to beating Beach last year, and Mater Dei Prep – while potentially deep and possibly better – has some inexperience in the lineup. Assuming the Garnet Gulls stay mostly healthy, anything less than 14-0 is highly unlikely.
Can Alex Thomson lead the Shore in scoring?
Keyport’s senior swingman is the odds-on favorite, but there is, of course some competition. Jack Herrmann at Rumson is a good bet having scored 41 points in a game last season, while Long Branch’s Terrel Cox profiles as a 20-point-per-game scorer this year. The two Pillari’s – Louie at CBA and Dan at Shore – will also be big scorers if last year is any indication, and A South has big-men and Division I athletes Eric Carter and Mike Gesicki to make a push as well. While all of those players – as well as some others – should be in the discussion, Thomson’s schedule might give him the edge.