Boys Basketball – Top Ten, Jan. 18

At some point every year, ranking the top teams in the Shore Conference requires one to discount head-to-head results to a degree and just focus on the overall results. Admittedly, I am a week late in recognizing that and the latest week of madness is a good lesson that when there are a lot of similar teams in a given landscape, teams will sometimes lose to lesser teams. The head-to-head is there as a tie-breaker rather than a guideline, which is what NCAA Tournament Selection Committee members will espouse ad nauseum.

This week’s top 10 is much less reliant on head-to-head match-ups and common opponents, but rather the overall body of work. The problem with that is that there is a subjective element that comes with defining one team’s schedule as more difficult than another’s. The perception is that Class B North is the toughest division in the Shore Conference, and while I agree with the premise, how can one really know that for a fact? The results have suggested as much, but the sample is still small.

As usual, here goes nothing…

1. Christian Brothers Academy (8-3, 6-0) Last Week: 1

Nothing new here. Other than maybe some lopsided scores, the Colts have not had any eye-opening wins but they also have not done anything to give up the No. 1 spot. Until some team beats CBA or another team produces a résumé so overwhelming that it has to be No. 1, the Colts are not going anywhere.

2. Red Bank (9-1, 6-1) Last Week: 4

There is the issue of Toms River North having beaten a common opponent, but at present time, Red Bank’s body of work is just better than that of everyone else to this point.  The loss to Red Bank Catholic was on the road, it was competitive and the Bucs bounced back by hammering Matawan, which beat RBC a week later. With so much parity, the team that is playing the best has to be the No. 2 team behind CBA and at this point, it’s pretty clear Red Bank is that team.

3. Toms River North (10-1, 5-1) Last Week: 2

A win over a common opponent is the big advantage Toms River North has over Red Bank, but it's also probably the only advantage. The Mariners had the luxury of playing RBC – a team with a six-man rotation at the time – on the second of two games in two days at home, while the Bucs played a rested version of the Caseys at the Eck Center. Beyond the common opponent, Red Bank has vanquished the likes of Colts Neck, Wall, Matawan, Neptune, St. Joseph's-Metuchen and Shore, while Toms River North has wins over RBC, Southern, Manchester and two over Toms River South. A recent 12-point home loss to a suddenly-struggling Brick Memorial team is the difference-maker to this point, but any way you slice it, it is splitting hairs.

4. Freehold Township (8-3, 4-2) Last Week: 5

The Patriots continue to cruise through Class A North with a healthier version of their lineup than the one they had to open the season at CBA. It’s still hard to tell how good Class A North is, but considering Howell beat Brick Memorial and Manalapan beat Matawan, that seems to suggest the division is solid, even beyond CBA. Throw in quality non-division wins over Toms River South, Brick Memorial and Rumson, and the Patriots have a strong body of work heading into a big week that includes home games against Manalapan and CBA.

5. Rumson-Fair Haven (9-2, 5-1) Last Week: 7

If ranking the top four did not seem tricky enough, it’s about to get complicated. Rumson, Colts Neck, Lakewood and Manasquan appear to be the next group of teams to consider. Rumson gets the nod because of recent resounding victories over Shore and Point Pleasant Beach, neither of which is in the top 10, but both of which are teams that have recently played other teams in this cluster. A home loss to Manasquan is problematic, but considering that it happened on opening night and that Manasquan recently lost at home to a Shore team that Rumson beat by 10, it’s a little easier to overlook.

6. Lakewood (9-1, 6-0) Last Week: 10

The Piners’ plummet to No. 10 last week was probably a bit harsh, especially considering that the chaos that bit Lakewood one week earlier did the same to the likes of Manasquan, Red Bank Catholic and Toms River North this past week. In a season like this one – in which a group of 20-or-so teams all beat one another in different combinations – a known commodity like Lakewood with one loss has to stay in the top-five mix, even if one can poke holes in the body of work. The Piners can grab a stranglehold in B South and possibly reclaim a top-five spot by beating Manchester on Tuesday.

7. Colts Neck (8-2, 5-1) Last Week: 8

A road loss to Red Bank on Thursday was a bit of a buzzkill, but consider that Colts Neck lost to the Shore’s No. 2 team by nine points while the Cougars’ leading scorer scored zero points, and the picture becomes a little rosier. Lloyd Daniels bounced back from his rough game with a brilliant performance against Point Beach, which has Colts Neck feeling better mentally heading into a big road game at Wall on Tuesday. The Cougars, however, are not feeling as well physically, as big men Mike Lamb and Kyle Gordon have each gone down with injuries over the last two games and are out until further notice.

8. Manasquan (9-3, 4-1) Last Week: 6

The Warriors have a pretty good case to remain at No. 6 this week based on an opening-night win over Rumson, so their two-spot drop can be attributed mostly to their recent results. Manasquan scored a big win over Matawan at the Boardwalk Showcase with two starters missing, but was not as fortunate in a 47-40 home loss to Shore on Tuesday. The offensive struggles continued in Saturday’s home loss to Neptune – which Colts Neck beat on its home floor – and the Warriors are now averaging 43 points over their last four games (2-2). The defense is still there and Rumson is coming to town on Friday for a big division showdown, so while the recent performance favors a couple of other teams, there is no reason to write off Manasquan any time soon.

9. Wall (8-2, 5-1) Last Week: Not ranked

Just as Red Bank gets the nod over Toms River North despite a disadvantage in results against a common opponent, Wall jumps Southern under the same set of circumstances. The Crimson Knights’ last loss came against an Oakcrest team that Southern beat two days later at the Score at the Shore Shootout hosted by the Rams, but when stacking up the Wall résumé vs. the Southern résumé, Wall has a clear advantage to this point. The Crimson Knights are 6-1 against the Shore Conference and the lone loss was on the road to No. 2 Red Bank on opening night by one point. With wins over Red Bank Catholic, Matawan and Neptune in the division, the Crimson Knights come out ahead of a lot of teams.

10. Southern (8-3, 4-2) Last Week: Not ranked

Southern’s best case to be one spot higher is that it won a holiday tournament in which Wall participated. That is a compelling argument, one that could go a long way when it comes to Shore Conference Tournament seeding, but when it comes to the body of work, Southern has some work to do. The Rams’ two best wins to date are against two .500-type teams – St. John Vianney (6-6) and Toms River South (5-4) – at home. Now the better news: Southern’s losses are all on the road and two of them are to high-level teams in St. Augustine and Toms River North. The Rams did get picked off at Brick Memorial, but Brick Memorial then went on and won at Toms River North by 12. The Rams have not endured the lopsided losses like some of the other contenders for this spot have and they have looked impressive enough often enough to earn another shot in the top 10.

Dropped Out

Red Bank Catholic (7-4, 4-3) Last Week: 3 – A two-loss week would be one thing, but RBC lost two games by an average of 22 points and the second of those losses was at home to a team with a losing record (Matawan).

Neptune (4-7, 0-6) Last Week: 9 – There is obviously potential at Neptune, as displayed in wins over Lakewood and Manasquan, but no team is overcoming an 0-6 division record to get into the top 10.

On the Bubble

Shore (8-2, 4-1) – A win at Manasquan on Tuesday has the Blue Devils close to getting back in the top 10 and has opened up the race in Class A Central.

Manchester (7-2, 6-0) – The Hawks’ two losses (No. 3 Toms River North and No. 8  Manasquan) are not problematic, but a one-point win over a one-win Jackson Liberty team at home this past Friday gives reason for pause. Manchester can kick down the door by winning at Lakewood on Tuesday.

Toms River South (5-4, 3-2) – A couple of ugly losses to Toms River North and Southern keep the Indians at a distance for now, but there is a lot to like about a team that has wins over Manasquan and Brick Memorial away from home. Having Tymere Berry (25 PPG) doesn’t hurt either.

Howell (7-5, 3-3) – The Rebels are a team on the rise after taking out Manalapan and Brick Memorial on the road this past week while also welcoming back Aaron Trimble, an all-division player as a junior last season.

Brick Memorial (5-5, 4-2) – At their best, the Mustangs look like a top 10 team, but they have not been at their best nearly enough. Wins over Southern and Toms River North just make the collection of losses - Jackson Memorial, Toms River South, Howell, Donovan Catholic and Freehold Township - more puzzling.