2026 JSBL Quarterfinals Night 2 Preview and Predictions

The JSBL playoffs continue tonight with the second night of quarterfinal action. We’ve broken down all four teams competing tonight with projected lineups, in-depth analysis, and game predictions.

 

(1) County Line Auto Body vs (8) OIB Ortho

At Manasquan High School, 7 p.m.

 

County Line Auto Body (7-0)

Projected Starting Lineup

G: Ahmad Biggins, 5-8, South Suburban (7.3 PPG | 3.3 RPG | 2.0 APG | 1.2 SPG | 0.3 BPG | 45.0% FG | 23.1% 3PT | 50.0% FT)

G: Josh Treadwell, 6-5, Coppin State (19.6 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 3.6 APG | 0.9 SPG | 0.3 BPG | 56.7% FG | 44.1% 3PT | 80.0% FT)

G: Jachai Simmons, 6-7, New Mexico (21.0 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 2.2 APG | 2.0 SPG | 0.4 BPG | 51.2% FG | 41.9% 3PT | 85.7% FT)

F: Charles Funches, 6-9, Hampton (5.0 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 1.0 APG | 0.0 SPG | 0.8 BPG | 63.6% FG | 33.3% 3PT | 100.0% FT)

F: Markus Kennedy, 6-9, SMU (19.9 PPG | 8.7 RPG | 2.0 APG | 0.9 SPG | 0.7 BPG | 61.1% FG | 25.0% 3PT | 75.8% FT)

Bench

G: Kyle McGee, 6-4, Sacred Heart

F: Dan O’Neill Jr., 6-5, St. John Vianney

 

OIB Ortho (1-6)

Projected Starting Lineup

G: Dante Weise, 6-1, Millersville (22.3 PPG | 9.8 RPG | 6.5 APG | 1.0 SPG | 0.0 BPG | 51.4% FG | 35.9% 3PT | 70.6% FT)

G: Jaycen Santucci, 6-4, Georgian Court (6.0 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 1.7 APG | 0.3 SPG | 0.3 BPG | 30.8% FG | 16.7% 3PT | 50.0% FT)

G: Josh Michigan, 6-4, St. Anselm (26.5 PPG | 5.8 RPG | 2.2 APG | 0.7 SPG | 0.0 BPG | 52.0% FG | 36.4% 3PT | 81.0% FT)

F: Justin Soranno, 6-7, Georgian Court (22.0 PPG | 7.5 RPG | 2.0 APG | 1.3 SPG | 0.3 BPG | 52.8% FG | 0.0% 3PT | 56.3% FT)

F: Amar Lane, 6-8, Georgian Court (11.5 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 1.3 APG | 0.2 SPG | 1.2 BPG | 45.0% FG | 12.5% 3PT | 73.7% FT)

Bench

F: Justin Fuerbacher, 6-4, Middlebury

C: Thomas Menegus, 6-8, Georgian Court

G: Cameron Piggee, 6-1, Georgian Court

G: Brian Tassey, 6-6, Georgian Court

 

Heading into the final night of the regular season, County Line Auto Body already knew it would be without defensive stopper Brendan Mariani. What the regular-season champions didn’t anticipate, however, was losing another key contributor when two-way guard Leon Daniels was ejected in the finale, triggering an automatic one-game suspension for the opening round of the playoffs.

Make no mistake about it: even without two key contributors, undefeated County Line Auto Body enters the playoffs as a heavy favorite over last-place OIB Ortho. The absences of Mariani and Daniels, however, thin the team’s depth and provide the league’s youngest squad with a faint glimmer of hope if it can capitalize on the opportunity.

County Line Auto Body is expected to dress just seven players, one of whom is a high school player, but the other six are accomplished professionals. The biggest mismatch comes in the paint, where veteran big man Markus Kennedy holds a significant size, strength, and experience advantage over anyone OIB Ortho can throw at him. Amar Lane and Justin Soranno will be conceding height, considerable weight, and years of high-level experience. OIB’s best chance may be to send consistent double teams at Kennedy and make someone else beat them.

The challenge with that strategy is that County Line boasts two of the league’s premier perimeter shooters in Josh Treadwell and Jachai Simmons, making it extremely risky sag off of them. Kyle McGee has also shown he can knock down shots in limited action, leaving OIB Ortho hoping that Charles Funches (33.3% from three) and Ahmad Biggins (23.1% from three) are the ones forced to beat them from the perimeter rather than County Line’s elite shooters.

On the other end of the floor, County Line has been the league’s best defensive team all season. OIB Ortho’s best chance is to turn the game into a battle of attrition, using its deeper bench to wear down County Line’s short-handed rotation. To have any chance of pulling off the upset, however, OIB must take exceptional care of the basketball and consistently punish County Line’s relentless defensive pressure with quality scoring opportunities. Rookie of the Year Dante Weise will need to be at his absolute best running the offense and Josh Michigan, Jaycen Santucci, and company have to be on from the outside.

Prediction

Even with two regulars unavailable, County Line Auto Body will still suit up six accomplished professionals against an OIB Ortho roster made up entirely of college players. Pulling off the upset would require a true David-versus-Goliath performance from the league’s youngest team.

Dave Smith: County Line Auto Body 110, OIB Ortho 97

Dan Yeserski: County Line Auto Body 104, OIB Ortho 82

 

(2) Sterns Trailer vs (7) RKE Athletic

At Manasquan High School, 8:30 p.m.

 

Sterns Trailer (5-2)

Projected Starting Lineup

G: Jalen Gaffney, 6-3, Florida Atlantic (12.0 PPG | 5.3 RPG | 1.7 APG | 0.3 SPG | 0.0 BPG | 38.2% FG | 38.9% 3PT | 100.0% FT)

G: DJ Campbell, 6-3, Stockton (22.7 PPG | 7.3 RPG | 1.3 APG | 3.3 SPG | 1.0 BPG | 46.9% FG | 34.4% 3PT | 78.6% FT)

F: Scottie Lewis, 6-5, Florida (13.5 PPG | 2.8 RPG | 2.3 APG | 0.5 SPG | 1.3 BPG | 45.7% FG | 21.4% 3PT | 52.9% FT)

F: Parker Dortch, 6-7, Anderson University (17.6 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 1.4 APG | 0.2 SPG | 0.2 BPG | 54.4% FG | 16.7% 3PT | 75.0% FT)

F: Rasheen Merlin, 6-9, Winston-Salem State (23.8 PPG | 8.4 RPG | 1.4 APG | 0.6 SPG | 0.0 BPG | 52.1% FG | 25.0% 3PT | 65.0% FT)

Bench

C: Mike Aaman, 6-8, Wagner

F: Devine Eke, 6-8, Radford

G: James Hankowski, 6-1, Brookdale

G: Mason Jones, 6-2, Brookdale

F: Christian Lyons, 6-7, Gloucester CC

F: Savon Myers, 6-5, Redlands CC

*G: Jakari Spence, 6-2, Jacksonville*

*G: Larry Smith, 6-1, Brookdale*

 

RKE Athletic (2-5)

Projected Starting Lineup

G: Peter Gorman, 6-0, Ramapo (16.0 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 3.0 APG | 0.7 SPG | 0.0 BPG | 34.2% FG | 22.7% 3PT | 89.5% FT)

G: Kyle Cardaci, 6-2, Saint Peter’s (23.6 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 2.6 APG | 2.0 SPG | 0.0 BPG | 40.7% FG | 30.6% 3PT | 78.6% FT)

F: Nico Galette, 6-6, Youngstown State (24.7 PPG | 11.7 RPG | 2.3 APG | 2.0 SPG | 0.3 BPG | 42.6% FG | 34.5% 3PT | 60.0% FT)

F: Shack Scott, 6-6, Wagner (9.8 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 0.6 APG | 0.6 SPG | 0.4 BPG | 50.0% FG | 16.7% 3PT | 100.0% FT)

F: Nick Davidson, 6-6, Bloomfield (22.0 PPG | 10.0 RPG | 2.7 APG | 1.3 SPG | 0.0 BPG | 41.7% FG | 36.4% 3PT | 81.5% FT)

Bench

G: Bryce Greene, 6-3, Elizabethtown

G: Jayson King, 5-11, Brookdale

G: Alex Massung, 6-4, Saint Anselm

C: Dane Moran, 6-9, Dickinson

G: Lamar Morgan, 6-6, Coppin State

 

Sterns Trailer faces one of the toughest personnel decisions of any team entering the playoffs. Because both Jakari Spence and Larry Smith have appeared in only two regular-season games, the team can use its playoff exception on just one of them. Spence was last season’s regular-season MVP and scoring champion, while Smith is one of the league’s premier defenders and most valuable glue guys. Choosing between elite scoring and defensive versatility presents a difficult dilemma for head coach Jon Kaminski.

Regardless of which player Sterns Trailer chooses, it enters the quarterfinals as a sizeable favorite over RKE Athletic. The roster boasts greater depth, more proven high-level talent, and a wealth of JSBL championship experience, giving Sterns Trailer a clear edge on paper.

RKE Athletic has several players with a history of being dangerous perimeter shooters, but that success has yet to consistently carry over this summer. Kyle Cardaci is shooting just over 30 percent from three-point range, while Peter Gorman is below 23 percent. For RKE to pull off the upset, those two will likely need to rediscover their outside touch. Consistent perimeter shooting would force Sterns Trailer to extend its defense, creating driving lanes for Nico Galette, one of the league’s most explosive slashers, to attack the basket.

The more physical the game is allowed to become, the more it favors Sterns Trailer. Rasheen Merlin, Parker Dortch, and Savon Myers are among the strongest and most physical players in the JSBL, giving Sterns a significant advantage in the paint and on the glass. Outside of Nico Galette and Nick Davidson, RKE Athletic will be at a disadvantage in both size and strength across multiple positions, making it difficult to consistently match Sterns’ physical style of play.

One potential X-factor is Scottie Lewis. Although he hasn’t shot the ball consistently this summer, his best performance of the season came against RKE Athletic. In that matchup, RKE struggled to contain him in transition and keep him out of the lane, allowing Lewis to repeatedly attack the basket and finish at the rim. If he can replicate that performance, he could provide Sterns Trailer with another dynamic scoring threat that can open up the court.

Prediction

It has been a long time since Sterns Trailer suffered a first-round playoff exit. The franchise has reached the JSBL championship game in each of the last four seasons, and with its wealth of professional experience, size, physicality, and depth, we expect that streak to continue with a convincing quarterfinal victory.

Dave Smith: Sterns Trailer 118, RKE Athletic 93

Dan Yeserski: Sterns Trailer 98, RKE Athletic 80