JSBL Opening Night: Monmouth University’s Collins returns home; first look at Hawks transfer Jinup Dobuol

MANASQUAN — Not everyone gets a chance to come back home, but for Jack Collins, the last three summers have given him the opportunity to return to the place where it all began.

On Tuesday night, Collins, a senior at Monmouth University, began his fourth season playing in the Jersey Shore Basketball League. And for the fourth straight year, he was able to return to the gym where he starred for Manasquan High School from 2018 through 2021.

“Obviously I’m a big Manasquan guy. I’ve lived here my whole life and I love being around everyone,” Collins said. “Most people, once they leave their high school, they leave for good. I get to go back, my family comes to all the games, and it’s super cool being back in this gym.”

The 6-foot-5 guard scored 14 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and dished out seven assists as RKE Athletic rolled to a 110-89 victory over WCT Warriors on opening night of the 57th season of the JSBL.

Collins was a key member of two of Manasquan’s best teams when the Warriors went a combined 43-1 during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons. They went 31-1 in 2020 and rolled to the Shore Conference Tournament title before claiming the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 2 sectional championship. The COVID-19 shutdowns in March of 2020 prevented Manasquan from advancing beyond the sectional round as the rest of the season was canceled. The Warriors then went 12-0 during the shortened 2021 season and won what was essentially a replacement for the usual Shore Conference Tournament.

His college options were limited as his senior season came to a close, so Collins decided to take a postgraduate year. After one season at The Phelps School in Malvern, Pa., Collins received an offer from Monmouth. Four years later, he’s set to begin his fourth season as a starter for the Hawks.

“It’s surreal because when I was 18 and finished my senior year I had a partial D2 offer from Adelphi and barely a scholarship from Stonehill, and they were still D2 at the time,” Collins said. “I didn’t have any interest, really, and I was probably going to TCNJ if I didn’t do a prep year. I went and did that prep year, Monmouth offered me, and I committed like three days later. I’m super happy with my decision. I love coach and all the guys.”

Collins made an immediate impact upon arriving in West Long Branch, playing in all 33 games and starting 31 as a true freshman. He played the most minutes on the team, finished second in scoring, and was selected to the 2023 Colonial Athletic Conference All-Rookie team. In his three years at Monmouth, Collins has started 96 out of a possible 99 games while averaging 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

The Hawks are back on campus preparing for the season, but Collins is more than happy to take the quick drive to Manasquan to compete in the JSBL. Not only is it a chance to play against fellow college athletes and professionals, but it’s also an opportunity for more touches and more chances to work on his game.

“I just try to come out here and experiment a little, and I always hustle so that just comes out,” Collins said. “We’re already back at Monmouth so there wasn’t much of a break, and we’re in the gym six to seven hours a day. I’ve been doing a lot of shooting and trying to create a little better and work on my handle.”

As a Division 1 veteran with nearly 100 games under his belt, Collins is an invaluable resource for young players like one of Monmouth’s newest additions, rising sophomore wing Jinup Dobuol. The 6-foot-8 Minnesota native transferred to Monmouth after one season at the University of Portland. Dobuol suited up for the WCT Warriors on Tuesday night and showcased his impressive skill set by posting 19 points, 10 rebounds, and a game-high four blocks.

“I drove him to the game today from school, I took him to a restaurant in town with my parents; just trying to show him the ropes,” Collins said. “We’re definitely trying to build a bond, that’s why the team came back early in the summer.”

“I love New Jersey already,” Dobuol said. “(Monmouth head coach) King Rice made me feel like family. From the start, they kept it real.”

Dobuol played his high school basketball at Phoenix Prep in Arizona and held scholarship offers from multiple schools, including West Virginia, Ole Miss, and Washington State, before committing to Portland. He will bring length, athleticism and potential to the Hawks this coming season.

“I feel like I do a little bit of everything,” Dobuol said. “I bring energy, and I’m taking pride in defense this year.”

“He’s super talented, super skilled, has a lot of bounce,” Collins said. “It’s just about honing that in a little bit. He’s super athletic and he can shoot the ball like crazy; you just want him to focus a little bit more sometimes. He has every offensive tool you can ask for from a player and he works super hard. If we can get him to lock in a little more defensively, which he can for sure do, he is going to be a really special player for us.”

 

Game 1 Notes: RKE Athletic 110, WCT Warriors 89

-Kyle Cardaci, a former Mater Dei Prep standout who played at Coppin State and St. Peter’s, scored a game-high 27 points for RKE on the strength of seven three-pointers.

-Former Matawan and William Paterson standout Andre Wells led WCT Warriors with 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting and distributed a team-leading six assists.

-The three-point line was set up at NBA range, and it proved to be a challenge in the first game. The teams combined to shoot 13 of 59 (22%) from beyond the arc. Cardaci (7-for-17) was the only player to shoot over 33 percent.

-RKE won every quarter, but the second quarter is where they began to pull away by outscoring WCT 24-12.

 

Game 2 recap – Sterns Trailer 113, Ortho-NJ 108

Former Toms River North and Monmouth University/Jacksonville standout Jakari Spence poured in a team-high 30 points on 11 of 19 shooting to lead the back-to-back-to-back JSBL champions to a season-opening victory.

Sterns Trailer used a balanced scoring effort behind Spence with five other players hitting double figures. Larry Smith, a Matawan alumnus, scored 15 points, Derrick Woods scored 14 and added seven rebounds, Alanzo Frink and Jalen Gaffney had 13 points each, and Parker Dortch scored 12 points. Rasheen Merlin grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and scored eight points.

Ortho-NJ’s Denzel Mensah matched Spence for the game-high with 30 points on 12 of 18 shooting, while adding 11 rebounds and five assists. Ortho-NJ also had six players score in double figures with Aaron Goldstein (19), former Matawan star Mike Dunne (18), recent Middletown North graduate Colin Byrne (15), Jesse Steele (14) and former Raritan and Wagner standout Mike Aaman (10).

Full Box Scores