2025-26 Shore Conference Boys Basketball Preview: Class B Central

With the caveat that the names of the divisions do not mean what they did prior to the post-COVID re-shuffling of the Shore Conference, the Class B Central division has always represented a dichotomy of sorts. It has been the home to the smallest schools in the conference, but also some of the Shore’s best programs of the last decade: Ranney, St. Rose, Point Pleasant Beach. Going back further, Asbury Park has been a Group I championship contender, while Keyport has also had success at the Group I level.

Over the past two seasons, the division has looked much different, but has still had its success stories. Three teams in that span have won 20 games, with Wall and Point Pleasant Beach both reaching 20 a season ago after Henry Hudson made it to 20 wins a season earlier.

None of those teams is in this year’s Class B Central division, which opens up a major opportunity for the six teams making up the field. Neptune and Raritan are the only returnees to the division after both were competitive members a season ago, while Matawan, Monmouth, Ocean and Long Branch are all coming off sub-.500 seasons hoping to find a winning formula in a new division.

 

In predicted order of finish

1. Matawan

Even with three starters and several rotation pieces back, Matawan will be a different team this season, and the Huskies are hoping that is a good thing. Former Old Bridge coach Jim Macomber takes over as the new head coach for a team that graduated its two best individual players from last year’s roster, although one of them – 6-foot-8 center Jayden Elijah – left the team in January to enroll early at Rutgers. The other is Amir Martinez, a speedy point guard who scored more than 900 points during his four-year varsity career. Even without those two, however, Matawan has a mix of motivated senior leaders and exciting young players to rebound from a 20-loss season a year ago.

Seniors Colin Reitmann and Ben Morales are two high-energy guards who will lead the backcourt for Matawan. Reitmann is a well-rounded player who forces turnovers on defense and creates opportunities for teammates on offense while also supplying some scoring punch. Morales is the team’s top shooter and can also get past defenders to kickstart the offense. Fellow senior Trevor Cole will be an x-factor after injuries have robbed him of a chance to contribute over the last two seasons, with this season representing a chance for the 6-foot-4 wing to show what he can do.

Just as Elijah was a unique talent, so too is 6-foot-5 sophomore Cayson Williams. As a freshman, Williams was one of the Shore’s top shot-blockers and also held his own in the paint as a scorer and rebounder – a sign he could be primed to turn into a top big man in the Shore this season. Junior Christian Basketville rounds out the starting five as another frontcourt player, with senior Daamir Darby, junior Christian Brown, senior Shane Gallagher and senior Deon Cammayo all returning with some varsity experience to lengthen the rotation. Last year began with the promise of a strong season, and this year’s group figures to be determined to deliver after coming up short a year ago.

Matawan at a Glance

Head Coach: Jim Macomber, first season
2024-25 Record: 9-20 (4-6, fifth in Class B Coastal)
Key Losses: Amir Martinez (5-10, Guard), Jayden Elijah (6-8, Center)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Colin Reitmann, Sr., 5-11, Guard (7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.1 steals)

Ben Morales, Sr., 5-8, Guard (8.9 points, 1.1 assists, 48 3-pointers)

Cayson Williams, So., 6-5, Center (6.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks)

Trevor Cole, Sr., 6-4, Forward

Christian Baskerville, Jr., 6-1, Forward (4.1 points, 2.2 rebounds)

Off the Bench

Christian Brown, Jr., 5-11, Guard (3.2 points, 1.2 assists)

Daamir Darby, Sr., 6-3, Forward (3.1 points, 4.8 rebounds)

Shane Gallagher, Sr., Forward (1.9 points)

Deon Cammayo, Sr., Guard (2.4 points)

Ace Jackson, So., 6-0, Guard

Welman Crooms, Sr., 5-8, Guard

Zach Johnson, So., 5-10, Guard

Alan Sparks, So., Forward

Sean Euell, So., Guard

 

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2. Monmouth

The Falcons ended the 2023-24 season on a positive trajectory thanks to a sophomore class that just played a significant role in a 12-12 season, but that progress was derailed when standout 6-foot-4 wing Ahmir Wiggins moved to North Carolina for the following school year. With Wiggins gone, a senior-less Monmouth team searched for its identity. While the Falcons were a balanced team with contributions from throughout the roster, it did not amount to winning as often as the players would have liked.

Now that the Falcons have an experienced team that did not graduate a contributor, they are hoping to take flight this season. They will have even more wind at their collective back with the return of Wiggins. Although he will not be eligible until early January, Wiggins will be a major addition to Monmouth’s guard-heavy lineup who could greatly use his size and athleticism to challenge the rest of Class B Central  for the top spot in the standings.

As for the rest of the lineup, guards Jaylin Reeves and Michael Griffin will be the senior leaders after they were two of the team’s top three scorers a year ago, with Reeves also leading the team in assists and Griffin in three-point field goals. Juniors Javon Bowles and Logan Conrade were also breakout players for the Falcons, and Conrade already posted 25 points and eight rebounds in a season-opening win over East Brunswick Magnet this week. Sophomore Ryan Corwin will round out the starting lineup until Wiggins returns, with seniors Judah Uter and Charles Tinsley adding more leadership off the bench. Monmouth should be able to hold its own for the first month of its season, and once Wiggins is eligible, the Falcons will become a serious threat to win their first division championship in nearly 20 years.

Monmouth at a Glance

Head Coach: Jeff Sfraga, ninth season
2024-25 Record: 7-17 (4-6, tied fourth in Class B North)
Key Losses: None

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Jaylin Reeves, Sr., 5-9, Guard (9.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists)

Javon Bowles, Jr., 5-9, Guard (8.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals)

Michael Griffin, Sr., 5-10, Guard (8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 53 3-pointers)

Ryan Corwin, So., 6-0, Guard (3.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.4 steals)

Logan Conrade, Jr., 6-1, Forward (7.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.4 steals)

Ahmir Wiggins, Sr., 6-4, Forward – Transfer from Winston Salem Prep (N.C.) (14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals in 2023-24)

Off the Bench

Charles Tinsley, Sr., 6-4, Center (2.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks)

Samuel Jackson, Jr., 6-0, Forward (3.4 points, 2.5 rebounds)

Judah Uter, Sr., 5-10, Guard (4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds)

Aiden Trocchia, Jr., 5-11, Forward

Beckett Langdon, Sr., 5-9, Guard

 

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3. Ocean

Four players in the entire Shore Conference averaged at least 19 points and at least seven rebounds per game last season, and the only one of those players returning in 2025-26 will be wearing an Ocean jersey. Senior Aidan Saint Louis is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged an even 19 points and just under eight rebounds per game. This season, the Spartans will try to give him some more help and make a run at the top of the Class B Central division.

Sophomore Brody Bell emerged as a reliable scoring source during his freshman season, which included a scoring average of just under eight points per game and the 10th-most three-point shots made in the Shore Conference (53). Junior Justice Hodges also returns to the starting backcourt, and senior Vernon Taylor will provide some size and strength to the frontcourt either as a starter at forward or as the sixth man.

Ocean’s two new starters are freshman twins Omar and Ahmad Ayyash, who are set to make an immediate impact as athletic, skilled players with some versatility. Having one another should take the pressure of helping to push the Spartans over the top in a division race, and the presence of Bell can’t hurt either. Ocean will also have some varsity experience and size coming off the bench beyond just Taylor, which includes guard Jameson MacAllister and forwards Junior Doremus and Mickey McGovern. That senior presence should complement the underclassmen in Ocean’s mission to get back above the .500 mark and compete for the top of B Central.

Ocean at a Glance

Head Coach: Ryan Pringle, sixth season
2024-25 Record: 9-17 (6-4, tied second in Class B North)
Key Losses: Noah Nguyen (5-6, Guard), Niall Tantrum (6-3, Guard/Forward), Oliver Aiello (5-10, Guard)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Brody Bell, So., 5-10, Guard (7.7 points, 53 3-pointers)

Justice Hodges, Jr., 5-9, Guard (2.25 points)

Omar Ayyash, Fr., 6-0, Guard

Aidan Saint Louis, Sr., 6-0, Guard/Forward (19.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 53 3-pointers)

Ahmad Ayyash, Fr., 6-1, Forward

Off the Bench

Vernon Taylor, Sr., 6-2, Forward (3.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists)

Jameson MacAllister, Sr., 5-11, Guard

Mickey McGovern, Sr., 6-2, Forward

Junior Dormeus, Sr., 6-1, Forward

Jack Bell, Jr., 6-0, Guard

Johnny Karinja, Jr., 5-11, Guard

Aidan Zacharczyk, So., 6-4, Forward

Tristan Saint Louis, So., 5-10, Guard

 

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4. Neptune

A one-win season in 2023-24 was a hard pill to swallow for a prideful Neptune program, and the Scarlet Fliers bounced back with the largest improvement in the Shore Conference by total wins, going from one to 14 in the span of one year. That Neptune team also showed its resilience by overcoming a season-ending injury to starting guard Donovan Stevenson early in the schedule and still finishing comfortably above .500.

Only one starter returns from last year’s squad and that is senior Jordan Pierre, who joined the starting five in the middle of the 2024-25 after transferring from College Achieve. Pierre was a traditional forward last season and heads into his senior year looking at more of a point forward role for the Scarlet Fliers. Junior Jeremiah McCleave and freshman Braden Mayo are both guards who can score and will play off Pierre when the three of them are on the floor.

Sophomore Dion Burton Jr. and freshman Carl Christie are candidates to start in the frontcourt, with Christie bringing some perimeter skills to the table as well. Senior Marc Alson will also start on the wing as a versatile player on both ends of the floor who can knock down an outside shot. Junior Daaron Lynch and senior Chris Evans are two more backcourt options for coach Joe Fagan who can either start or provide a spark off the bench. Inexperience at the varsity level will be a challenge for Neptune relative to the rest of the division, but Pierre is among B Central’s top players and there is potential for the Scarlet Fliers to have a quality supporting cast around him in a division that will be more winnable than the 2024-25 version of Class B Central.

Neptune at a Glance

Head Coach: Joe Fagan, 12th season
2024-25 Record: 14-10 (5-5, tied third in Class B Central)
Key Losses: Jay’Vion Rogers (5-10, Guard), Jayden Myrthil (5-10, Guard), Darren Fonrose (6-3, Forward), David Boone (5-10, Guard), Faniel Shakur (5-6, Guard), Donovan Stevenson (5-10, Guard), Cameron Stukes (5-6, Guard)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Braden Mayo, Fr., 6-0, Guard

Jeremiah McCleave, Jr., 5-10, Guard

Dion Burton Jr., So., 6-3, Forward/Center

Jordan Pierre, Sr., 6-3, Forward (8.9 points, 5.3 rebounds)

Marc Alston, Sr., 6-2, Forward

Off the Bench

Carl Christie, Fr., 6-1, Forward

Darron Lynch, Jr., 6-0, Guard

Chris Evans, Sr., 5-11, Guard

Kamar Parker, So., 5-11, Guard

Dominic O’Neill, Jr., 5-11, Guard

Ralph Sajouste, Sr., 6-3, Center

 

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5. Raritan

Last season got off to a promising start for a Raritan team trying to get back to its winning ways of 2022-23, but the Rockets faded at the end of the season by losing eight of their final nine games, with the lone win coming against Calvary Christian of Old Bridge. A lead culprit in the losing streak to end the year was a knee injury to James Dillon, who returns to run the offense this year. Dillon injured himself in a loss to Holmdel, and prior to that game, the Rockets were 7-8 heading into their matchup with one of the Shore’s top 10 teams.

Dillon is one of three returning starters for Raritan, which also welcomes back senior forward Ian Mullan and junior wing Eric Berg – both of whom were significant contributors in a balanced offense for the Rockets in 2024-25. Raritan will have to replace three glue players in Sean Burnett, Alan Warren and Xavier Nunez from last year’s lineup, but they have a talented sophomore in Mario Diamantis, who moves into the starting five after scoring nearly eight points per game while serving as a secret weapon off the bench.

Senior forwards Anthony Fazioli and Connor Lee are the leading candidates to grab the fifth starting spot, with sophomore Aidan Mehmeti also providing some additional size and depth in the frontcourt. Senior Anthony Baron and juniors Brennan Spenger and Jack Sorrenti round out Raritan’s army of guards – an important part of the depth that the Rockets will try to ride to the top of a division that will be very competitive from top to bottom.

Raritan at a Glance

Head Coach: Marc Rosner, third season
2024-25 Record: 9-17 (5-5, tied third in Class B Coastal)
Key Losses: Xavier Nunez (5-10, Guard), Sean Burnett (5-8, Guard), Alan Warren (6-1, Forward/Center), Cole Tishler (6-0, Forward)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

James Dillon, Sr., 5-10, Guard (6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists)

Mario Diamantis, So., 6-1, Guard (7.8 points, 1.5 assists)

Ian Mullan, Sr., 6-3, Forward/Center (10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists)

Eric Berg, Jr., 6-0, Guard/Forward (6.0 points, 2.5 rebounds)

Anthony Fazioli, Sr., 5-11, Forward

Off the Bench

Connor Lee, Sr., 6-1, Forward/Center

Anthony Barone, Sr., 5-9, Guard

Jack Sorrenti, Jr., 5-10, Guard

Brennan Spenger, Jr., 6-0, Forward/Guard

Aidan Mehmeti, So., 6-3, Forward/Center

 

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6. Long Branch

Raritan and Long Branch are the only two teams in this year’s Class B Central division to face each of the other teams, and the Green Wave picked up a pair of division wins over Monmouth and Ocean. That suggests Long Branch should be able to compete in this year’s B Central slate, but the Green Wave will have to replace plenty of production from last year’s team, which played its best basketball during a 5-2 stretch in late January.

Seniors Josh Da Cruz and Quinton Fisher are the two proven performers returning to the rotation this season, with Da Cruz in line to start as the team’s top scoring option and biggest player on the floor as well. Seniors Shamar Dixon and Nacier Hart will man the backcourt, with junior Quadir Brown also in the mix of guards likely to start for head coach, alumnus and 1997 state champion Darnell Tyler.

Six-foot-4 senior Nathan Pessoa is pushing for a bigger role this season in the wake of losing four starting players from last year’s team and will help Da Cruz on the boards and defending the paint. Elijah Maldonado and Zakariyah Kabba are two more guards to add to Fisher, Dixon, Brown and Hart. If the guards can step up around Da Cruz and Pessoa, Long Branch has the potential to knock off any team in this Class B Central field and hang around in the division race.

Long Branch at a Glance

Head Coach: Darnell Tyler, sixth season
2024-25 Record: 6-18 (4-6, tied fourth in Class B North)
Key Losses: Havier Gonzalez (Guard), Chris Moses (Forward), Joe Corley (Forward), Joshua Guzman (Guard), Cameron DeJesus (Guard)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Shamar Dixon, Sr., 5-11, Guard

Qua’Dir Brown, Jr., 6-2, Guard

Nacier Hart, Sr., 5-6, Guard

Josh Da Cruz, Sr., 6-5, Forward (11.5 points)

Nathan Pessoa, Sr., 6-4, Forward

Off the Bench

Quinton Fisher, Sr., 6-0, Guard (8.0 points)

Elijah Maldonado, Sr., 5-7, Guard

Zakariyah Kabba, Jr., 5-10, Guard

 

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Class B Central Starting Five

Jaylin Reeves, Monmouth

Aidain Saint Louis, Ocean

Jordan Pierre, Neptune

Cayson Williams, Matawan

Ahmir Wiggins, Monmouth

Off the Bench

Ian Mullan, Raritan

Colin Reitmann, Matawan

Josh Da Cruz, Long Branch

Mario Diamantis, Raritan

Ben Morales, Matawan

James Dillon, Raritan

Logan Conrade, Monmouth