2025-26 Shore Conference Boys Basketball Preview: Class C North

There are seven Group I schools in the Shore Conference, and five of them make up the whole of the Class C North division. The only two not in this division are the Ocean County Group I schools – Point Pleasant Beach and New Egypt – so there is logic beyond the power points in forming Class C North the way the Shore Conference did.

Although they are small-school programs vying for a division title, they are small-school programs with some major résumés in recent years. Keyport and Shore Regional lost in the Central Jersey Group I championship game in consecutive years in 2022 and 2023, while Henry Hudson is two years removed from a 21-win season in which the Admirals were the No. 1 seed in the Central Group I section before losing in the sectional quarterfinals.

Asbury Park and Keansburg have not run into the same success in recent years, but Asbury Park certainly has the championship history that stacks up with any of the Shore Conference Group I teams, even if the Blue Bishops’ last state and sectional titles came in 2011.

There is enough talent back at a number of this year’s Class B Central teams that a postseason run could be in the cards. In the meantime, expect a hard-fought race for the top spot.

 

In predicted order of finish

1. Shore

The only teams to beat Shore in divisional play last year were Freehold Boro and Ocean, so the Blue Devils will welcome a division schedule that includes neither. Shore started 2024-25 with seven straight wins, then after advancing to 16-5, closed it with six straight losses. With just one starter lost to graduation, this year’s Shore team is eager to get back on the court after the disappointing finish to last season and will take the floor with a senior-heavy roster.

Although Shore graduated leading scoring Bryce Crowe, it returns five players who averaged between five and 11 points per game, giving the Blue Devils the sort of balance most teams covet. Senior Andrew Barham is the top returning scorer after pushing for a double-double average with 10.9 points and 9.2 rebounds as a junior. Junior Maddox Paulin posted just under 10 points per game as a sophomore and, along with Crow and current senior Finn Watson, was one of three players on last year’s team to average at least two assists. Watson is another well-rounded guard for the Blue Devils after scoring seven points and grabbing three rebounds to go with his two assists per game as a junior.

Senior Jasias Colon returns to the front court as the team’s No. 2 rebounder behind Andrew Barham, while 6-foor-4 wing Ryan Barham can play inside, but his standout skill last year was his three-point touch (41 three-pointers) coming off the bench. The starting lineup will carry the load for Shore in divisional play, with Kedo Sayson, Auggie Zilincar, Preston Furman, Jaden Cox and Tim Decker vying for key bench roles that would add to Shore’s experienced rotation. In a C North division that has some major turnover among its three winning outfits, Shore is best positioned to ride its senior-dominated roster to the top spot.

Shore at a Glance

Head Coach: Erik Mazur, eighth season
2024-25 Record: 16-11 (6-4, tied second in Class B North)
Key Losses: Bryce Crowe, (6-0, Guard), Gus Nohilly-Hicks (6-2, Forward)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25)

Returning Starters in Bold

Maddox Paulin, Jr., 6-0, Guard (9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists)

Finn Watson, Sr., 6-0, Guard (7.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists)

Andrew Barham, Sr., 6-2, Guard (10.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals)

Ryan Barham, Sr., 6-4, Guard (7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 41 3-pointers)

Jasias Colon, Sr., 6-3, Forward (5.2 points, 5.3 rebounds)

Off the Bench

Kedo Sayson, Jr., 5-9, Guard (1.2 points)

Auggie Zilincar, Sr., 6-4, Forward

Preston Furman, Sr., 5-10, Guard

Tim Decker, Jr., 6-1, Guard

Jaden Cox, Sr., 6-4, Forward

Ahjmiere Banks, So., 6-1, Guard

Luca Delonardo, So., 5-9, Guard

Bobby Coppolino, So., 5-10, Guard

 

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2. Henry Hudson

Before the 2023-24 season, Henry Hudson had not finished with a winning record in boys basketball in over 15 years. The Admirals are now coming off consecutive seasons in which they won a combined 39 games and their first division championships since the late 1980s. Coach Brian Kelly has engineered one of the great turnarounds of the last decade in making Henry Hudson a Group I team that pushes for 20 wins, and this season will test how well the Admirals can endure.

Last year, Henry Hudson had to wait 30 days to get star guard Jack Fitzpatrick eligible after he started the year at College Achieve, then missed him while he battled pneumonia. The Admirals shined despite not getting a full season from Fitzpatrick. This year, they will try to overcome the loss of another Fitzpatrick. Michael Fitzpatrick – Jack’s younger brother – transferred to Middletown South after three years as a Henry Hudson starter, which will put the pressure on senior Billy Quinn to lead the Admirals’ backcourt. Quinn was a breakout guard for the Admirals last year, which was huge for Henry Hudson given all the games Jack Fitzpatrick missed.

While Quinn stepped up last year, JoJo Newell was the breakout player of 2023-24 as a freshman on a 21-win team. Newell followed that season up with another strong showing as a sophomore that saw him come up just shy of averaging a double-double. Newell leads a Henry Hudson team that will lean more on its size than in years past, with 6-foot-5 senior Masio Tucker and 6-2 forward Tiernan Illaraza joining the starting five with Newell, Quinn and returning junior starter Blakely Smith. Junior Jack Carlstrom also brings some size to the backcourt off the bench, and Kelly will have two 6-3 options off the bench in Marshall Colangelo and David Ortore, who round out what remains an experienced roster that has some questions to answer, but also has high expectations.

Henry Hudson at a Glance

Head Coach: Brian Kelly, sixth season
2024-25 Record: 18-9 (7-3, second in Class B Coastal)
Key Losses: Jack Fitzpatrick (6-2, Guard), Kevin Pharo (6-4, Forward), Phinn Kozic (6-2, Forward), Michael Fitzpatrick (Sr., 6-4, Guard; transferred to Middletown South)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Billy Quinn, Sr., 5-9, Guard (13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.0 steals, 38 3-pointers)

Blakely Smith, Jr., 5-10, Guard (3.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists)

Masio Tucker, Sr., 6-5, Center (2.0 points, 2.9 rebounds)

JoJo Newell, Jr., 6-4, Forward (12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.8 blocks)

Tiernan Illaraza, Jr., 6-2, Forward

Off the Bench

Jack Carlstrom, Jr., 6-2, Guard (1.8 points, 1.3 rebounds)

Damien Doherty, So., 5-10, Guard

Marshall Colangelo, Jr., 6-3, Forward

David Ortore, Sr., 6-3, Forward

 

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3. Keyport

Henry Hudson’s dramatic turnaround over the last two seasons has overshadowed what Keyport has been able to do in following up a great departing senior class. Just as Henry Hudson is trying to continue winning despite losing key pieces to a breakthrough team, Keyport has been able to remain more than competitive after losing key seniors from a sectional runner-up in 2022, with 17 wins the following year and 19 wins last year with a completely different group. Those 19 wins last year matched the total by the 2021-22 team that came up just short of the program’s first sectional title since 2004.

A trio of scoring guards led the way last year, and the Red Raiders bring back one of them. With Nico Dispenza and Andrei Matthews moving on, Kai Arrington is the top scoring option remaining for Keyport and will have a chance to build on a junior season in which he finished 25th in the conference in scoring and 26th in rebounding per game. Senior Jermaine Bardon and junior Chris Herrara did not do nearly as much scoring as Arrington, but both earned starts during the season and will bring experience, intangibles and some rebounding and defense to the lineup.

Seniors Casey McCarthy and Jacob Pinto are in line to grab minutes at the other available guard position in the starting five, with junior Demetrius Attia stepping up as a frontcourt option alongside Herrara. Size could be an issue for Keyport against Shore and Henry Hudson teams that have bigger players in their respective lineups, but with hard-nosed guards, a proven scorer in Arrington and a history of remaining competitive under coach Phil Recco, the Red Raiders remain a division contender – especially with all Group I schools in C North.

Keyport at a Glance

Head Coach: Phil Recco, 21st season
2024-25 Record: 19-8 (5-5, tied third in Class B Coastal)
Key Losses: Nico Dispenza (5-11, Guard), Andrei Matthews (6-0, Guard), Brayan Rodriguez (5-7, Guard)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Kai Arrington, Sr., 6-0, Guard (16.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals, 48 3-pointers)

Jermaine Bardon, Sr., 5-9, Guard (4.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals)

Casey McCarthy, Sr., 5-9, Guard

Chris Herrara, Jr., 6-1, Forward (1.8 points, 3.1 rebounds)

Demetrius Attia, Jr., 6-0, Forward

Off the Bench

Jacob Pinto, Sr., 5-8, Guard

J.J. Dane, Jr., 6-0, Guard

Allen Evans, Jr., 5-9, Guard

 

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4. Keansburg

Playing in a division with Middletown North, Matawan and Raritan was a big ask for Keansburg last year. On top of having to play those larger programs twice each, Henry Hudson and Keyport both boasted strong rosters to round out a list of division opponents that combined to go 10-0 vs. Keansburg last season. This year, the Titans will stack up much better against their division foes, and a 9-4 record vs. teams outside of Class B Coastal in 2024-25 suggests the results will be better in 2025-26.

A main reason for optimism at Keansburg is the return of A’son and Ishon Young – a duo who averaged a combined 21 points per game a year ago, with A’son leading the team at better than 14 per game. A’son will command the interior while I’shon will run point for Keansburg, with sophomore Taurian Black joining him in the back court after a solid showing as a freshman coming off the bench.

Senior Milan Mraz returns to the starting lineup as a scrappy forward, and 6-foot-4 senior Jaivon Thomas-Conklin gives the Titans some premium size to help them match up with Shore and Henry Hudson’s bigger lineups. Sophomore Daizhan Jones will also look to make an impact, while Josh Sanchez and Devin Levin return to the rotation after playing reserve roles a season ago. More depth than in years past could be a key for Keansburg, but if the Titans are to thrive in Class B Central, it will start with the Young boys running the show together for one more year.

Keansburg at a Glance

Head Coach: Ryan Waltz, third season
2024-25 Record: 9-14 (0-10, sixth in Class B Coastal)
Key Losses: Ja’Zier Wynn (5-10, Guard), Gary Friberg (6-1, Forward)

Projected Lineup (with 2024-25 stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

I’shon Young, Sr., 5-9, Guard (6.5 points)

Taurian Black, So., 5-8, Guard

Jaivon Thomas-Conklin, Sr., 6-4, Center

A’son Young, Sr., 6-2, Forward (14.4 points)

Milan Mraz, Sr., 5-10, Forward

Off the Bench

Daizhan Jones, So., 6-1, Forward

Josh Sanchez, Jr., 5-6, Guard

Devin Levine, Sr., 6-0, Guard/Forward

Yasin Owens, Jr., 5-5, Guard

Jibran Johnson, So., 5-9 – Transfer from Irvington

 

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5. Asbury Park

Head Coach: Kyle Weedon, second season
2024-25 Record: 0-19 (0-10, sixth in Class B North)

*Check Back for Asbury Park Season Preview*

 

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Class B Central Starting Five

Andrew Barham, Shore

Billy Quinn, Henry Hudson

Kai Arrington, Keyport

JoJo Newell, Henry Hudson

A’son Young, Keansburg

Off the Bench

Maddox Paulin, Shore

Finn Watson, Shore

I’shon Young, Keansburg

Jasias Colon, Shore

Ryan Barham, Shore