JSBL: Monday’s Semifinal Previews

The JSBL playoffs resume tonight with semifinal action. The winners will advance to play in Tuesday’’s championship game.

*The JSBL has asked those attending tonight’s semifinals to please plan to park in the Manasquan BOE or Manasquan Elementary school parking lots on Broad Street due to an event in the field house on Atlantic Avenue which will cause the back parking lot to be crowded.*

 

Jersey Shore Basketball League Semifinals

Monday, August 4, 2025

at Manasquan High School

7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Free Admission

 

(2) Intern Helpers (7-2) vs (3) ACI/Robin’s Nest (6-3), 7 p.m.

Intern Helpers Playoff Roster (Most Recent College/High School)

Coach: Randy Holmes

Ahmad Biggins, 5-8, Guard (South Suburban/Atlantic City)

Leon Daniels, 6-5, Guard (Alabama State/Atlantic City)

Charles Funchess, 6-8, Forward (Hampton)

Jaymere Hadden, 6-4, Forward (Stockton/Millville)

Emmett Hall, 6’8, Center (Mendham)

Noah Harris, 6-1, Guard (Southern New Hampshire/Rutgers Prep)

Christian Lyons, 6-6, Forward (Gloucester CC/Pennsauken)

LJ Robinson, 6-5, Guard (Drew/Manchester)

Ray Salnave, 6-3, Guard (UMBC/Cardozo NY)

Chris Smith, 6-2, Guard, (Louisville/St. Benedict’s/Lakewood)

James Stanback, 6-7, Guard (Stockton/Keansburg)

Josh Treadwell, 6-5, Guard (Coppin State/Marist)

ACI/Robin’s Nest Playoff Roster (Most Recent College/High School)

Coach: Joe Fagan

Sam Fagan, 6-1, Guard (Monmouth/Neptune)

Sean Grennan, 6-3, Guard (San Francisco/Donovan Catholic)

Marquail Hardiman, 6-8, Center (Morris CC/Newark West Side)

Dwaine Jones, 6-5, Guard (U of Charleston/Neptune)

Micah Kerr, 6-5, Forward (Kean/Neptune)

Jared Kimbrough, 6-8, Forward (Hartford/Neptune)

Samier Kinsler, 6-2, Guard (Glenville State/West Catholic PA)

Ibn Loyal, 6-5, Forward (Missouri Southern State/Patrick School)

Ty Montgomery, 6-2, Guard (William Paterson/Admiral Farragut)

Lucas Orchard, 6-3, Guard (Monmouth/Perkiomen PA)

**Jack Clark, 6-10, Forward (VCU/Cheltenham PA)**

**Myles Powell, 6-2, Guard (Seton Hall/South Kent CT)**

**One of either Clark OR Powell can be activated as the team’s special category playoff exception** (NBA Summer League/Former NBA)

Gio Panzini will not be in uniform for the remainder of the season due to Cornell basketball’s international trip

 

The two teams met in their second game of the season in a 95-92 thriller won by Intern Helpers. That game featured 24 point efforts from Josh Treadwell and Leon Daniels which included some very clutch buckets from Treadwell in the final minutes of the game. Dwaine Jones scored 24 points and Jared Kimbrough had 21 points in the loss for ACI/Robin’s Nest. Both teams have added some key pieces since that early season game and are playing much better at this point in the summer.

Intern Helpers keys to the game:

1. Continue to be the tougher and more physical team

Intern Helpers has done all of the little things correctly for most of the season. They box out when the shot goes up, they set hard screens, and they create the space that they need to operate. The Helpers will be going against a much younger and less experienced team. If they come out playing as the more physical team, they could potentially intimidate the younger team and take them out of their game.

2. Move the ball on offense

Intern Helpers had one of their worst halves of the season against an undermanned Ortho-NJ team in the quarterfinals. Both teams were tied 41-41 at the half in what can be described as a rock fight offensively. In the second half, the team began moving the ball via the pass instead of the dribble and it opened up the lane for Christian Lyons to take over. ACI/Robin’s Nest has too much team chemistry and defensive communication for Intern Helpers to win by getting involved in the one-on-one game.

3. Be prepared for the ATO (after timeout) plays

Between longtime winning coach Joe Fagan and assistant coach Jimmy McDonnell who has picked up more than a few neat tricks working for the Brooklyn Nets, ACI/Robin’s Nest is the most organized team when it comes to running plays particularly after timeouts. Intern Helpers cannot afford to have consistent breakdowns on inbound passes that lead to easy baskets.

4. Exploit mismatches when Chris Smith and Josh Treadwell have the ball

Smith and Treadwell are significantly stronger than the younger ACI/Robin’s Nest players. They will be able to use their strength and either score or draw double teams to create good looks at the basket. Ball movement is very important, but so is taking advantages of mismatches when the opportunity presents itself.

ACI/Robin’s Nest keys to the game:

1. Jared Kimbrough must keep Christian Lyons away from the rim

Intern Helpers has found a ton of success scoring on lobs to Lyons off of slips, rolls, and in transition this season. Most teams do not have a big man with enough size and athleticism to sufficiently erase Lyons from getting to the rim. ACI/Robin’s Nest happens to have the Defensive Player of the Year in Jared Kimbrough who is both taller and heavier than Lyons and should be able to provide some resistance at the rim. If Kimbrough can take those plays away, that’s a few more possessions where Intern Helpers has to earn a more difficult basket which can make the difference in a close game.

2. Sam Fagan and Samier Kinsler need to have efficient games as secondary creators 

Intern Helpers hangs their hat on defense. Coach Randy Holmes is well aware that Dwaine Jones is the guard that makes the ACI/Robin’s Nest offense go. The Helpers have an athletic, deep bench and will rotate a mix of good defenders on Jones in an attempt to deny him the ball and harass him the full length of the court. The hope would be to tire out Jones over the course of the game so his efficiency rate drops. Fagan and Kinsler are both very good ball handlers and shooters. If they can shoulder some of the load for Jones when it comes to initiating the offense and creating shots, it will take the focus off of Jones and allow him to be the usual playmaker that he is into the second half of the game.

3. Marquail Hardiman, Micah Kerr, and Ibn Loyal need to match or surpass Intern Helpers’ physicality

Intern Helpers has earned a reputation not only for being the top defensive team in the league, but also for being the strongest and most physical team. They will not surrender space easily and will try to cause their opponents to settle for low quality jump shots. The trio of Hardiman, Kerr, and Loyal are all very strong in their own right. If they can make an early statement by boxing out and going toe to toe with some of the tougher players on the Helpers, it will help protect their scorers and allow them to do what they do best.

4. Do not foul the jump shooters

The Helpers are full of savvy professionals that have mastered the art of baiting defenders into fouls on jump shots. Chris Smith is the best player in the league at this skill. ACI/Robin’s Nest has to avoid fouling on jumpers especially from beyond the arc. They cannot afford to give up cheap points.

The Pick:

Intern Helpers 97-ACI/Robin’s Nest 93

Both of these teams play aesthetically pleasing basketball. Intern Helpers is quite a bit older, more experienced, and more gritty so we give them the edge in what is essentially a toss up.

 

(1) Sterns Trailer (7-2) vs (5) RKE Athletic (5-4), 8:30 p.m.

Sterns Trailer Playoff Roster (Most Recent College/High School)

Coach: Christine Hatfield

Bryan Antoine, 6-5, Guard (Radford/Ranney)

Parker Dortch, 6-7, Forward (Anderson/Northern Burlington)

Jalen Gaffney, 6-3, Guard (Florida Atlantic/Westtown PA)

Eddie Hendrix, 6-4, Forward (Monmouth Regional)

Kevin Mateo, 6-1, Guard (Brookdale/Hackensack)

Rasheen Merlin, 6-9, Center (Winston-Salem State/Washington Twp)

Larry Smith, 6-1, Guard (Matawan)

Jakari Spence, 6-2, Guard (Jacksonville/Toms River North)

Evan Weiner, 6-7, Forward (OCC/Manchester)

Derrick Woods, 6-8, Forward (Saint Peter’s/Pennsbury PA)

*Jakari Spence and Jalen Gaffney were expected to miss the semifinals on Thursday night until the postponement moved the game to Monday. Their status is currently unknown for tonight.*

 

RKE Athletic Playoff Roster (Most Recent College/High School)

Coach: Sean Gallagher

Ty Armstrong, 6-2, Guard (East Central/Brinkley AR)

Denzel Banks, 6-2, Guard (NJCU/East Orange Campus)

Kyle Cardaci, 6-2, Guard (Saint Peter’s/Mater Dei Prep)

Jack Collins, 6-5, Guard (Monmouth/Manasquan)

Elijah Ford, 6-5, Guard (Wagner/Weequahic)

Nico Galette, 6-6, Forward (Youngstown State/Rutgers Prep)

Peter Gorman, 6-0, Guard (Ramapo/Mater Dei Prep)

Dane Moran, 6-9, Center (Dickinson/CBA)

Shack Scott, 6-6, Forward (Wagner/Passaic Tech)

Dan Singleton, 6-4, Guard (Montclair State/Neptune)

AJ Sumbry, 6-8, Forward (Wagner/St. Benedict’s)

*It has been reported from RKE Athletic personnel that Nick Davidson was injured off the court and will not be in uniform for the game.*

 

Sterns Trailer sent a message to RKE Athletic early in the season in a 104-75 steamrolling. That loss caused a skid for RKE Athletic who lost 4 of their next 5 games before stunning a strong Sea View Jeep team in the first round of the playoffs. Sterns Trailer would lose only one game after that to a Myles Powell led ACI/Robin’s Nest team. They would go on to win the regular season championship. The rosters will be vastly different in tonight’s game.

Sterns Trailer keys to the game:

1. Frustrate Kyle Cardaci with tight defense (if he returns)

RKE Athletic star guard Kyle Cardaci is back from the TBT after his team lost in the round of 8. While it is not completely certain if he will return for the playoffs, there is a possibility he will be back in uniform. Sterns Trailer managed to get him out of rhythm in the first matchup by running two and three defenders at him at times including Kevin Mateo who did a great job defensively. They were the only team to truly shut him down in his two seasons in the league. If they can take him out of the game again, their odds of winning are very high.

2. Bryan Antoine and Larry Smith need to account for potential missing scoring

If Jakari Spence and Jalen Gaffney are out of the lineup, Kevin Mateo will assume the role as the primary creator and scorer for Sterns Trailer. Still, even if Mateo can account for Spence’s points, they need to find a way to then account for their second leading scorer’s missing points. Longtime JSBL veteran Larry Smith and the Shore Conference’s all-time leading scorer, Bryan Antoine, are the best bets to fulfill that role.

3. Put Parker Dortch on Nico Galette

Nico Galette is a tricky player to defend because he is generally too strong for guards and wings, but too quick for bigs. Sterns Trailer happens to have one of the most versatile defenders in the league in Parker Dortch who stands at 6’7 and is very strong and quick. Dortch is by far the best matchup for Galette on Sterns Trailer and possibly the best matchup for him of anyone in the league.

4. Rasheen Merlin needs to utilize his inside/outside game

Merlin is a very versatile 6’9 big man who has legitimate range from beyond the arc, but he also has the strength to battle inside. RKE will likely have more depth so Merlin will need to be ready to battle the likes of AJ Sumbry, Shack Scott, and Dane Moran for four quarters. If Merlin can pull them out of the paint on defense by hitting some early jumpers, it will open up space for Mateo, Antoine, and company to drive to the basket.

RKE Athletic keys to the game:

1. Win the physicality battle

It would not be unfair to say that RKE Athletic was “punked” in their regular season matchup against Sterns Trailer. Sterns Trailer made a collective decision to play tight, physical defense from the second quarter on and RKE Athletic was completely out of sorts from that point on as they committed 24 turnovers leading to a lot of easy baskets the other way. If RKE can match Sterns’ energy and physicality, they can stay in the game.

2. Allow Jack Collins to be the primary initiator

RKE Athletic was never able to truly replace 2024 All-JSBL Point Guard Sidney Brown after losing him to a catastrophic leg injury in a car accident during the spring. They have a handful of players that can handle the ball, but Collins has been their best source for quality shot creation all summer including against Sea View Jeep in the playoffs when he finished with 8 assists to just 2 turnovers on a variety of highlight reel passes. At 6’5, he can see over smaller defenders and use his tremendous vision and passing accuracy to make plays.

3. Do not get into a three point contest

Contrary to last summer when they were the top shooting team in the league, RKE Athletic has not been a good outside shooting team this season. As a team, they have shot just 28% from deep on the season. Their best shooter was Peter Gorman who was 9-for-18 from deep on the season, but he has not played in several weeks and is unlikely to be present. Ty Armstrong has improved as an outside shooter with his season total hovering around 37% and if Cardaci is in uniform he is an obvious three point threat, but the rest of the team should be focused on getting the ball to the basket and finishing higher percentage looks. The message seemed to be well-received in the last game as they attempted a season-low 23 three-point attempts and converted on 7 while taking the game over inside.

4. Stop Kevin Mateo from getting to his spots

Mateo is one of the best shooters off the dribble at the Jersey Shore, and he has an array of different dribble combinations and step backs that help him get to where he wants to get. If they can keep him from getting his feet set and force him into difficult jumpers, they can prevent him from single-handedly dominating the game.

The Pick:

Sterns Trailer 106, RKE Athletic 99

Many of the observers have repeated the phrase, “It’s a Sterns Trailer league,” since they became a powerhouse when the league moved over to Manasquan High School. It is hard to believe anyone can knock off Sterns in the playoffs after what we have seen them do the last three years.