OIB Ortho Boys Basketball Team of the Week: Red Bank

2025 OIB Ortho/Shore Sports Insider Boys Basketball Team of the Week Series

Red Bank’s undefeated start to its 2024-25 boys basketball season ended with a loss to Central Regional on Jan. 11 and since then, the Bucs have played like an even more inspired team.

Last week, Red Bank bounced back from its only loss of the season by taking down Middletown South, Rumson-Fair Haven and Toms River North last week, igniting what is a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s game vs. Christian Brothers Academy and earning the Bucs the first OIB Ortho Team of the Week award of 2025.

The Bucs rebounded from their 57-49 loss to Central Regional by beating Middletown South in a see-saw game that saw Red Bank turn a narrow lead into a 30-point advantage, Middletown South cut the lead to eight and Red Bank close out a 72-57 win.

That set the stage for the Jan. 16 showdown at Rumson-Fair Haven — a team Red Bank had not beaten since 2019 and just once since the 2014-15 season. The Bucs entered the fourth quarter trailing by nine and rallied to tie the game in the last second of the fourth quarter, with senior Zayier Dean hitting three free throws with 1.1 second on the clock to send the game to overtime. Dean then finished the job with the go-ahead basket in the extra session and Red Bank secured a 46-44 win over the Bulldogs.

Since beating Rumson for the first time in six years, Red Bank has run through Toms River North, Holmdel and Red Bank Catholic to run its record to 14-1 heading into Saturday’s game at the Men’s X Mental Showcase in Red Bank’s home gym.