Shore Sports Insider Week 1 Boys Basketball Top 10
Shore Sports Insider Boys Basketball Top 10 — Week 1
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Other than the fact that every team in the Shore Conference has now played at least one real game, not a whole lot has changed in the Shore Sports Insider rankings since the preseason Top 10 dropped 10 days ago – at least not on the surface. Only one team that started in the top 10 has lost to an opponent that is either not ranked or ranked below them, which means there were not many reasons to shuffle the Shore Conference deck.
Even though the top 10 looks similar to the preseason version – save for a couple of new teams in the mix – the underlying battle for the top spot has become more of a scuffle than a lot of us thought it might be prior to the season. St. Rose remains No. 1, but the competition for that position appears as though it will be open to multiple teams.
1. St. Rose (2-1, 2-0) Last Week: 1
An opening-night loss to Paramus Catholic put St. Rose’s No. 1 standing in jeopardy, but the combination of Jayden Hodge missing that game with a knee injury and returning two nights later to lead the Purple Roses to a road win over Manasquan was enough to leave the top spot unchanged for the time being. Given how difficult St. Rose’s schedule is and that the losses will likely come with it, the Purple Roses will be under fire all year when it comes to the No. 1 ranking in the Shore Conference. On the other hand, if they don’t lose within the Shore, it will be hard to unseat them.
2. Christian Brothers Academy (2-0, 0-0) Last Week: 2
CBA is the one team positioned to take the No. 1 spot from St. Rose and the only reason the Colts have not yet is because St. Rose lost with its best player sidelined and beat Manasquan when he came back. For their part, the Colts have looked like a contender; they hammered preseason No. 6 Freehold Boro on opening day and handled Holmdel a week later. The chance for CBA to pass St. Rose may not come until the Shore Conference Tournament, but it will come at some point.
3. Manasquan (2-1, 0-1) Last Week: 3
The Warriors are 2-1 against the toughest schedule that any Shore Conference team has played and if it were not for the fact that the one loss came against St. Rose, the Warriors might be No. 1 already. Even with that loss, there is a case for Manasquan to be No. 2, but with CBA still unbeaten, the preseason rankings will hold for another week. Whether No. 2 or No. 3, Manasquan made it clear it is once again on the short list of SCT title contenders.
4. Central (1-0, 0-0) Last Week: 4
Slow starts have been part of Central’s recent history but that does not look like it will be the case this season. The Golden Eagles looked ready from the opening tip in taking down 2024 Group IV runner-up Lenape behind a brilliant debut by Jaycen Santucci (24 points, seven rebounds, six assists). Central will ride that momentum into the WOBM Christmas Classic, which has them seeded No. 2 in the field behind Manasquan.
5. Rumson-Fair Haven (1-1, 0-0) Last Week: 5
For the second time in 10 months, Rumson had a chance to knock off Manasquan and could not quite hammer in the final nail against the Warriors. Saturday’s overtime loss to Manasquan showed Rumson is a worthy contender for both SCT and NJSIAA sectional championships again this season and the Bulldogs will have plenty of motivation to improve after that frustrating loss at home.
6. Red Bank (4-0, 0-0) Last Week: 7
The Bucs have already beaten four quality opponents – Henry Hudson, Marlboro, Southern and Colts Neck – and three of those wins were by double-digit margins. That is enough to bump Red Bank up one spot to No. 6 and while keeping the Bucs behind Rumson is the conservative play at the moment, those two teams will decide it on the court with two head-to-head games – the first of which is on Jan. 16.
7. Toms River North (1-1, 0-0) Last Week: Not ranked
The first new name to appear in this year’s rankings is a name that the Shore Conference is used to seeing in this space. Toms River North graduated an outstanding senior class and in the small sample they have offered up in 2024-25, the Mariners have demonstrated they will still be hard to beat. They opened the season by handling Jackson Memorial, then lost a one-possession neutral-site game to perennial South Jersey Group IV contender Eastern. With a very different lineup than the one that won the WOBM Christmas Classic a year ago, Toms River North will look to protect its home court against another quality field that includes the Nos. 3 and 4 teams in the Shore Conference.
8. Freehold Boro (3-1, 0-0) Last Week: 6
After an ugly season-opening loss to CBA, Freehold Boro has since bounced back by winning three straight games and getting its star trio of Brian Tassey, Aidan Hamlin-Woolfolk and Qua’Mir Everett on track. The Colonials will win plenty of games while playing in a division of teams that don’t have their level of talent but staying in the top 10 will require Freehold Boro to put forth a better showing against ranked opponents – starting with a Buc Holiday Classic that includes a couple of ranked Shore Conference squads: No. 6 Red Bank and the next team on the list.
9. Ranney (1-0, 0-0) Last Week: 9
A lopsided win over Monmouth is Ranney’s only game to date and the Panthers will also look to prove themselves in the Buc Classic, which opens with Ranney playing Old Bridge in round one, with either Freehold Boro or Marlboro to follow. Freehold’s loss to CBA gives Ranney an opening for the No. 8 spot, but the Colonials still deserve some of the benefit of the doubt for the level they reached last year. Ranney will have a chance to overcome the handful of teams ranked ahead of the Panthers over the next week.
10. Manalapan (2-0, 0-0) Last Week: Not ranked
The season started with questions about how Manalapan would overcome the loss of four starters and a sixth man around Aiden Sosinov and two players in particular have stepped up: junior Dean Aviles and Sosinov himself. Sosinov has started the season on fire with 74 points in the first two games, while Aviles is averaging 16 per game through two. A win at East Brunswick also gives the early-season résumé some impact as the Braves head toward a promising 2025.
Dropped Out
Southern (1-1, 0-0) Last Week: 8 – Although out of the top 10, the Rams are still on the outskirts of the rankings after bouncing back from a blowout loss to Red Bank with a win over Jackson Memorial.
Jackson Memorial (1-3, 0-0) Last Week: 10 – The Jaguars are playing without injured senior returnee Brady Adams and still waiting on standout transfer George Boley – both of whom will provide a lift when they return.
The Next 10
Red Bank Catholic (2-0, 0-0) – A pair wins over Class A North teams (Marlboro and Freehold Township) represent a strong start for the Caseys, who will test themselves against a competitive WOBM Classic field this week.
Colts Neck (1-1, 0-0) – Opening the season vs. a quality Red Bank team that had already played three games was a tough draw for Colts Neck, but the Cougars bounced back vs. Neptune.
Point Boro (3-0, 0-0) – The Panthers prevailed at Donovan Catholic Saturday against a Griffins team with high hopes for 2024-25, which now gives Point Boro a chance to reach 2025 unbeaten.
Marlboro (1-3, 0-0) – The Mustangs have been competitive in losing at Red Bank, Red Bank Catholic and at a neutral site vs. Notre Dame and with a young team, there is plenty of room to grow.
Point Pleasant Beach (3-0, 0-0) – It took a four-point play in the final seconds for the Garnet Gulls to escape Ocean with a win but before that, unbeaten Point Beach routed a Lacey team that later beat Middletown South.
Howell (1-1, 0-0) – Opening the season at St. Rose was a difficult way to start the season but the Rebels looked sharp in a Sunday rout of Hamilton West.
Henry Hudson (2-1, 0-0) – With two solid performances after an opening-night loss to Red Bank, the Admirals look like an improved team as they wait for Jack Fitzpatrick to become eligible.
St. John Vianney (3-1, 0-0) – The Lancers have yet to play a team from New Jersey, which they will finally do when they face Manasquan to open the WOBM Christmas Classic.
Donovan Catholic (1-1, 0-0) – After a close loss to Point Boro, Donovan Catholic will try to bounce back against newly-ranked Toms River North on Thursday.
Holmdel (1-1, 0-0) – After opening with a win over an improved Wall team, Holmdel ran into a fine-tuned CBA team that might be the best in the Shore at the moment.
