By Scott Stump – Senior Editor
With the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals coming up on Sunday, here’s a look at the scouting reports on all the games. The quotes are from opposing coaches/assistants who have scouted and played these teams head to head. They were granted anonymity in exchange for their insights. I also had them select a scenario where if a specific player is having a good game, the opponent is in real trouble. It also means not an obvious star player. Saying, “If Neptune’s Gary Foster has a big game, Asbury Park is in trouble,” is basically one for the “duh” file for any Shore Conference followers.
All games are at Brookdale Community College.
(1) Neptune vs. (8) Asbury Park, 11 a.m.
Neptune: “They don’t really run an offense – they just have tendencies. They have three tendencies on offense: 1) They run a baseline screen off the
box, and then that kid looks to seal and post you up; 2) They ball
screen and try to make a play off that; 3) The third tendency is just dribble breakdown. They spread the court and just try to break you down off the dribble and crash the offensive glass.
Defensively, they got to a full-court man-to-man, and they also use a 2-1-2 press where they look to trap the sidelines and the division line. They will play a 2-3 zone only off an inbounds, and then they’ll either stay in it or check you depending on where you catch the ball.
They killed us on second-chance points. Also, they are all putting up decent numbers in shooting from behind the 3-point line. Perimeter defense was our main concern, but the problem is that when a shot went up, we weren’t in any position to check the boards because we had to help a lot.
Rebounds are a big thing for Neptune, especially with (senior forward Gary) Foster. They don’t have much size, but they’re quick, and they go for the ball hard. You’ve got to watch everybody. You’ve got to keep them in front of you, but you can say that as much as you want, and it’s not easy to do. They have something like four kids between 16 and 37 3-pointers (made) this season, so you are taking your chances by zoning them. They all can hurt you off the dribble. Playing perimeter defense and then hitting open looks on the offensive end are the two big keys.”
If this player is having a big game, Asbury Park is in trouble: Terry Hicks, Sr., F. “We were worried about him because he can put it on the floor and get to the rim as well as knock down 3-pointers. He is up and down at times, but if he’s on, they are a very balanced offense that is tough to slow down.”
Asbury Park: “Playing on the bigger court at Brookdale will hurt them because they have a big advantage in being able to smother teams in that tiny gym of theirs.
They play some man-to-man, but they really just sit in a 2-3 zone on all you all day, which is surprising with all the athletic ability they have.
You’ve got to keep (Steve) Raymond and (Darryl) Jefferson from getting penetration because their big guys won’t hurt you at all unless it’s on a penetration and dish. (Jefferson and Raymond) both love the baseline, and they stay on separate sides of the floor all the time. (Ron) Berardesco is a pure shooter. If he’s on the floor, he’s only out there to shoot threes. It’s really just those guys on the penetration that **** you, especially Raymond.
You have to be patient against their zone,
and not try to force up shots. It’s a little different at Brookdale, because you can’t shoot threes form the corner in Asbury’s gym because you’re out of bounds. Neptune needs to resist the urge to fire up shots right away because if it can get Foster the ball facing the basket at the foul line rather than putting up a 3-pointer, Asbury is in trouble because it is vulnerable in the paint on defense.”
If this player is having a big game, Neptune is in trouble: Anthony Simmons, Sr., PG. “Simmons will **** you from three if you’re not paying attention to him. If the other two (Jefferson and Raymond) are getting penetration and finding him for open looks, he can go for 20-plus points and that makes them a whole different team.”
(2) Monsignor Donovan vs. (10) Red Bank, 12: 45 p.m
Monsignor Donovan: “They do a lot of three out (on the perimeter), two-in (the paint) stuff. They’ll look to isolate (senior Kyle) Milana in the post against smaller and weaker guys. They’re very patient, and they will not jack up crazy shots.
(Point guard Sean) Grennan is a freshman, but he plays like a junior because of their tough schedule, and is a good scorer going to his left, but he will not force the issue. (Senior Tom) Carter is a match-up nightmare. He is 6-4, can put it to deck, and he can flat-out shoot the three and won’t miss a lot of shots. (Guard Greg) Colucci will shoot ball 2-3 times a game, but if he’s open, he’ll knock it down.
They defend you and take you out of your stuff. They’re very, very physical on and off the ball, and with their experience, they look to impose their will on the other team. They play mostly man, but sometimes they’ll show zone. They’re very, very aggressive, so you can look to backdoor them, and if you have guards that can break them down, you can score.
They lose a lot when they go to their bench. Once you go past six (in the rotation), they start to lose it. (Red Bank’s Matt) Pebole can’t be guarded by (center Scott) Niewiadomski because Niewiadomski isn’t quick enough. One scenario could be that Milana takes (Red Bank guard Will) Sanborn and Carter can take Pebole, but Pebole could have the advantage inside there. They also could have Milana on Pebole and Colucci on Sanborn. Colucci is an underrated defender, and puts good pressure on the ball.”
If this player is having a big game, Red Bank is in trouble: Sean Grennan, Fr., PG. “If Carter is knocking down open shots because you’re helping on Milana and if Grennan gets in double figures (in scoring) and doesn’t throw the ball around the gym, which a freshman is prone to do in this spot, you’re in trouble.”
Red Bank: “They have two high-level scorers (Will Sanborn and Matt Pebole). Pebole has really
transformed his game from being a complementary player who got offensive rebounds and post-ups to somebody who can take you off dribble and
beat you by shooting threes. He relies on his 3-point shot and his ability to break you down by going to his left. He’s a good foul shooter who looks to draw contact.
Sanborn is the World B. Free of the Shore Conference. He only shoots when he’s open, and he’s always open. He can shoot you in and out of a game. When he’s on, he’s impossible to stop. His step-back 3-pointer is almost unguardable. When he is not going well, he will not
defend, and he starts taking crazy shots and he goes south on his team. (Point guard Eric) Raybon is an underrated point guard who can knock down the open shot, but is very comfortable being more of a distributor. He plays good, solid defense, and he knows his role.
(Forward Stephen) Frost is extremely athletic. He’s like a jumping jack. He’s like a poor man’s Gary Foster. He attacks the offensive glass, he rebounds the
ball, and blocks shots everywhere. His game is improving, and he can be a difference-maker if he is able to score to give them that third weapon. (Forward Mike) Pignataro is the muscle. He sets good screens, and plays fundamental defense. (Forward Kyle) Grant will never shoot. He’s more of a defender/rebounder.
Defensively, they play man-to-man, and it’s not that good because their main two players (Sanborn and Pebole) are not willing to defend as much as they’re
willing to play offense. If you have a bigger guard to go at Sanborn, you can get him in foul trouble.
You just need to throw a lot of defenses at
them. Zone them, man them, run and jump them – keep mixing it up, because they get out of rhythm. Every time Sanborn got doubled, he gets very frustrated.”
If this player is having a big game, Monsignor Donovan is in trouble: Stephen Frost, So., F. “If Frost gets double figures (in scoring) and he is able to become a presence
defensively, rebounding and blocking shots, they are very difficult to stop if the other two guys get their points.”
(14) Freehold vs. (6) Colts Neck, 2:30 p.m.
Freehold: “Besides Neptune’s guards, I look at Freehold’s guards as the most talented and up-and-coming group in the Shore. They’re young, extremely athletic and can handle the ball.
(Sophomore Christian) Garcia doesn’t get the recognition he deserves because he’s a sophomore, but he can score on the low block and in the mid-range, and has the makings of a big-time scorer. (Sophomore Lance) McKenzie is lightning-quick, and when he is playing under control, he is nearly impossible to keep in front of you. (Junior guard Andrew) Gerbehy knows his role and can knock down open shots. If you give him an inch, he’s going to bury it.
(Senior forward Brandon) Carter is an undersized post player who uses his body and is surprisingly athletic. He has to be kept off the boards, and he is able to back you down underneath the basket. (Junior guard) Brandon Brown, if he gets going, he becomes a big, big X-factor because he becomes that extra scorer.
Offensively, they try to get in transition, and they like to dribble drive and kick for shots especially if it’s Gerbehy or Brown. Garcia and McKenzie will look to penetrate, and they try to run their offense through Carter in the low block and see if you double him.
Defensively, they play mostly man-to-man. They sometimes fall asleep away from the ball, so if you reverse the ball and run screens and cuts, you may get them to bite. They are foul prone because they like to reach. If you protect the ball, you’re going to get stuff. They also have problems guarding bigger guards and they have problems against teams with size. (Colts Neck’s Steve) Spinella will give them a hard time because he’s too quick for Carter and he’s too big for Gerbehy or Brown, so they have to put Garcia on him, which means there’s a very good chance (Garcia) can get into foul trouble.”
If this player is having a big game, Colts Neck is in trouble: Lance McKenzie, So. G. “If McKenzie is playing under control and Carter is able to establish himself on the low block, Colts Neck is in trouble.”
Colts Neck: “That four corners offense is the key to their success because (senior point guard Mitchell) Kates
does such a great job penetrating and then he finds his guy, and (senior forward Steve) Spinella loves that baseline move.
Spinella (the Shore’s leading scorer), will make that one-dribble, baseline drive
for a dunk or a score. They don’t run as much motion as they have in the past. They run a motion with some backscreens because they’re pretty
efficient. They’re less of a structured offense this season, with a lot of dribble penetration.
Defending them, you look to double or help on Kates and Spinella off of (Adam) Dombrowski and (Anthony) Salvati.
Defensively, they’re a lot of man-to-man. Their vulnerable spot is the post because Spinella usually guards someone in the wing area. Their post defense hasn’t been all that great, so you’ve got to get it going down low. I think this is going to be a great game.”
If this player is having a big game, Freehold is in trouble: Craig Perry, Sr. G. “The guy you have to look out for is Perry, a lefty shooter who can
catch fire from outside off kickouts from Kates and Spinella.”
(4) Christian Brothers Academy vs. (5) Monmouth, 4:15 p.m.
Monmouth: “Monmouth is the team that has arguably the most talent in the Shore. They have two lightning-quick guards in (junior Anthony) Gibson and (sophomore Neil) Thompson that they use to get to the rack.
(Austin) Whitehurst is an underrated defender and can score but is comfortable in his role. He is a phenomenal defender on the ball, one of the best defenders in the Shore. (Junior center Joe) Willman is playing like an absolute beast. He can beat you inside and out, and he has been playing like a man possessed. (Senior forward Kyle) Fagan is a big body in the post , but has trouble with athletic forwards.
They rely on their athletic ability to create all their points and they let Willman do whatever he feels like he needs to do, which may be their biggest problem with playing CBA. The biggest problem with Monmouth is, can they be disciplined? If they do so, they are as good or better than anybody in the Shore. If they are undisciplined, they can lose to anybody.
Defensively, they play mainly man, although they’ll show some zone. They depend on Whitehurst to take teams out of their offense and hope the athletic ability of Gibson and Thompson will create turnovers to get in an up-and-down, fast-paced game. The main thing to do against them is to protect the ball, cut hard and get backdoor cuts and make them defend. They gamble so much that if you’re patient, you’ll get what you want because they take chances. If CBA is patient, that is the worst possible thing for Monmouth.
CBA will have a lot of problems defending Monmouth man-to-man, so it’s smart to go to a zone and say, ‘If you’re going to beat us, you’re going to have to have Thompson and Whitehurst knock down shots.’ They can also pack it in on Willman, and that makes Willman go over the back and make stupid fouls.”
If this player is having a big game, CBA is in trouble: Austin Whitehurst, Jr., G. “If Thompson and Whitehurst are able to knock down perimeter shots and play under control on drives to the basket, CBA is in trouble.”
CBA: “They’ve changed it up offensively. At the beginning of season, they were running a lot of sets, but the second time through, it was a lot more of a motion offense with (junior center Pat) Light at the high post. They like to hit him and then the wings wil go back door. He’s a great passer from the high post.
(Senior guard Mike) Kuhn and (junior swingman Brian) Neller are difficult (to defend) because against most teams, you can help off the other three players, but against CBA, you can’t do that. You have to emphasize digging in on those two. You’ve got to put two guys out there who are concentrating on defense. We face-guarded them both, and it was important to run fresh guys at them
The Mabrey kid (sophomore point guard Roy Mabrey), if you pressure him enough, you can turn them over. (Senior point guard Dallas) Ouano always stays calm with the ball, and he’s got that ability to backdribble and see the floor. I think he will be a weapon for them.
Defensively they play a lot of 3-2 zone. They pressure you in a 2-1-2 full-court and then go back into a 3-2 zone. They do a great job of slowing teams down. In the 2-1-2 press, they like to have Kuhn and Neller up front because they’re long and they’ll finish well on the turnovers. It’s typical CBA – they’re going to overplay you and put great pressure on ball. If your guards are savvy enough, you will get backdoor looks, but they’re always in your face. If you screen them, you do annoy them. You need to set a lot of ball screens and away screens, and make contact with them as much as you can.”
If this player is having a big game, Monmouth is in trouble: Pat Light, Jr., C. “I think he’s one of the most underrated players in the Shore. He can shoot a mid-range shot, he has a good dribble drive, and he attacks the boards hard. If he has a good game, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”
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