Central Jersey Prospects Ready for a Big 2020-21 Season

<p>Central Jersey has had a solid past two seasons with Ranney winning the 2019 Tournament of Champions, while Manasquan won a state best 31 games. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901942" first="Ben" last="Roy"] </strong>was a Second Team All-State selection and will be looking to do it again in 2020-21. Monmouth commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900292" first="Sam" last="Fagan"] </strong>dropped 40 points on the road against Somerville and is ready for a big senior season. Roy and Fagan are not the only Central Jersey prospects capable of bursting onto the scene in 2020-21. Here are the top Central Jersey prospects ready for a big 2020-21 season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="929516" first="Connor" last="Walsh"], 6’5 SF Manasquan 2021</strong></p> <p>The Warriors have to replace <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850360" first="Alex" last="Galvan"] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896677" first="Kieran" last="Flanagan"]</strong>,but they have a solid 2021 duo in Walsh and <strong>Jack Collins</strong>. The former is one of the top defenders in the Shore Conference due to his combination of length and athleticism. Walsh moves well off the ball and knows how to finish around the basket. He is a good rebounder and is a perfect fit in Manasquan’s offense. Walsh will need to take his scoring up a notch in 2020-21 for Manasquan to win its third straight Central Jersey Group 2 title.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901964" first="Ryan" last="Zan"], 6’7 PF Ranney 2022</strong></p> <p>The Panthers return everyone from last season’s team and they are ready to be one of the teams to beat in the Shore Conference. Zan is a classic stretch-four with a good face-up game and range that extends past the three-point line. The 6’7 forward has a nice touch around the basket and knows how to draw contact. Zan is a solid post defender and rebounder. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901941" first="Elijah" last="Perkins"] </strong>will be the go-to guy for Ranney again next season, but the Panthers need Zan to be a steady complimentary scorer in 2020-21.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="933644" first="Samir" last="Padilla"], PG Lakewood 2023</strong></p> <p>The Piners had a remarkable turnaround in 2019-20 as they quadrupled their win total from the previous season. Padilla’s emergence in the backcourt as he proved to be one of the more underrated floor generals in the Shore Conference. He has a good handle and is a blur in the open floor. Padilla knows how to finish around the basket and is capable of knocking down shots from behind the arc. Lakewood’s future is in good hands with Padilla and <strong>Respect Tyleek</strong> running the show for the next couple of years.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900360" first="Pat" last="Lacey"], 6’1 SG Wall 2021</strong></p> <p>The Crimson Knights have won the Central Jersey Group 3 in consecutive seasons, but will be without star guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896620" first="Quinn" last="Calabrese"]</strong> in 2020-21. Lacey is ready for a bigger role in the offense after scoring 20 points in two of his last three games. The 6’1 guard has a good handle and can finish around the basket. Lacey is more than just a slasher as he can also knock down shots from behind the arc. Wall has a talented guard duo in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901981" first="Colin" last="Ackerman"] </strong>and Lacey, who are looking to take home a third straight sectional title.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900359" first="Luke" last="Albrecht"], 5’11 PG Middletown South 2021</strong></p> <p>The Eagles were one of the top teams in Group 4 throughout the season as they took went 26-3. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="929541" first="James" last="Anderson"]</strong>, <strong>Mike Dabas </strong>and <strong>Bobby Pirie</strong> have all graduated, leaving Albrecht to shoulder a bigger scoring load. The 5’11 point guard always plays with his head up and knows how to find his open teammates. Albrecht has a good handle and knows how to score around the basket. He will have to be a more dominant scorer if Middletown South wants to be a team to beat in 2020-21.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Other Players to Watch:</strong></span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900304" first="Brandon" last="Pfeifer"], 6’0 SG Allentown 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>Yathin Vermula, 6’0 PG South Brunswick 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="931033" first="Jameel" last="Morris"], 5’10 PG Burlington City 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900301" first="Chris" last="Rubayo"], 6’9 PF Montgomery 2021</strong></p>