Shavar Reynolds was raised in a military family, so he understands what it means to “complete the mission.”
Take last month in Cyprus, when the Manchester native, in his second season playing pro basketball overseas, scored 25 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed five rebounds in the decisive game on the road to lead Keravnos to the league championship, earning MVP honors.
“We won both the cup and the championship, so it was beautiful,” Reynolds said. “It’s always good when you can do the full season and complete the mission – getting that championship. So it was a blessing”
No one who’s followed Reynolds’ career is surprised, having gone from a walk-on at Seton Hall to a starting Big East point guard, before helping Monmouth win 21 games in his final college season.
And over the past two summers, Reynolds has led the Jersey Shore Basketball League’s comeback from a rough stretch that included the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVIDS-19 pandemic, followed by two seasons struggling to find a place to play.
Reynolds has been MVP of the last two championship games, as he and former Seton Hall teammate Myles Cale combined for 65 points in the final to lead Sterns Trailer to a second straight title.
Now Reynolds, Cale and their teammates, with an intriguing roster sprinkled with Rutgers connections, seek to three-peat when the eight-team league kicks off its 56th season with a double-header Wednesday night at Manasquan High School.
See the rosters and schedule for the 2024 Jersey Shore Basketball League at the end of this story.
The level of talent set to take the court for Sterns Trailer is indicative of how far the league has risen in recent years. Former Rutgers great Geo Baker will be making trips down to the Jersey Shore to play alongside forward Zach Martini, the Princeton transfer who brings big-game experience to the Scarlet Knights’ talented young roster, and Colonia native Jordan Derkack, who joins the Rutgers backcourt after two seasons at Merrimack. Also playing is Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell’s son, Kevin, a rising senior at CBA.
Throw in former UConn guard RJ Cole, a key contributor last summer, and Portland Trail Blazers center Moses Brown, and Sterns Trailer is the preseason favorite. And the team will be coached by St. Rose girls basketball coach Chrissy Hatfield, who becomes the first female head coach in league history.
“Our team was already the best team, and we might be missing a couple of pieces this year but there are some good additions,” Reynolds said. “So as long as everybody does their job we’ll be fine.
“It’s a good time. It’s a time when we can just play basketball and have fun. There’s not as much pressure, there’s not as much urgency. We go through eight-to-10 months of urgency, of always having to make sure we’ve got to try to win, we’ve got to get that. So you just get back to playing basketball. It’s like when you were younger and playing at the park. It’s just free flowing. You get to play with your friends, play with people you really want to play with, so that’s the great part about it.”
The 6-2 Reynolds continues to use all of his experiences to grow as a player, having adapted to the more physical style of play in Europe.
“It’s definitely a culture shock from college to playing overseas because the physicality is a whole different level,” he said. “They’re allowed to body you up and use their chest and use their hands a lot, so it’s definitely a big adjustment period. But for me, I’m a stronger, bigger guard, so it kind of fits my style, so once I learned it I was able to use it to my advantage.”
Top-level talent returning
The JSBL was once a great place to see NBA players. And the pendulum appears to be swinging back in that direction, with Shaq Harrison playing a few games with Larson Ford last season to become the first NBA player in several years to play.
This year’s rosters include the 7-2 Brown, who played 22 games with Portland last season, his fifth season in the NBA.
There are two current G-League players on rosters, including Nate Pierre-Louis and Phillip Wheeler, who left Ranney after his junior season in 2018-19, helping the Panthers win the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title, to play professionally in Europe.
Monmouth Hawks well-represented
While Monmouth University players will not be back for the first two days of the JSBL season this week, as the Hawks continue a three-game trip to Italy that began with a win in Rome Sunday, the program’s past and present will be well represented this year.
Justin Robinson, the program’s all-time leading scorer and a JSBL stalwart over the years, returns after spending his eighth professional season in Europe in Italy, leading a Sea View Jeep team that includes former Monmouth players Xander Rice, a first-team All-CAA selection last season, Collin Stewart, Marcus McClary and Tyrone O’Garro. And George Papas, a first-team All-MAAC selection in 2022 who recently completed his second season playing Greece, will play for Ortho-NJ.
A number of current Monmouth players are scheduled to play, including Abdi Bashir Jr., Jack Collins and Sam Fagan, who will play for his father, Neptune High School coach Joe Fagan, with ACI/Robin’s Nest.
Famous sons
With New Jersey native Dan Hurley having coached UConn to back-to-back national championships, his son Andrew, a walk-on with the Huskies, is schedule to compete with Ortho-NJ.
Former Rutgers standout Ron Harper Jr., who played for played 10 games for the Toronto Raptors over the past two seasons, is scheduled to play with Larson Ford.
And 30 years after his late father, Anthony Mason, won his first JSBL title, his son Antoine, who played at Auburn and is now playing overseas, will play for RKE Athletic.
2024 JSBL ROSTERS
INTERN HELPERS
Taheem Braswell (Georgian Court) 6-6 G
Ashton Gibbs (Pittsburgh) 6-2 G
Serigne Gueye (Senegal) 6-3 G
Marlon Hargis (Saint Francis Pa.) 6-7 F
Nas Hart (College Achieve HS) 6-9 F
Isaac Hester (S. Connecticut St.) 5-11 G
Amari Jones (Georgian Court) 6-6 G
Jesse Jones (Bridgeport) 6-0 G
Alex Leiba (PSU Harrisburg) 6-10 F
Sa’eed Nelson (American) 6-2 G
Elijah Perkins (Saint Peter’s) 6-4 G
Keyron Sheard (UT Chattanooga) 6-2 G
Chris Smith (Louisville) 6-2 G
Phillip Wheeler (Mexico City G-League) 6-8 F
Owner: Marc Nelson
Coach: Terry Hicks
LARSON FORD
Jamie Calloway (Lackawanna) G 6-1
Terry Copeland (Northern Illinois) 6-10 F
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers) 6-4 G
Allen Holman (Raritan Valley) 5-10 G
Aundre Hyatt (Rutgers) 6-6 F
Ewens Lizima (Delaware Valley) 6-0 G
Peter Luster (Middlesex) 6-0 G
Christian Lyons (Gloucester) 6-4 G
Isiah McCallum (Union) 6=7 F
Shahid Muhammad (Massachusetts) 6-11 C
Josh Pierre-Louis (UC Santa Barbara) 6-4 G
Nate Pierre-Louis 6-4 G
Ryan Zan (LaSalle) 6-7 F
Owner: Paul Larson Jr.
Coach: Larry Marshall
ORTHO-NJ
Mike Aaman (Wagner) 6-8 F
Brendan Barry (Dartmouth) 6-2 G
Marcus Burton (Wagner) 6-0 G
Qa’rraan Calhoun (Houston) 6-8 F
Tommy Conniff (Lehigh) 6-11 C
Mike Dunne (Hartford) 6-0 G
Andrew Hurley (Connecticut) 6-1 G
Kevin Marfo (Quinnipiac) 6-9 F
Denzel Mensah (PSU Wilkes-Barre) 6-3 G
Jagan Mosely (Georgetown) 6-3 G
George Papas (Monmouth) 6-5 G
Dan Pillari (Monmouth) 5-10 G
Louie Pillari (Monmouth) 6-6 G
Jesse Steele (Monmouth) 5-8 G
AJ Sumbry (Wagner) 6-8 F
Owner: Dr. Greg Roehrig
Coach: Jon Kaminski
RKE ATHLETIC
Sidney Brown (Albright) 5-11 G
Kyle Cardaci (Saint Peter’s) 6-2 G
Jack Collins (Monmouth) 6-5 G
Nick Davidson (Bloomfield) 6-6 G
Nico Galette (Youngstown State) 5-5 G
Antoine Mason (Auburn) 6-2 G
Dane Moran (Trinity) 6-9 F
Savon Myers (Transfer Portal) 6-6 G
Chris Rubayo (Lafayette) 6-10 F
Shawn Summers (William Paterson) 6-4 G
Owner: Ted Maciejewski
Coach: Sean Gallagher and Mike Thompson
SEA VIEW JEEP
Elijah Barnes (Princeton) 6-7 F
Colin Cavanaugh (Wilkes) 5-10 G
Alihan Demir (Minnesota) 6-9 F
Max Mahoney (Boston U) 6-8 F
Marcus McClary (Monmouth) 6-3 G
Tyrone O’Garro (Fairleigh Dickinson) 6-6 F
Xander Rice (Monmouth) 6-3 G
Justin Robinson (Monmouth) 5-8 G
CJ Ruoff (Catholic) 6-3 G
Collin Stewart (Monmouth) 6-7 G
Owner/Coach: Tyler Schmelz
STERNS TRAILER
Geo Baker (Rutgers) 6-4 G
Devin Bennett (Holy Family) 6-8 F
Moses Brown (UCLA) 7-2 C
Myles Cale (Seton Hall) 6-6 G
Gene Campbell (NJCU) 6-1 G
RJ Cole (Connecticut) 6-1 G
Aiden Derkack (Colonia HS) 6-6 G
Jordan Derkack (Rutgers) 6-5 G
Kessly Felizor (New Haven) 6-7 F
Scott Gyimesi (Tufts) 6-6 G
Zach Martini (Rutgers) 6-7 F
Corey Miller (Monmouth) 6-2 G
Kevin Pikiell (Christian Brothers Academy) 6-3 G
Shavar Reynolds (Seton Hall/Monmouth) 6-2 G
Matt Ringel (Georgian Court) 6-7 G
Larry Smith (Brookdale) 6-1 G
Malik Wineglass (Harris Stowe State) 6-8 F
Owner: Fred Stern
Coach: Christine Hatfield
WCT WARRIORS
Abdi Bashir Jr. (Monmouth) 6-7 G
Bryan Ebeling (St. Rose HS) 6-3 G
Chima Ekekeugbor (Baruch) 6-5 G
Tim Gjonballa (William Paterson) 6-9 F
Mike Goodall (Stevens) 6-0 G
Ian Imegwu (Cornell) 6-9 F
Drew Kania (Brown) 6-8 F
Griffin Linstra (Manasquan HS) 6-5 G
Jorge Mercado (Seton Hall) 6-4 G
Quinn Peters (Monmouth) 6-6 G
Ryan Pettit (Lafayette) 6-1 G
Ryan Savoy (NJCU) 6-4 G
Andre Wells (William Paterson) 6-0 G
Jeremiah Williams (Rutgers) 6-4 G
Owner: Bruce Bresnahan
Coach: Josh Peter
ACI/ROBIN’S NEST
Keith Allen (Brookdale) 5-11 G
Regan Burke (Brookdale) 6-4 G
Sam Fagan (Monmouth) 6-1 G
Jared Kimbrough (Hartford) 6-8 F
Savon Myers (Brookdale) 6-5 G
Vovo Trotsky (Brookdale) 6-6 F
Austin Williams (Rutgers) 6-4 G
Nick Williams (Brookdale) 6-4 G
Jack Zink (Brookdale) 6-2 G
Owner: Robin Pallandrillo
Coach: Joe Fagan
2024 JSBL SCHEDULE
June 26
Larson Ford vs. Ortho-NJ, 7 p.m.
Sea View Jeep vs. Sterns Trailer, 8:30 p.m.
June 27
Intern Helpers vs. Larson Ford, 7 p.m.
ACI/Robin’s Nest vs. Ortho-NJ, 8:30 p.m.
July 1
Intern Helpers vs. WCT Warriors, 7 p.m.
ACI/Robin’s Nest vs. RKE Athletic, 8:30 p.m.
July 2
Ortho-NJ vs/ RKE Athletic, 7 p.m.
Larson Ford vs. WCT Warriors, 8:30 p.m.
July 3
Intern Helpers vs. Sea View Jeep, 7 p.m.
ACI/Robin’s Nest vs. Sterns Trailer, 8:30 p.m.
July 15
Sterns Trailer vs. WCT Warriors, 7 p.m.
Larson Ford vs. RKE Athletic, 8:30 p.m.
July 16
ACI/Robin’s Nest vs. Sea View Jeep, 7 p.m.
Intern Helpers vs. Ortho-NJ, 8:30 p.m.
July 17
Ortho-NJ vs. Sea View Jeep, 7 p.m.
Larson Ford vs. Sterns Trailer, 8:30 p.m.
July 18
Intern Helpers vs. RKE Athletic, 7 p.m.
ACI/Robin’s Nest vs. WCT Warriors, 8:30 p.m.
July 23
RKE Athletic vs. Sea View Jeep, 7 p.m.
ACI/Robin’s Nest vs. Larson Ford, 8:30 p.m.
July 24
Sea View Jeep vs. WCT Warriors, 7 p.m.
Intern Helpers vs. Sterns Trailer, 8:30 p.m.
July 25
RKE Athletic vs. Sterns Trailer, 7 p.m.
Ortho-NJ vs. WCT Warriors, 8:30 p.m.
July 29
RKE Athletic vs. WCT Warriors, 7 p.m.
Ortho-NJ vs. Sterns Trailer, 8:30 p.m.
July 30
ACI/Robin’s Nest vs. Intern Helpers, 7 p.m.
Larson Ford vs., Sea View Jeep, 8:30 p.m.