2022-23 CBA Basketball Preview
February 24, 2022
CBA holds a seven-point lead over the Marlboro Mustangs in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal. After a great first half led by aggressive defense and relentless rebounding, CBA was looking to upset Marlboro for the second time in two months as the six-seed in the tournament.
Jack Seidler, Jay Ratner, Jonathan Spatola, and the Mustangs come out in the second half with fire. Outrebounding, outscoring, simply outplaying the Colts. After some key threes in the third, Marlboro leads 29-27 heading into the fourth.
After a good fight in the fourth, Marlboro hung on, defeating the Colts 45-37 in the semifinal. Marlboro would go on to win the Shore Conference Tournament, with Coach Billet and the Colts watching from home.
December 2022
Nine months later and CBA Basketball is back. The word to describe this year’s crew: consistency. After an up-and-down 2021-22 campaign consisting of crazy upsets like Marlboro first time around yet disappointing losses like Holmdel, this team is looking to level out their performance.
Speaking of Marlboro, you can remove Seidler, Ratner, Spatola, and the other talented five seniors from last year’s team. The 2021-22 Mustangs were built around the Class of ’22. They had played together since their elementary days, but their chapter has come to a close, making the Colts the favorite in the Shore Conference this upcoming season.
Roster:
After losing one key senior starter after last season in Pat Lautato, the returning starters in Joe White, Will Bradley, Justin Fuerbacher, and Peter Noble are ready to set the tone early for the Colts. Guys like Colin Torres, Brian Williams, and Dan Sprake will have an increased role after getting some experience last year during their first seasons on Varsity.
The starting lineup and bench will look something like this:
Point Guard: Peter Noble ’24
Shooting Guard: Joe White ’23
Small Forward: Will Bradley ’23
Power Forward: Justin Fuerbacher ’25
Center: Colin Torres ’23
Bench: Dan Sprake, Brian Williams, Anthony Biondolillo, Conor Andree, Charlie Marcoullier
Schedule:
The squad will begin their season much differently than years prior; in Florida. The boys travel down to Coral Springs, Florida for the 2022 Kreul Classic. They will play on December 17, 18, and 20, at the very least. This will give Coach Billet and the guys an opportunity to get the season started on the right foot with some non-Shore Conference games. The first couple of games are always the tough ones, so they will have the chance to get everything right in The Sunshine State.
“I love how we’re going to Florida because it is going to play a huge role in team bonding. It is going to bring us together closer than we were before,” said Joe White, when asked him what the team is looking to get out of the Florida trip. “It will also give us a taste of non-conference teams that can give us good competition, allowing us to catch our breath before Shore Conference games in January.”
The hope is that they can build some momentum in Coral Springs and return to Jersey for the 2022 Buc Classic during Christmas break. With said momentum, the Colts will look to repeat and win the Buc Classic for the second year in a row. It is the first time the Colts begin the season with two tournaments.
In the New Year, the Colts will open their conference schedule at Manalapan on January 3. However, Coach Billet will most likely already be looking forward to the home opener versus Freehold Township on January 5. That will be CBA DN’s first broadcast of the basketball season.
Flash forward a week and a half for two big ones. The Colts have the infamous Founders’ Cup game on January 14 at Red Bank Catholic for a 1 p.m tip-off. After a 59-47 defeat in 2022, the Colts are looking to respond in a big way. Three days later, the Mustangs come to Lincroft where the two teams will meet for the first time since the crushing SCT semifinal. Look for Coach Billet and his guys to show zero mercy to a Marlboro team that has regressed.
The Colts will close out the year at home versus St. Rose High School, a rare opponent for the schedule. After that, both the Shore Conference tournament and state tournament will get underway. I spoke to Bradley about what he and the rest of the seniors need to do as the leaders of this team.
“I think keeping everyone focused on our goals and making sure they are ready to go at all times,” said Bradley. “A big part of it is keeping everyone composed, especially the younger guys, because ultimately we want to win and we are hungry.”
Overall, the Colts on the hardwood are looking to dominate this year. They have the talent, experience, and coaching. Having lost Lautato, this team knows what it is like to lose. They experienced defeat, setting them up for nothing but success here in 2023.
