Mustang squad ready to step it up on the hardcourt
Young team looks
to return to the
state tournament
By Wayne witkowski
Staff Writer

Brick Memorial basketball coach Ron Gerulfsen couldn’t wait for last Friday’s opening of practice.

"I always look forward to it," said Gerulfsen. "I’m excited about getting a start."

But that start was without many familiar players. Three players who saw a lot of action, including two starters, graduated from last year’s 9-11 team that just missed making the state tournament. And a number of players, most noticeably 6-2 senior Bill McCarthy, who was the top rebounder last season, and 6-4 sophomore forward Garrett Graham, will be coming out for the team a few days later because they finished football season on Thanksgiving Day against Brick Township.

For that reason, Gerulfsen says it is just as well that the preseason begins on Friday and not earlier as in some neighboring states.

"It would not be an advantage to start any earlier," Gerulfsen said.

All things considered, Gerulfsen is setting challenging goals for this season, like returning to the state tournament, which the Mustangs qualified for two years ago, and the Shore Conference Tournament. Teams need .500 records or better at the cutoff to qualify.

"One of the big things last year is that they made a lot of improvement throughout the year," said the third-year coach. "They beat Toms River East twice, and I don’t think Brick Memorial has ever done that, and swept Toms River South, too. We were in every game we played except maybe one or two."

Pat Przybylowski, a junior guard who led last year’s team in scoring at 13.2 points per game, gives the Mustangs a deep threat. He hit 66 three-pointers on 55 percent proficiency and also was 88 percent from the free throw line.

"He’s a really accurate shooter and a fine all-around player who needs to develop a little more strength, which he will get from the normal maturity process," Gerulfsen said.

Gerulfsen says he expects "a solid year" out of Graham. He also is looking to 6-4 Andrew Plunkett, who comes off a strong soccer season as a marking back covering the best opposing player, and is "counting on him to be a solid force" on the hardwood.

"We definitely have to become a better rebounding team and to get better inside scoring," said Gerulfsen, who is hurting for proven depth in that regard. "Last year, 60 to 70 percent of our scoring came from outside shooting areas."

Another player who saw a lot of playing time last season and is expected to be an important part of the rotation again this year is senior guard Rob Oakley, who will compete with sophomore Larry Cittadino for a starting position.

"He’s a very good defensive player, very quick and team-oriented," said Gerulfsen. "We can say the same thing for Larry, but he is younger."

As for the rest of the team, the coach said sophomores will be at the forefront competing for the other spots.