MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP – Although the Seraphs graduated first team All-Shore forward Elijah Barnes – now at Princeton University – and second team All-Shore guard Elijah Mitchell, they bring back three starters in addition to two transfers who will contribute immediately.
Add a deep bench and a group of up-and-coming underclassmen and you can expect another top 20 finish for Mater Dei this season after finishing ranked No. 10 in the state a year ago.
They also claimed the top spot in the final Shore Conference rankings after going 25-4 and winning their second straight Shore Conference championship beating Marlboro, 54-41. The Seraphs will be attempting to be the first team to win three straight Shore Conference Tournament titles since Christian Brothers Academy won four straight from 1993 to 1996.
Last season came to an end in the NJSIAA Non-Public, South B quarterfinals when Mater Dei fell to the Patrick School, who went on to win the Tournament of Champions title and claim the No. 1 spot in the final NJ.com Top 20 rankings and finished ranked seventh nationally in the final Max Prep Top 20 poll.
“The team is working hard every day to get better and accomplish our goals,” said starting senior guard Yasin Pretlow. We know what we have to do; everybody wants to beat Mater Dei but it’s our job not to let that happen. We’re just working hard focusing on our practices trying to get better as a team.”
Mater Dei will have no shortage of guards and you will see four guards in the starting lineup to begin the season.
All-Shore point guard and Loyola University commit Kenny Jones is back to lead the quartet of guards after averaging 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds per game while finishing fourth in the Shore Conference with 5.68 assists per game.
Senior Kyle Cardasi returns in the backcourt as a two-year starter with the ability to knock down the three-point shot sinking 40 three-pointers a year ago while averaging 11.4 points and 2.4 rebounds. He scored 23 points including five treys in their first-round win over Gloucester Catholic in the state playoffs.
Pretlow steps into a starting role this season after excelling as the sixth man last season when he averaged 9.9 points, 2.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game. You can expect him to take his game to the next level this season.
“Defense, defense, defense, we got to get better on defense,” Pretlow said of the keys to a successful season. “The better we are on defense the easier it makes our offense click. Just harassing guys on the defensive end, trying to get steals, jumping the lane to get easy buckets in transition that’s what we work on every day in practice.”
As much talent as Mater Dei holds they’ll be an underdog in the Class B Central race going into the season. After splitting two games and sharing the division title with Ranney last season, the Panthers return all five starters including two five-star recruits and brought in 6-foot-9 forward Savior Akuwovo, who transferred from St. Anthony’s when they were forced to close their doors.
On the flip side, Mater Dei added St. Anthony’s transfer Alexander Rice – the son of Monmouth University head coach King Rice. The 6-foot-3 all-purpose guard started as a sophomore last season for the Friars and had his best game of the season on Feb. 10 against Ranney when he scored 24 points, including the game winning three-pointer with four seconds left the game. For the season he averaged a little over 10 points per game and will immediately step into a starting role at Mater Dei.
Mater Dei head coach Ben Gamble played for Bobby Hurley at St. Anthony’s before coaching under him for 15 years so it’s a nice fit for Rice.
That leaves 6-foot-9 center Adam Afifi as the only true big man in the starting lineup but he’s a good one. Playing second fiddle to Barnes last season he still averaged 6.8 point per game and 4.2 rebounds. You can expect to see those numbers climb significantly this season as the paint will be his to roam.
The Seraphs also added 6-foot-5 forward Jamir Watkins, who is expected to jump right into the front court mix and if he doesn’t start he’ll be the sixth man. He comes over from Trenton Catholic where he averaged 6.9 points a game as a freshman and can jump out of the gym. He saw more and more playing time as the season went on a year ago and he led the team with 14 points in their state playoff win versus Ewing.
Jeremy Weinstein, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, is another option for Gamble in the front court along with senior Kyle Devaney – a standout WR/DB on the Seraphs football team – in the back court.
Pete Gorman (So., 6-5, Forward), Sean Turner (So., 6-0, Guard), Jalen Jones (Fr., Guard), Myles Cystein (Jr., Forward), and Tahaj Parland (So., Guard) will provide depth off the bench.
“Obviously, it’s to win the Shore Conference Championship for three in a row,” said Pretlow when asked what the team’s goals were this year. We’re just focused on our own team and running through people in the Shore and to eventually making it to the TOC. That’s something that’s never been done at Mater Dei Prep and this team can accomplish that goal.”
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