Jersey Shore Invitational
by Ray Floriani
TOMS RIVER, N.J. – A week ago Wednesday, I received the call from Joe Held. A Northeast Conference official, Joe and I have worked together in camp and on high school games. “We need a third partner,” Joe says. “Rene Ruth (another NEC official and partner) and I are working a game in Toms River at nine.” Sounds good, but what was the level, I ask. Was it AAU? “Don’t know – got the call from Edgar (Cartotto, the NEC supervisor) and he said give you a call.”
Calling my father Ray Sr., who lives in Toms River, I find it is a college tournament, The Jersey Shore Invitational. The players are specifically being looked at by scouts for placement to teams overseas.
On the roughly 80-minute trip down, we discuss the level and generally how we want the game called. Simply, you want to let the players play but there is a fine line to consistently maintain control and competitive balance.
Around the bend on Old Freehold road, motorists suddenly see the Ritacco Center. The 3000-capacity building is less than three years old but already has drawn rave reviews from New Jersey state tournament teams, fans and officials. It is situated on the campus of Toms River North High School. Open the doors and a long hallway greets you. It looks as though you walked into a facility like Trenton’s Sovereign Bank arena. Concession stands are on the right; the walls are covered with pictures of numerous Toms River high school teams that have captured state or Shore championships; photos of prominent athletes hailing from the Toms River schools also dot the walls, as does a team photo of the 1998 Toms River Little League team that captured the world’s championship.
Arriving at the locker room, we run into the first game officials relaxing at halftime. Scott Rosenbaum, a Northeast Conference official, alerts us on one thing. “It can be confusing,” he says. “Players are wearing their own school jerseys and it seems like there are a lot of different colors (uniforms) out there.”
Some of the second game players walk in. They are wearing sweats from schools as Purdue, Birmingham Southern, Texas Tech and Kean.
We catch part of the second half of the seven o’clock game. It’s good to get a look at the style of play and how the game is being officiated. We can see what Scott meant about the jerseys but thankfully there are dark colors for the visitors and the home whites on the opposite end. During that time we speak for a few minutes with Bruce Hamburger of Kean and Gerald Holmes of Bloomfield, both of whom have players in our game. With about nine minutes remaining, we head to the officials locker room. Joe leads the pregame discussion of some finer points. “Remember,” he said, “if we have a charge on one end, it’s the same on the opposite end.” Rene discusses handling over the back calls and generally letting the teams play.
A few minutes prior to the tip, we greet the coaches. The International team has two Swedish coaches, who quickly want to review any differences there might be in the college game from their international one. One of their guards asks us how we will call the closely guarded (5 second) count. The Internationals are opposed by a Great Plains team.
Toss the ball to start the game. Happy with the toss, good and high, but start to move into the wrong position. Rene quickly alerts me to change. Better a slight mistake at the tip than a glaring one late with the game on the line.
Play is moving along quickly. Teams are in transition for a good part of the time, and three-pointers are frequently released. These teams probably had little practice time together and players want to showcase their talent. Still, play is relatively organized, not total free lance. Teams are running motion, setting screens and big men are posting up on the blocks.
During one time out Joe suggests I rotate a little more working the lead on the baseline. Rotating simply puts you in position where the ball and majority of players are located. His suggestion helped a great deal.
It’s clear the Great Plains team is stronger, and they take a commanding lead into the locker room at halftime. We go over a few plays and points at halftime. I mention that I am trying to let them play a bit in the post but and holding is off limits. “Good,” Joe says, “keep taking that call because I’m warning them in the post about that.”
Arriving on the floor for the second half, EB’s Jay Gomes gives a thumbs up sign from the press table. There is a very sparse crowd, but the sponsoring group still has promotional shootouts and give-aways available every time out.
The game moves on and during timeouts a partner will confer and make an observation. On one sequence in the C (foul line extended) position I had a chance to take an offensive but got screened and didn’t get a good look. “It would have been good to take,” Rene said, “Joe and I both had one and you could have grabbed one.”
Devonne Giles (Texas Tech) of Great Plains has four fouls. During a timeout, we remind each other of that with the intent that foul number five must be good. With about eight minutes to play and Giles’ team up 23, a player from Birmingham Southern cuts across the lane from the weakside. He takes a pass, goes up and is hit. I get the foul and realize it is Giles. Tough to make that fifth foul call, but he (Giles) got him good on the play. Not long after I am positioned by the Great Plains coach. I tell him that it was tough to take that fifth foul, but there was no choice. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You have to learn to be cautious with four fouls.”
In the latter stretches everything is moving well. Call a two-shot foul that puts Mushon Ya’akosi (Fordham) on the line for International. Again, the Great Plains coach Dave Alderman says, “Ray the call was right but just watch 51 (Ya’akosi). He likes to clear out with his left arm.” Tell the coach I keep a good look at it and we move on. The final buzzer goes off with Great Plains winning 102-80.
It’s 10:45, and in the locker room we go over a few points before taking the ride home up the Garden State Parkway. Joe searches for the tournament director to get us free shirts. “That’s Joe,” Rene says smiling, “always politicking.” It gives me a chance to talk with Ya’akosi. The immediate plans are to return to his native Israel to play pro ball. “I would look at other offers in Europe,” he said. Ya’akosi also mentioned how rewarding his Fordham career wound up under Dereck Whittenburg. “If we didn’t lose to La Salle on the road and Duquesne at home, I think we would have gotten an NIT bid,” he said. “We won a game in the (Atlantic Ten) tournament and I think that would have gotten us in.”
The stat sheet shows that Mikael Lindquist, a Swedish all-star, led the Internationals with 17 points while Dainmon Gonner of Southeast Missouri State led Great Plains with 25. Joe has the shirts and the tournament people say thanks to us. Actually, the thanks should go to them for a unique experience.
The Mountain West, behind the play of tournament MVP Spencer Nelson, a 6-8 forward from Utah State, defeated the South in the finals to capture the championship. Eight teams were in the tournament with evyone guaranteed three games.
