MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Breylan Guerrero (31) recovers a lose ball and looks for a team mate to throw to in the first quarter.

While the departure of HAC-I first teamer Ben Dalton stings, it doesn’t dampen the expectations of Jersey Shore boys basketball heading into its 2025-26 season. Dalton was stellar throughout his senior season, where he averaged an 18-point double-double and led the Bulldogs to new heights. But the team came alive around him, particularly late in the season, and much of that core is back for the current campaign.

Coming off a season where they finished 13-9 and came a few points away from dethroning District 4 power Danville in district quarters, the Bulldogs have plenty in the tank to build on that. Head coach Jon Boob acknowledged the difficulty that came with losing Dalton, but believes this team has what it takes to continue its climb.

“Ben obviously was a huge part of our success last year, and we owe him so much for teaching these guys the correct work ethic and what it takes to win. With that being said, we have a majority of our team back,” said Jersey Shore head coach Jon Boob. “The guys have worked extremely hard this offseason to gain skills that they didn’t have last year. Our depth is even larger this year, so we’re just trying to get better each day.”

That group will be led by senior point guard Landon Lathan, who proved impactful as a multi-dimensional scorer, facilitator and defender last season and finished as the team’s second leading scorer with 7.4 points per game. However, unlike its previous campaign, Jersey Shore will be less one-man-oriented, relying more on its depth than star power.

Other returning starters coming off impactful stints include Jacob Lorson and Carson Watkins, who Boob mentioned had been displaying growth alongside Lathan. Tucker Hanna, Ty McDermit, Khani McCray and Breylan Guerrero showed flashes off the bench and have also made strives throughout the offseason.

“Our biggest advantage is our depth. So, there are not one or two people taking leaps. It’s eight or nine guys,” said Boob. “I’m excited to see them continue to all grow throughout the season.”

That depth is rounded out by promising newcomers. Though they didn’t play varsity basketball last year, junior Kaihl Harlan and sophomore Orrin Pennycoff are expected to play a role, with Boob considering them “primed and ready to be big parts of the team.”

It’s a deep, now-seasoned group with a lot of strengths, including outside shooting, defense and the ability to create offense from said defense. The latter two are a product of their motor, which has already been on display in the early goings of the team’s season. And all three have been created by their work ethic.

“These guys work harder than any group I’ve ever coached. They don’t make excuses. They don’t get down on themselves. They just keep working,” said Boob on the team. “We will never be the most talented team. But we pride ourselves on our hustling and outworking our opponents.”

When it comes to challenges, obviously, the departure of Dalton does leave a gap in the middle. Dalton stood at 6’3″ last season and played even bigger, averaging 11.5 rebounds as a result, and the Bulldogs currently don’t have a guy at that height that can replace him.

As it stands, their tallest player stands at 6’2″ and it remains to be seen how they’ll combat that weakness. However, even if it has to play a more small-ball style, Boob is confident in whatever group he has on the court.

“We are not big. So, we have a lot of guys playing out of position against bigger and stronger players,” said Boob when discussing their size. “But we don’t allow that to define us. We make up for our size with grit and work.”

After enduring back-to-back two-win seasons heading into 2024-25, Boob now has the Bulldogs in position to produce back-to-back ten-plus-win seasons for the first time since 2014-15. There’s added pressure now that the team sports high expectations, but they look forward to the challenges to come.

“Obviously, last year was something special to be a part of. Nobody expected us to win as many games as we did. Heck, we didn’t even expect it,” said Boob. “We are excited to surprise people again this year.”