The 2015-16 Hudson Reporter All-Area Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Teams represent the finest that Hudson County has in terms of basketball talent.
The Hudson Reporter All-Area Girls’ Basketball Team has no returning players from last year’s First Team, but has three fine individuals who were selected as Second Team honorees a year ago making the leap up to earn First Team accolades this time around.
Kristina Ulrich of Secaucus, who took the bull by the horns and became the leader of the Patriots’ program after the graduation of two 1,000-point scoring teammates; Zhan’e Williams, who emerged as the do-everything point guard for the Lions of Lincoln, leading her team back to the Hudson County Tournament finals; and Bayonne’s Madison McGlone, whose incredible improvement just continued to where she became the top player in the county.
Williams earns All-Area honors for a third straight year. She was a Third Team selection in 2013-14, an honor that only a handful of girls have achieved.
The trio of excellent performers is joined on the first team by St. Anthony standout Zyearah Taylor-Gaston, who continued to excel despite her team’s struggles, and Breyanna Frazier of Marist, who was the best performer on a tough Royal Knight team that won 17 games this season.
The Hudson Reporter All-Area Boys’ Basketball Team has only one returning First Team selection in Jagan Mosely of St. Anthony, who was clearly the leader of the fabulous Friars’ undefeated run to the NJSIAA Non-Public B and Tournament of Champions titles that eluded them the previous three seasons.
The rest of the First Team includes Jahvon Quinerly of Hudson Catholic, who helped to lead his team to the Hudson County Tournament title for a fifth straight year. Quinerly earned Third Team honors last year as a freshman. Quinerly is joined on the First Team by teammate Luther Muhammad, a fellow sophomore. Both Quinerly and Muhammad will give Hawk fans something to be excited for over the next two basketball seasons.
Mosely, Quinerly and Muhammad are joined on the First Team by high scoring Troy Lopez of Dickinson, who averaged nearly 19 points per game for the Rams; and Justin Davis of Hoboken, who averaged almost 22 points per game in leading his team to the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group I championship game.
Davis is only a junior, so he returns to lead the Redwings next season.
The Hudson Reporter Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year is McGlone, who was the driving force behind the Bees returning to prominence as county champs for the first time since 2011. McGlone averaged nearly 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and had five assists per game for the Bees, who posted a fine 20-3 record this season.
The Hudson Reporter Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year is Mosely, who literally did everything to lead the Friars to perfection.
Mosely averaged nearly 15 points per contest. He also added five assists per game and seven rebounds per game. More importantly, Mosely played every single position on the floor for the Friars and offered a sense of stability when the team desperately needed it and maintained the undefeated record.
The Hudson Reporter Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year should be no surprise, because Bob Hurley of St. Anthony basically could earn the honors every year. Hurley is the winner of more than 1,150 high school basketball games in his career. He led his team to their remarkable 28th state championship and 13th Tournament of Champions crown.
Hurley is already a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, so earning the Coach of the Year honors here is almost like winning 50 cents in a poker game, but for mixing and matching the Friars’ lineup all season and managing to win all 32 games with the host of injuries and mishaps that they had to endure, Hurley gets the nod.
The Hudson Reporter Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year is James Turner of Bayonne, who led the Bees back to the local pinnacle, the Hudson County Tournament title. It’s the fourth county crown for Turner as a coach, but Turner weaved his magic by putting the Bees in the right place at the right time this season. – Jim Hague
2015-16 Hudson Reporter Girls’ H.S. Basketball All-Area Team
FIRST TEAM
Kristina Ulrich, Secaucus
Zhan’e Williams, Lincoln
Madison McGlone, Bayonne
Zyearah Taylor-Gaston, St. Anthony
Breyanna Frazier, Marist
SECOND TEAM
Jillian Jover, North Bergen
Lindsey Mack, Secaucus
Tania Scott, Hudson Catholic
Nellasia Cedeno, Union City
Amanda Ulrich, Secaucus
THIRD TEAM
Destiny Shuler, Lincoln
Kelley Gallagher, Bayonne
Jada Camacho, Dickinson
Destiny Cabreja, North Bergen
Gianna Acosta, Ferris
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Madison McGlone, Bayonne
COACH OF THE YEAR: James Turner, Bayonne
2015-16 Hudson Reporter Boys’ H.S. Basketball All-Area Team
FIRST TEAM
Jagan Mosely, St. Anthony
Justin Davis, Hoboken
Jahvon Quinerly, Hudson Catholic
Luther Muhammad, Hudson Catholic
Troy Lopez, Dickinson
SECOND TEAM
Isiah Dasher, Ferris
R.J. Cole, St. Anthony
Ron Washington, Snyder
Abraham Felix, Union City
Cristion DeJean, Marist
THIRD TEAM
Asante Gist, St. Anthony
Tyshon Hanberry, Hoboken
Jorge Portorreal, St. Peter’s Prep
Tyheem Burno, Hudson Catholic
Kenyan Goodson, Snyder
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jagan Mosely, St. Anthony
COACH OF THE YEAR: Bob Hurley, St. Anthony