Shore summer basketball league a teacher for all BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Above, former Red Bank Regional and Brookdale star Billy Gilligan hoists up a foul shot during a JSBL game on July 7 in Belmar. At left, Stern’s E.G. Weldon drives past USB Financial’s Kyle Laird on his way to the basket. For basketball gym rats, the Jersey Shore Basketball League (JSBL) provides summer relief. Whether its high school and college players looking to improve their games, or former college stars looking to play at the next level, the JSBL provides some of the best basketball you’ll see anywhere in the country during the summer. National Basketball Association players looking to remain sharp have participated in the league, which plays its games in the McCann Activities and Athletics Center at St. Rose High School, Belmar. Games are played at 7:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday. One of the JSBL veterans is Billy Gilligan, a former Red Bank Regional star, who most recently played professionally in England and Ireland. After a year away, he is looking to play professionally again. “I’m looking to play abroad,” he said. “This is an opportunity to play all summer long, get in good shape against good competition. “You have to be focused and come to play every night,” he added. Gilligan plays for UBS Financial and has quickly rounded into the form that helped him star at Brookdale and Stockton colleges before playing professionally in England and Ireland. He is among the league’s leading scorers and three-point shooters. Looking back, Gilligan knows the advantages of the JSBL for younger players. “It’s good for high school and college players to see what it takes to become a good player, and what you have to have to be a good player” he said. Mike DeCorso, who was the first basketball player to score 1,000 career points for Colts Neck, is looking forward to his junior year at New York University, where he plays small forward. He wants to make an even bigger impact for the Purple Violets in 2005-06, and the Jersey Shore league is just what he needs. “It’s an opportunity to play against better players than I’ll see [in college],” he said. “It’s a very competitive level and the game is more physical. “You get a good workout playing against players of this caliber,” he added. “In my first game this year, I played against Taquan Dean [Neptune], who went to the Final Four with Louisville. That is good experience.” DeCorso plays for USA Financial and this is his second year with the club. “I like all the guys, they share the ball,” he said. “It’s fun.” DeCorso noted that he is working on his foot speed this summer. One of DeCorso’s teammates is recent University of Penn graduate Tim Begley, of Freehold Township via Christian Brothers Academy, who is using the JSBL as preparation for playing professionally in Germany. The 2005 Ivy League Most Valuable Player is expecting to sign with a German club this week and begin play there next month. The one or two games he plays each week, he said, is just what he needs to get ready. Begley, a point guard, has seen the JSBL from all levels of experience. “It was a cool experience for me getting to play a couple of games in high school,” he said. “I got pushed around. “It’s completely different [from high school and college],” he added. “It’s not as structured. The players are bigger and stronger physically. It’s the best place to play if you are in college. There are a lot of really good players in the league.” Begley played in the JSBL throughout college and two years ago, his USA Financial team won the league championship. What the JSBL is, Begley pointed out, is a great teacher. “Just playing against older guys, you learn things,” he said. “As much as you think you know about the game, they have been playing it so long. You see the little tricks they do to get to the foul line.” It’s Begley now, who is teaching the high school and young college players the new tricks. For Raritan High School graduates, Qa’rraan Calhoun and Marcus Johnson, the JSBL is a chance to play together one more time before they go their separate ways to college. Calhoun is off to a prep school in Connecticut before heading to St. John’s University, while Johnson is preparing for Boston University. They play for Rod’s Tavern and together they made the Rockets a state power, capturing a Group II title and Shore Conference Tournament championship during their career together. Whether a player is from high school, college or professional, DeCorso said they all have one thing in common. “They love the game,” he said. The JSBL playoffs begin Monday and will extend through Aug. 4.