Jets must overcome inexperience

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The Jets start the season in rally mode after a raft of offseason departures – having hustled to rebuild a starting rotation around their sturdiest extant pillar, senior small forward Nabeel Sheihk, who earned All-County honors in spring as their third-leading scorer (9.7 points per game).

Senior Marqiis Samuels – who led Conference AA2 in spring scoring 19 points per game – and fellow All-Conference guard Muneer Ibrahim (junior, 14 ppg) transferred over the summer, leaving the 5-foot-9, high-flying Sheihk as the Jets’ lone returning starter.

“This team is almost all brand new,” said head coach Tom Rottkamp, whose club went 3-1 last season (2-1 AA2) as a follow-up to its postseason drought-ending 5-5 league showing in 2019-20. “We’re young and inexperienced. But we still have Nabeel, who can do a lot. Even at his height, he’s our best rebounder, because he can jump up and grab two hands on the rim.”

Among the Jets’ first-year first-stringers, seniors Jared Shary and Shawn Haber have logged the most minutes. The pair will look to push the tempo in East Meadow’s frontcourt, with Shary handling distribution from the point. “Jared’s leadership will be key to our success,” Rottkamp said. “He’s a great passer. Shawn’s our hardest worker, and a great defensive player.”

Rebounding force Dan Fisher (senior) takes over at center, while deep-threat Jayden Henriquez (junior) starts as the Jets’ stretch four.

“We’re still just looking to play our game,” said Rottkamp, whose team plays eight of its first nine games on the road, including three of four to open its AA2 schedule. “We’ll try to pressure all over the court, and create opportunities to score through turnovers.”

East Meadow has Herricks, Plainview, Westbury, Hicksville, Baldwin and Valley Stream Central as conference foes and will face each of them twice.

Added Rottkamp: “We’re going to try to surprise some people, and get a playoff berth.”